22/10/2026
UET Peshawar, PDMA Join Hands to Promote Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilient Infrastructure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
UET Peshawar and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to strengthen collaboration in engineering, scientific research, disaster risk reduction and resilient infrastructure development across the province. The signing ceremony was chaired by Prof. Dr. Rizwan Mahmood Gul, Senior Dean, UET Peshawar. Facilitated through Earthquake Engineering Center (EEC), the partnership aims to translate scientific knowledge and engineering expertise into practical solutions for disaster management. Key areas of collaboration include joint research, hazard and risk assessments, engineering consultancy, capacity building, and promotion of safer construction practices to protect communities against earthquakes, floods, landslides and other natural hazards.
Prof. Dr. Khan Shahzada, Director EEC, appreciated the leadership and support of Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Sadiq Khattak in promoting research and institutional collaboration. He said the EEC was actively developing rapid building-screening tools to identify vulnerable structures and preparing stone masonry construction guidelines to promote safer, earthquake-resistant buildings. Engr. Sajid Imran, Director Rehabilitation, PDMA, highlighted the importance of the collaboration in strengthening flood risk management, hazard mapping, disaster preparedness and technical capacity building in the province.
Meanwhile, a practical manual titled Stone Masonry Guidelines for Pakistan, jointly developed by EEC, PDMA and the China-Pakistan Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Infrastructures, was also launched on the occasion. The manual presents practical steps and protocols for design and construction of stone masonry structures focusing on seismic safety and structural durabilitywith an aim to make essential engineering guidance accessible to construction professionals, builders and local communities,particularly in hazard-prone areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and across Pakistan.