ISLAMABAD, Sep 22 (APP): A pilot project has been planned to provide instant, targeted cash assistance to families living in disaster-affected areas through the integration of the National Catastrophe (NatCat) Model with the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
According to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the initiative forms part of a broader plan to develop a shock-responsive social protection framework that can respond swiftly to emergencies caused by floods and other natural disasters.
The project seeks to strengthen Pakistan’s disaster management system by ensuring timely cash transfers to vulnerable households when calamities strike.
Under the proposed mechanism, functionalities of the NatCat model will be fully aligned with BISP’s payment system to enable real-time cash disbursements.
It has been proposed that the pilot programme be rolled out initially in selected flood-prone districts, with lessons learned from the trial shaping the design of a nationwide expansion.
A key feature of the plan is the development of a shock response matrix, which will spell out the roles of different stakeholders, timelines for intervention, and the allocation of financial and human resources.
Alongside this, a real-time monitoring dashboard will be created, allowing Parliament to directly track disbursements and ensure accountability and transparency in emergency support.
The National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF), working in partnership with the Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and backed by technical support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), had developed the NatCat model in 2024.
The model provides scientific, evidence-based insights for disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk financing.
BISP Chairperson Senator Rubina Khalid, while speaking to Wealth Pakistan, underlined the importance of institutional preparedness for disaster response.
She said Pakistan already has strong institutions in place, but the experience of recent floods highlighted the need for a more coordinated and pre-planned system.
“I recommend constituting a technical group that brings together all stakeholders, including BISP, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs), the Ministry of Climate Change, and the Meteorological Department.
This group should operate at federal, provincial, and regional levels, covering Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the merged districts,” she stressed.
Senator Rubina Khalid noted that international experience shows disaster response becomes more effective when supported by pre-arranged financing mechanisms and coordinated institutional setups.
She said the integration of NatCat with BISP would allow Pakistan to build such a system tailored to its vulnerabilities.
The documents reviewed by Wealth Pakistan revealed that during the first nine months of FY2024-25, the BISP has disbursed Rs385.6 billion to around 9.87 million households, demonstrating the programme’s strong operational outreach and capacity to deliver large-scale financial support.
In addition, the government’s broader Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) expenditures stood at Rs4.25 trillion, equivalent to 3.43% of GDP, during the July–March FY25 period.
These expenditures were spread across sectors including social protection, health, education, welfare, and law and order, reflecting the state’s commitment to inclusive development alongside disaster resilience.
