This article reviews the state of disaster preparedness in South Asia and calls for greater international, national, and individual commitment for reducing disaster risks.
After dedicating the decade of 1990–1999 as the International Decade of Natural Disaster Reduction, in 2009 the United Nations designated October 13 of every year as the International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction. In 2011, the theme is ‘Making Children and Young People Partners for Disaster Risk Reduction’.
In the past two decades, global commitments and strategies for risk reduction have been challenged by an increasing fury of natural hazards in terms of frequency and intensity. The German reinsurance company Munich Re reports that the economic losses caused by disasters in the first half of 2011, over US$265 billion, were the highest ever. The second half of the year has already seen massive monsoon floods in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka and an earthquake that jolted northeastern India and parts of Nepal. These are just a few examples of the constant risks faced by South Asian societies.
At the World Disaster Reduction Conference held in Japan in 2005 – following the massive humanitarian tragedies of the tsunami disaster of December 2004 and the Kashmir earthquake in 2005 – more than 160 countries adopted the Hyogo Framework for Action, a ten-year plan to make the world safer from natural hazards. In line with this plan, the South Asian countries of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have formulated national legislation and created responsible institutions for disaster risk management.
A decade of political uncertainty hindered the creation of similar legislation and institutions in Nepal. However, the government formulated the National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management in Nepal (NSDRMN) in October 2009. It has also created the Nepal Disaster Risk Reduction Consortium (NRRC), a consortium of International financial institutions, UN organizations, and NGOs with a combined budget of about US$146 million.
The NRRC is pursuing disaster risk reduction in five flagship areas: Making schools and hospitals earthquake resilient; building emergency preparedness and response capacity; flood management in the Koshi river basin; integrated community-based disaster risk reduction; and policy and institutional support for disaster risk management.
ARE THESE EFFORTS YIELDING DESIRED RESULTS?
It is difficult to evaluate the national impact of disaster risk reduction. However, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) mid-term review of the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action reveals that its main goal of integrating disaster risk reduction in sustainable development planning remains a low priority in most countries.
The report also reveals that most countries in South Asia have made institutional commitments to prioritize disaster risk reduction and improve risk information, early warning, and disaster preparedness, but implementation and outcomes are neither comprehensive nor substantial.
Essentially, the societal need for reduced disaster risks requires comprehensive, long-term pursuit with active participation and ownership of all sectors and stakeholders.
The following seven principles could possibly make a substantial contribution to reducing disaster risk.
Long-term international commitment: According to the Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2010, global humanitarian response spending is increasing every year. Spending by international humanitarian aid agencies alone was around US$16.6 billion in 2010. If aid agencies would invest more in disaster risk reduction, they could reduce spending on humanitarian aid.
A study conducted by Christian Aid, an international NGO based in the United Kingdom, shows that investment of US$1 in disaster risk reduction can save up to US$8 of humanitarian response spending. It is also important that the donor agencies commit resources for disaster risk reduction over the longer term. The current pattern of allocating resources for one to five years cannot help local governments and organizations develop longer-term strategies and action plans for disaster risk reduction.
Better financial strategy for disaster risk reduction: A report of the international reinsurance company Swiss Re observes that the annual average economic cost of natural catastrophes has increased from US$25 billion in the 1980s to US$130 billion in the past decade. It makes sense to distribute these disaster losses evenly and systematically through an insurance mechanism so that the burden of disasters does not cripple smaller countries and economies. Disaster risk sharing through insurance can significantly reduce the dependency on external aid, ensuring recovery with dignity after a disaster.
Greater regional cooperation: Most of the natural hazards in Asia affect several countries simultaneously. The Indian Ocean tsunami, for example, affected eight countries in South and Southeast Asia. Therefore, as emphasized by the Hyogo Framework for Action, cooperation among countries is crucial for disaster risk reduction.
An Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response went into force in 2009, and the East Asia Summit has identified disaster risk reduction as an area for cooperation among its member countries. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has adopted a Comprehensive Framework on Disaster Management and set up an SAARC Disaster Management Centre in New Delhi.
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is pursuing regional cooperation for disaster risk reduction in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas. Activities include a regional flood information system along five rivers shared by six countries in the region, and a regional platform for space-based information for disaster preparedness and risk management, to bridge space technology and disaster management work in the region.
Recognition of disaster risk reduction as a development priority in national policies: The current trend of governance, economic development, and national administration in most countries increases disaster impact instead of reducing it. Unfortunately, most countries focus on large-scale infrastructure development without taking into consideration the hazard risk.
Development processes interact with nature and therefore with natural hazards. Hence, development planning that fails to perceive hazard risk and vulnerability factors is bound to turn natural hazards into disasters. The Hyogo Framework for Action calls for integrating risk reduction in poverty reduction strategies and in development policies and planning in all sectors and at all levels of government.
Community collective action: Individual safety lies in a safe environment, and a safe environment is a product of community action. Safety against hazards and disasters thus requires collective planning and collective efforts. Collective action involves different cultural entities, groups, and individuals identifying common needs and coming together to address these needs.
As disasters are on the rise in both urban and rural areas, it is vital to promote collective planning and development to create a safe environment where people have adequate protection from natural hazards, industrial pollution, and unsafe infrastructure development. Governments and local authorities must put more emphasis on strengthening people’s capacity to anticipate, cope with, and recover from disasters, as an integral part of development programs.
Individual and family culture of preparedness: Most disaster risk reduction activities take place in projects initiated by agencies aiming to achieve certain targets within a stipulated time period and then to exit from the scene. These projects also focus on a certain segment of the population, those affected by recent disasters. While these initiatives are appreciated for certain degree of success, a real concern is that a far greater number of individuals and families has not participated in these processes and remains extremely vulnerable to a future catastrophe.
Live with nature to live without disasters: Human activities have been contributing to global warming and climate extremes. Climate-induced natural disasters, such as glacial lake outburst floods caused by accelerated melting of Himalayan glaciers, will increase in future if warming continues unchecked. Therefore, with an eye to the long-term security of current and future generations, it is time for families and individuals to adopt environment-friendly life styles.
EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY
Disaster management is not the sole responsibility of the government or NGOs. Public awareness and participation translate into political will. Disaster preparedness should therefore become a way of life. Involving young people in disaster risk reduction activities is one way to create a long-term culture of safety and ensure our children’s future.
The writer is Disaster Risk Reduction Specialist at ICIMOD
hkrishna@icimod.org
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