ID :
33604
Tue, 12/02/2008 - 22:12
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/33604
The shortlink copeid
GOVERNMENT TO SET UP DISASTER RELIEF CENTRE
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian government has agreed to
establish a disaster relief centre in Subang near here to support all
humanitarian and food assistance relief operations in this part of the world,
Najib Razak said Tuesday.
This was being done in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP)
and
the centre would be operational next year, the deputy prime minister
said.
Najib said the suggestion to set up the centre was made by the Defence
Ministry.
"In future, all disaster and food relief operations will emanate out of
Subang," he said in his keynote address at the Third Asian Ministerial
Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction at the Putra World Trade Centre
here.
He said that to support this initiative, the government had agreed to
contribute US$1 million annually to the centre.
Najib also said that disaster risk should be taken seriously in view of the
severity of its impact on lives and livelihoods as well as the development of
nations.
He said it was both tragic and futile to see the benefit of years or
decades
of development washed away in a typhoon or flood, when marginal investment in
incorporating hazard resistance could have protected these assets.
"It is acknowledged that not all disasters can be prevented, but their
impact and all the underlying risks can be reduced. While recognising that
preparing for and coping with disasters is essential, neverthless, such efforts
have never been sufficient," he said.
Najib said that in every disaster, the communities were the ones on the
receiving end and who suffered the most and as such, disaster management was
most effective at the community level where local needs and risks could be
adequately assessed and managed.
"Disasters can be reduced substantially if people are well informed about
measures they can take to reduce vulnerabilities. Communities in high risk
areas thus need to be briefed and educated on disaster risks and means of
protection," he said.
Najib said disaster risk reduction should not be viewed as the sole
responsibility of the government and in this context, partnerships with all
stakeholders, such as the United Nations agencies, civil society organisations,
scientific and technical organisations and the media, were important.
"Public and private sector resources need to be mobilised towards
activities
aimed at disaster risk reduction," he said.
"By changing planning processess and incorporating disaster risk
consideration in the planning of new development projects, we can make sure that
the resilient community is capable of withstanding the impact of future hazards.
"In line with this, there may be a need to develop or modify policies, laws
and organisational arrangements to integrate disaster risk reduction into plans,
programmes and projects of development," he said.
Najib said that from the economic perspective, natural disasters exert an
enormous toll on development and annual economic losses associated with such
disasters had shown a tremendous increase, averaging from US$75.5 billion in the
1960s to US$659.9 billion in the 1990s.
According to the United Nations Development Programme report, an average of
326 climate disasters occurred per year from 2000 to 2004, with more than 200
million people, mostly in Asia, affected annually.
Najib said the Malaysian government was committed to disaster risk
reduction
and would continue its efforts towards implementing the priority areas of the
Hyogo Framework for Action.
On Malaysia's experiences, Najib said the government had put in place since
the 1990s, policy, infrastructure and operational mechanisms that transcend the
national, state and district levels to ensure cohesive participation and
involvement of various government agencies and the non-government sector in
addressing disaster management.
The three-day conference ,themed "Multi-stakeholder Partnership for
Disaster
Risk Reduction -- From National to Local" is attended by ministers,
vice-ministers and senior officials representing ministries in charge of
disasters from 39 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
An estimated 600 delegates are participating in the conference, which among
others, aims to review the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action
which was adopted by 168 countries in 2005 in their efforts to reduce disaster
risk and build resilient communities as well as to recommend to countries on
actions to scale up disaster risk reduction efforts by the various stakeholders.
-- BERNAMA
establish a disaster relief centre in Subang near here to support all
humanitarian and food assistance relief operations in this part of the world,
Najib Razak said Tuesday.
This was being done in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP)
and
the centre would be operational next year, the deputy prime minister
said.
Najib said the suggestion to set up the centre was made by the Defence
Ministry.
"In future, all disaster and food relief operations will emanate out of
Subang," he said in his keynote address at the Third Asian Ministerial
Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction at the Putra World Trade Centre
here.
He said that to support this initiative, the government had agreed to
contribute US$1 million annually to the centre.
Najib also said that disaster risk should be taken seriously in view of the
severity of its impact on lives and livelihoods as well as the development of
nations.
He said it was both tragic and futile to see the benefit of years or
decades
of development washed away in a typhoon or flood, when marginal investment in
incorporating hazard resistance could have protected these assets.
"It is acknowledged that not all disasters can be prevented, but their
impact and all the underlying risks can be reduced. While recognising that
preparing for and coping with disasters is essential, neverthless, such efforts
have never been sufficient," he said.
Najib said that in every disaster, the communities were the ones on the
receiving end and who suffered the most and as such, disaster management was
most effective at the community level where local needs and risks could be
adequately assessed and managed.
"Disasters can be reduced substantially if people are well informed about
measures they can take to reduce vulnerabilities. Communities in high risk
areas thus need to be briefed and educated on disaster risks and means of
protection," he said.
Najib said disaster risk reduction should not be viewed as the sole
responsibility of the government and in this context, partnerships with all
stakeholders, such as the United Nations agencies, civil society organisations,
scientific and technical organisations and the media, were important.
"Public and private sector resources need to be mobilised towards
activities
aimed at disaster risk reduction," he said.
"By changing planning processess and incorporating disaster risk
consideration in the planning of new development projects, we can make sure that
the resilient community is capable of withstanding the impact of future hazards.
"In line with this, there may be a need to develop or modify policies, laws
and organisational arrangements to integrate disaster risk reduction into plans,
programmes and projects of development," he said.
Najib said that from the economic perspective, natural disasters exert an
enormous toll on development and annual economic losses associated with such
disasters had shown a tremendous increase, averaging from US$75.5 billion in the
1960s to US$659.9 billion in the 1990s.
According to the United Nations Development Programme report, an average of
326 climate disasters occurred per year from 2000 to 2004, with more than 200
million people, mostly in Asia, affected annually.
Najib said the Malaysian government was committed to disaster risk
reduction
and would continue its efforts towards implementing the priority areas of the
Hyogo Framework for Action.
On Malaysia's experiences, Najib said the government had put in place since
the 1990s, policy, infrastructure and operational mechanisms that transcend the
national, state and district levels to ensure cohesive participation and
involvement of various government agencies and the non-government sector in
addressing disaster management.
The three-day conference ,themed "Multi-stakeholder Partnership for
Disaster
Risk Reduction -- From National to Local" is attended by ministers,
vice-ministers and senior officials representing ministries in charge of
disasters from 39 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
An estimated 600 delegates are participating in the conference, which among
others, aims to review the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action
which was adopted by 168 countries in 2005 in their efforts to reduce disaster
risk and build resilient communities as well as to recommend to countries on
actions to scale up disaster risk reduction efforts by the various stakeholders.
-- BERNAMA
