Myanmar: International Day for Disaster Reduction 2014 observed
Global New Light of Myanmar
Nay Pyi Taw - Vice President U Nyan Tun attended the ceremony to mark the International Day of Disaster Reduction 2014 at the Myanmar International Convention Centre-2 in Nay Pyi Taw on Monday morning.
Speaking on the occasion, the Vice President said: Every Year, the International Day for Disaster Reduction is to be commemorated worldwide on 13th October according to the Resolution (64/200) of the United Nations General Assembly which was held on 21st December 2009.
As many other countries, Myanmar has also commemorated the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction since 2010. Myanmar conducted the International Day for Disaster Reduction with the theme that the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction’s focuses on.
We commemorated the International Day for Disaster Reduction with the theme of “Children & Young People as Partners for Disaster Risk Reduction” in 2010.
The theme of this year's IDDR Event is “Resilience is for life”. The United Nations highlighted the importance of building resilience by using knowledge, experiences and ideas of senior citizens when conducting disaster risk reduction activities, providing humanitarian assistance and implementing long term recovery measures.
Nowadays, each and every global Nation has to face the impacts triggered by global warming and climate change. There were 296 disasters happened and (21250) lives lost and the total economic losses mounted to (192) billions US Dollars in 2013. In Myanmar, there 360 disasters occurred and 174,358 people were affected and the total damage and losses were (853.39 million Kyats) in the 2013-2014 financial year.
It is well known that in recent years the ASEAN Member States have suffered from disasters and its impacts which are the consequence of global climate change. In these years, ASEAN have been affected by 14 major disaster events.
“To prevent such tragic incidents in the future, we must work together to enhance cooperation and mutual understanding” ASEAN chairman, president U Thein Sein highlighted in his speech at the commemoration day for 47th ASEAN Day in 8 August 2014.
In the Nay Pyi Taw Statement that has been declared at the 24th ASEAN summit, member countries agreed to strengthen and empower the existing ASEAN mechanisms and multi-sectoral actions to improve prevention, preparedness, response, relief and recovery on disasters in a more coordinated manner by utilizing the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) as the main common platform for disaster management in ASEAN and enhancing the capability of the ASEAN coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre).
To implement disaster risk reduction strategies, institutional arrangements such as the National Disaster Preparedness Central Committee (NDPCC) at the Union Level and State/Region/District and Township Disaster Preparedness Committees at all levels have been formulated, as in other countries.
The responsibilities and functions of each organization have been designated, the communities’ active involvement in community based disaster risk reduction is pivotal.
The disaster management law has been enacted on 31 July 2013 by the Parliament and we prioritize to assist vulnerable groups such as children, the aged, the disabled and women (with a particular focus on pregnant women and women with small children) in this law.
In fact, National Development and Disaster Risk Reduction are interdependent and so whatever development efforts should be undergone through the disaster risk reduction channel.
The initial responders of disaster are local community members and primarily the local Government itself is to manage the overarching impacts. In that matter, to build up the coping capacity and resilience of local community and it Government will be the most effective strategy. The government has been carrying out different kinds of disaster management training, community based awareness raising programme and youth volunteer training to strengthen the volunteer spirit in the mindset of youth.
Currently, we are establishing Disaster Management Training Centre in Hinthada Township in Ayeyawady Region.
In addition, with the deliberation efforts, the Government implements disaster risk reduction activities link with Hyogo framework for actions and ASEAN agreement on disaster management and emergency response (AADMER) for effective response to disaster and loosely cooperation with ASEAN Coordination Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In Myanmar, the Union Government created an enabling environment in disaster response, rehabilitation, reconstruction and sustainable development through effective coordination and cooperation with the various stakeholders in the time of Nargis Cyclone on 2nd and 3rd May 2008, Giri Cyclone on 22nd October 2010, Tahlay Earthquake on the 24 of March 2011, Magway Flashflood on 20th October 2011, Thabaikkyin Earthquake on 11th November 2012, social disasters occurred in Kachin and Rakhine States and also recent seasonal floods occurred Nationwide.
What more I would like to urge is that the active engagement of whole public in the disaster wareness
programmes, preparedness and prevention, emergency response, rehabilitation and resettlement is very critical and shall disaster reduction be include as the agenda of all stakeholders. “Let’s build the disaster resilience lifestyle” through active participation on risk reduction actions individually and globally.
Resident Representative of the UN Agencies Ms Renata Dessallien read the message sent by the UN Secretary-General.
Union Minister Dr Daw Myat Myat Ohn Khin, union ministers and Resident Representative of the UN Agencies Ms Renata Dessallien presented prizes to the winners in the painting, essay, article and poem contests in commemoration of the International Day of Disaster Reduction.
Later, the vice president viewed documentary photos of disaster risk reduction.— MNA