Prime Minister and Chairman of Board of Directors of the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management (NCSCM), Dr. Bishr Khasawneh, on Sunday checked on the coordinated national plan to deal with earthquakes and alleviate their risks. The premier was briefed on the national exercise scheduled to be implemented by NCSCM in the second half of next September and ensure readiness and preparedness of public and private institutions to reach an “integrated” national strategy to deal with earthquakes and natural disasters in the event of their occurrence. Khasawneh was also briefed by NCSCM Deputy Head, Brig. Gen. Hatem Zoubi, who spoke about rationale for the coordinated national plan to counter earthquakes, which is part of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy. Zoubi noted the plan aims to orchestrate national effort to ensure effectiveness in facing earthquake-conduced repercussions. Zoubi said the plan also aims to ensure preparation of executive plans for the concerned institutions and departments to enable them to deal with earthquakes with “high” efficiency and draft a national awareness plan to inform citizens on earthquake-related dangers. Moreover, Zoubi noted the scheme seeks ensure availability of vital infrastructure to maintain operations and provide basic services for citizens, in a bid to sustain daily life during and after the earthquake. On its axes, Zoubi said the plan focuses on mitigating earthquake impact by updating standards and requirements for buildings under construction and their implementation, reinforcing existing buildings, especially vital structures, and outlining and updating comprehensive national databases and platforms that contribute to “optimally” manage the crisis. In the second half of September 2023, the NCSCM is set to implement a comprehensive national exercise that simulates earthquakes in the Kingdom’s regions, aimed to test extent of readiness and identify elements of weakness to be addressed.
Source: Jordan News Agency