ASEAN focuses on ‘resilience’ during Day for Disaster Management
Bandar Seri Begawan - Focusing on the theme “Peoples of ASEAN, Step Up and Be Counted for Community Disaster Resilience! Resilience is for Life!” ASEAN culminates its commemoration of the ASEAN Day for Disaster Management (ADDM) with regional ceremonies hosted today by the Government of Brunei Darussalam.
The Director of Brunei Darussalam’s National Disaster Management Centre and Chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management, Pg Dato Paduka Hj Rosli Bin Pg Hj Chuchu, said in his welcome remarks that it is important for “communities to realise their role in increasing their resilience to disasters as frontliners in disaster response as well as in the long-term recovery and rehabilitation efforts. By equipping them with the right knowledge, communities can step up and take the lead in promoting community-based activities in disaster risk reduction and raise their level of awareness and engagement.”
A regional search for ASEAN Community Resilience Champions was conducted to reward individuals who are making a difference in making their communities more prepared for and resilient to catastrophes in their own way. Four persons emerged as Community Resilience Champions based on their pioneering initiatives. They are Paul Chiew Yun Choi (Brunei Darussalam), Muhammad Jawad (Indonesia), Erwin de Rama (Philippines) and Boonpeng In-Kaew (Thailand). The Community Resilience Champions will be flown to participate in the 2014 ADDM ceremonies courtesy of the host government to personally receive their award consisting of USD1,000 cash prize and certificate of achievement given by the Government of Brunei Darussalam.
This year’s theme aims to encourage all members of the community to actively participate in activities that will help prepare their neighborhoods and communities cope with the negative impacts of natural hazards. ASEAN believes that in this era of changing climate, the impacts of hydro-meteorological hazards such as flood, storm surge and typhoon are intensified and it is the local communities that are the first to bear the harsh effects of such disasters. Implementing disaster mitigation activities will build the resilience of people and communities and help them recover faster and bounce forward quicker after a disaster, according to ASEAN experts.
This is the 10th year that ADDM is being observed by ASEAN Member States who also conducted various activities around the theme. For 2014, ADDM joins the international community in commemorating the International Day for Disaster Reduction (October 13), which promotes the involvement of older people under the slogan of “Resilience is for Life.” The past years witnessed the joint commemoration of ADDM and IDDR using the Step Up theme, focusing on various groups such as children and youth, women, and people with disabilities for each year.