Regional disaster response in Asia

-

Regional disaster response in Asia
By Dr Arvind Kumar
Recent media reports indicate that the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Center) was formally endorsed and signed at the association's summit on 17 November in Bali (Indonesia), signalling a greater role for regional mechanisms. Oliver Lacey-Hall, regional head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Bangkok said: "That's the goal. That's the way forward." When disaster strikes, national capacities are often not enough; with regional mechanisms such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific offering a second line of response. The UN and international community would form a third tier - ready to assist national and regional efforts.
Establishing order in times of crisis is one of the goals for the AHA Center, active some five years after the first regional workshop on its establishment in 2006. According to Lacey-Hall, Southeast Asian countries have not always had the capacity to respond in full, but the time when the international humanitarian system was dominated by a few countries and western aid agencies is over. "Many of these countries now see disaster management as a priority. There has been a change from the government saying, 'Give us what you've got' to 'This is what we need'. Asia is the most disaster-prone region in the world; in 2010, disasters affected more than 200 million people. In global terms, 89 percent of all people affected by emergencies live in Asia. But coordinating the increasing capacities of nations to respond to their own crises and those of others remains largely unchartered territory for regional groups.


#RegionalDisaster #Nations #Territory #RegionalGroups #SAARC #ASEAN #Indonesia

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Avoid Plastic and Save Environment

-
Image
Avoid Plastic and Save Environment Plastic is like a common commodity which is essential in our daily lives. Bakelite, nylon and rubber are some examples of synthetic plastics. Almost everything is made of plastic! They are very convenient to use because of their malleability and plasticity. They can be easily moulded by heating. Plastic product may be non-toxic, but some small amounts of the chemicals remain trapped in the product. As a result, when these plastics come in contact with food stuffs, the chemicals mix with the food which we subsequently consume. Plastics are non-biodegradable solids. When we burnt, they release some toxic fumes which cause ozone depletion and pollution; many chemicals are released into the air as well as into water. All these bear hazardous environmental consequences. Plastics are made of crude oil and can be used as fuel. One litter of hydrocarbon is produced from one kilogram of plastic waste. Over 1 trillion plastic bags are used every year w...
Read more

Sustaining Renewable Energy

-
Image
Sustaining Renewable Energy By Dr Arvind Kumar T he success, thus far, of fossil fuels in meeting energy demand any time required has led to a belief that whatever we want we can always have whenever we want it. This of course is leading to problems as it patently can no longer be maintained. It also has lead to the development of quite unrealistic expectations as to how far renewables can replace fossil fuels. Renewable energy is being tagged on to a massive existing demand led fossil fuelled energy system that has historically recorded tremendous growth. Efforts at demand reduction and increased efficiency have seemingly resulted in slight savings and these are often deferred by people opting for higher comfort levels. Viewed in a broad spectrum, almost all the renewable technology presently installed has only made us 96% fossil fuel dependent rather than 100%! This is a cause of worry as to the very extreme degree of energy descent that may be experienced as we move further in...
Read more

‘Vanguards of Change’: Simple yet Extraordinary thinking

-
Image
By Dr. Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation Congratulations on winning the #Padmaawards for the year 2020. We, at India Water Foundation is elated to hear individual’s diverse and momentous endeavors. The award is a reflection of the endless dedication and sincere efforts towards their work which they truly deserve. Their innovative and out-of-box solutions make them distinguished as true Champions of Change. On the eve of 71st Republic Day 2020, Padma awards were given to citizens of India in recognition of their contribution to the society in spheres such as education, literature, science, medicine, social service, etc. Eminent personalities like George Fernandes, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Kannada spiritual icon Sri Vishveshateertha Swami of Pejavar Matt were chosen for the second-highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan posthumously. We have individuals like Harekala Hajabba, who understood the importance of education in today's time and put in eff...
Read more