STATE
Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi addressed an event commemorating the
International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) held with the
theme “Build to Last” at the Myanmar International Convention Centre II
(MICC-II) yesterday morning.
Speaking on the occasion the State Counsellor said
that it was necessary to give some explanation about natural disasters
at this event. All over the world, whenever there was a natural disaster
there was some dissatisfaction against responsible persons. At the
day’s event the people were informed firstly that the government thinks
about the disaster affected people and made it a priority to coordinate
with regional governments toward rapid restoration and development of
their lives. In addition to this the government considers “People’s
hurts as its own” and strives toward mitigating and relieving the
affects while providing necessary support.
To go back to a few background facts about IDDRR,
October 13 was designated as IDDRR by UN Resolution 64/200 at the 2009
UN General Assembly.
Starting from 2010, it was commemorated in the
country on 13 October with information works related to natural
disasters but this year the day coincided with Buddhist Thadingyut
Full-moon day. So it was commemorated instead on 18 October.
Themes were designated each year and this year’s
theme was “Build to Last.” This theme came about from the World
Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan in 2015.
The conference drew up the Sendai Framework for
Disaster Risk Reduction and designated seven targets. Starting from 2016
the seven goals were one by one designated as the theme for IDDRR.
This year’s theme was the fourth target, Target D
to “Substantially reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and
disruption of basic services.” The year to accomplish this target was
set as 2030 but the sooner it is achieved, the better it would be.
Everyone knew that Myanmar had been badly affected
by natural disasters. Cyclone Nargis on 2 and 3 May 2008 caused losses
in lives and properties. The effects of this cyclone were still being
felt to date.
In the ASEAN region the 2004 Indonesia earthquake
and tsunami, 2008 Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar and 2013 Typhoon Haiyan in
the Philippines were in the list of the world’s worsts natural
disasters. During the last 30 years natural disasters in the ASEAN
region had caused damages and losses amounting to about US$ 133 billon.
Natural disasters due to climate changes were hard
to predict. The number of occurrences as well as the severity
increases. Worse still was the fact that natural disasters were border
less as a natural disaster in a country becomes a challenge to the
neigh-boring country.
Looking at it from a world-wide perspective a
total of 394 natural disasters occurred in 2018 and most of them
occurred in the Asia region. There were 10,300 fatalities and economic
losses amounting to about US$ 66 billion.
Last year a total of about 17.3 million people were displaced by climate related natural disasters.
Countries that lagged behind in development tended
to have six times more people hurt and affected, loss of homes,
displacements, emergency assistance required from natural disasters than
the developed countries. Losses due to natural disasters for poor
people were so severe to be unrecoverable.
On the other hand, progress and development took
time but these were destroyed within minutes of a natural disaster. At
the moment, earthquakes and tsunamis were most dangerous and most
destructive. Earthquakes caused the highest fatalities followed by
typhoon and flooding.
In Myanmar, Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw were
most populated and urbanized and were on an earth quake fault line of
the mid to severe zone. As such awareness works and emergency exercises
need to be conducted in a wide ranging way.
It was also important to construct strong
structures for public related basic infrastructures, schools and
hospitals. If these structures were strong enough to withstand the
disaster, it would save the lives of the people in the structure as well
as for works to be continued without disruption. These structures would
continue to provide services to the affected people.
Construction systems that can withstand natural
disaster must be used to construct not only public structures but also
private structures too. Constructing tall buildings in flood prone
areas, including emergency exits in the upper levels of the buildings,
having strong roofs and strengthening the structure of the building need
to be conducted.
A preparation and response program for earthquakes
has been recently approved and it was important for all relevant
organizations to implement it. As soon as advance warning and
information on a natural disaster was received, all organizations in the
effected regions need to start counter measures systematically and in
coordination. Standard Operating Procedures drawn up to respond to the
natural disaster were to be reviewed in accordance with the changing
climate.
Nowadays region wise disasters were on the rise
and it was important for Fire Service Department, Myanmar Police Force,
the Tatmadaw, Myanmar Red Cross as well as civil society organizations
to effectively cooperate and work with the people. Capacities of these
organizations need to be raised.
As mentioned earlier, natural disasters could not
be prevented. Due to climate change, natural disasters were becoming a
regular occurrence and more efforts must be made for preparation. Living
and working styles need to be changed to be in accord with climate
change and natural disasters. Most losses caused by natural disasters
were in housing, road transport, agriculture and livestock breeding
sectors.
The cause of this can be concluded due to our
structures being not strong enough. Officials as well as private
business persons need to understand that investment in strong
infrastructures are not wasted. Not only the construction method but
urban development programs were to be conducted with a view towards
future occurrence of natural disasters.
Today, it could not be said that disaster would
not occur because it had never happened before. The obvious examples
were flooding, landslides that occurred last year and this year in Mon
State and Taninthayi Region. Even if it did not happen at the present,
look ahead and have working procedures ready to face it. For example,
play grounds, parks and sport grounds were to be used as assembly points
or places of refuge when disasters struck. Urban plans should include
this in order to face natural disasters when they occurred.
Another important point was the construction of
new structures to withstand disasters as well as to strengthen existing
structures to reduce damage and losses. It was noted with sadness that
invaluable and priceless cultural and natural heritages were lost from
natural and human created disasters. Historical and cultural heritages
were to be continuously checked and maintained to prevent them from
being lost to disasters.
As mentioned earlier, countries lagging behind in
development face the effect of natural disaster more. Development of a
country could prevent and mitigate the damage and loss to its people
from natural disaster. At the same time, development works could also
invite disasters.
If dams and reservoirs constructed for development
were not strong, follow up danger from natural disasters would have to
be faced. Therefore it was important for development programs to be able
to withstand against disasters.
This event was held with the aim of informing the
public and relevant people involved about this important subject. It was
important and necessary to increase preparation and protection from the
effect of natural disasters from the individual, household and national
level to world level.
In conclusion, the Myanmar word for “strong and
durable” is a good example. Whatever was constructed needed to be
strong. Constructions need to be conducted to reduce losses and damages
from natural disasters.
The recent natural disaster in Japan was a lesson
for the world. Japan was a country that was at the top in withstanding
natural disasters. Let us instill in us the desire to provide help and
assistance for any natural disaster that occurred in the world, said the
State Counsellor.
Next, a message sent by the UN secretary general
to the IDDRR event was read by UNO- CHA (United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) Resident Representative Ms Marine
Spaak followed by screening of a video record of IDDRR.
Afterwards State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
took commemorative group photos together with event attendees and then
inspected the natural disaster exhibit, photo record of relief and
rescue works and natural disaster response work equipment of the
Disaster Management Department and Fire Services Department.
Later IDDRR round table talk was held on natural
disaster resistant vocational work, construction of child friendly
school and structure and redevelopment of natural disaster affected
region led by a consultant group on natural disaster management with
representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and
Irrigation; Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief
and Resettlement; the Myanmar Engineering Society and the UNDP Project
Officer Mr Hung Ling. The event was attended by Natural Disaster
Management Committee Chairman Vice President U Henry Van Thio, Union
Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Hluttaw representatives, United Nations
Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Assistant Coordinator,
depart-mental heads, ambassadors and representatives from international
organizations, civil society organizations and private sector disaster
management organizations.
MNA
PHOTO: MNA
(Translated by Zaw Min)
Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar
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