Cambodia to Host Int’l Disaster Management Conference

Written by DAP NEWS -- Tuesday, 30 November 2009

(Post by CAAI News Media)

The Cambodian Government and the National Disaster Management Committee will work with the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) to organize an international disaster management conference in Phnom Penh in near future, Eang Sophalleth, assistant to Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Tuesday.

The conference will focus on the general disaster management of such calamities as flooding and drought, problems increasingly affecting both Asia and the world, Eang Sophalleth told reporters after talks between Premier Hun Sen and the visiting Prof. Krasae Chanawongse, ADPC chairman and director of the Board of Trustees.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said that he welcomes and fully supports hosting the event in Phnom Penh, and requested Krasae work with Nhim Vanda, first deputy president of National Disaster Management Committee of Cambodia to successfully organize the event.

Cambodia will exchange disaster information with other countries, helping all to better deal with disaster management issues, he added.

Prime Minister Hun Sen told Krasae that Cambodia has all levels of disaster management authorities from municipal to village, as well as the Cambodian Red Cross to help victims and the vulnerable.

Krasae told premier the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) will open an office to work with Cambodian Government, Eang added. Even though the date of the conference has yet to confirmed, planning is going ahead, Eang said.

Nhim Vanda could not be reached for comment yesterday. The ADPC created on February 28, 2005, with Thailand, the Philippi- nes, Nepal, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Pakistan as signatory states.

“Natural hazards and disasters continue to increase in frequency and with varying magnitude leading to destruction, devastation, threats to lives, infrastructure and life supporting systems. Concerns grow and remain with the emergence of associated issues like health emergencies, livelihoods, food security,” an ADPC press release said. “The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies World Disaster Report 2009 reports a total of 226 disasters with 236,302 total numbers of people killed in Asia in 2008. The number of people reported killed was the second highest of the decade, with Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar killing 138,366 people and the earthquake in Sichuan, China with 87,476 people dead or missing. The reported disaster damages were the highest of the decade, accounting for 64 per cent of all damages reported in the world. The Sichuan earthquake alone accounted for 45 per cent of all reported damages. In terms of natural hazards and their impacts, 2008 was one of the most devastating years.”

“We have to join together to share information and provide the mutual benefits for people in the world,” the ADPC concluded.