Disaster risk reduction meet begins
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The second Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction begins here today in New Delhi.
The two-day event is going to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Fifty two countries from Asia and the Pacific region have confirmed participation in the conference. Thirty three country delegations will be led by their ministers. The total country delegates will be about 150. In addition, more than 100 experts and 50 NGOs will also be participating. Asia is the largest as also the most populous continents of the world. Almost four out of the 6.5 billion people of the world live in 66 countries of Asia and the Pacific, which have six distinct geo-physical-climatic and political regions - the East Asia, the South East Asia, the South Asia, the Central Asia, the West Asia and the Pacific Islands. Although diverse in their culture, resources and governance, all the regions are bound by rich civilizational bonds and a common urge for growth and development, which make them distinct from the rest of the world. Threats from almost every possible natural hazards – earthquakes, landslides, volcanoes, mudslides, floods, flashfloods, droughts, GLOF, forest fire, cyclone, hurricane, tornado, coastal erosion, sea level rise, heat and cold waves and tsunami – affect one or more countries of the regions. The devastating earthquakes of China and Pakistan, the cyclone of Bangladesh and the Indian Ocean tsunami are few of the examples of recent mega disasters in Asia. Many Asian countries have taken exemplary initiatives for prevention, mitigation and preparedness for disasters with remarkable degrees of success. Much more remains to be done. The World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction was held in 2005 at Hyogo, Kobe, Japan in which Hyogo Framework of Action 2005-2015 was adopted for building the resilience of nations and communities to natural disasters. The first Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction was held in September 2005 in Beijing in which Action for Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia was adopted. The objectives of this conference are to review the action taken by the various national governments on the Hyogo Framework of Action, review the implementation of the Beijing Action for Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia, take stock of initiatives taken in various sub-regions of Asia for promoting cooperation within and outside the governments, share best practices on disaster risk reduction, discuss new international initiatives such as global platform and global facility and develop a vision and roadmap for disaster risk reduction in Asia. The conference will have an inter-governmental segment to deliberate on four themes namely, mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in national policies and programmes, enhancing public-private partnership in disaster risk reduction, integrating disaster reduction into rehabilitation and reconstruction activities and promoting regional cooperation. An exhibition on disaster management is also being organised in which various national and international organisations will be participating. The outcome of the conference will include a “Delhi Declaration” on Disaster Risk Reduction. Source: PIB and ICIMOD |
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