Strengthening South Asia on Disaster Risk Reduction

South Asia Policy Dialogue

Strengthening South Asia on Disaster Risk Reduction

In December 2004, the tsunami hit Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives in South Asia apart from a few other nations namely, Indonesia and Thailand causing immense human sufferings. The earthquake of October 8th, 2005 rocked Pakistan and India killing at least 75,000 people and making three million homeless in the Kashmir region alone.

South Asia and its adjacent region is a calamity-prone zone as countries here have had enough of the onslaughts of natural disasters like cyclone and tidal surge, earthquakes, tornadoes besides occurrence of seasonal floods. The South Asian countries with 1.5 billion population needs to be prepared with early warning system, adequate pre-disaster preparedness and post-disaster management structures and mechanisms in order to be better equipped for disaster situations in future.

At the 13th SAARC Summit in Dhaka, the South Asian leaders made a mention of the tragedies caused by the natural calamities underlining the importance of facing collectively the challenges posed by nature. Therefore, a common platform in this regard can be of immense help to the economically weak region to join hands to face disasters and the challenges in their wake.

Practical Action South Asia, Duryog Nivaran network in collaboration with the National Institute of Disaster Management have organised the South Asia Policy Dialogue - a regional conference on disaster risk reduction in South Asia. The proposed regional dialogue is expected to:

• assess and identify gaps in existing disaster management policies in South Asian countries.
• discuss and develop a roadmap for a responsive regional disaster risk reduction by improving visioning, planning, implementation and monitoring capacities of the SAARC secretariat.
• develop a framework for multi-stakeholder participation in regional disaster management and develop tools of accountability at regional level.  

This regional level conference on disaster risk reduction was held in New Delhi from the 21st and 22nd August 2006.The conference brought together government representatives, policy makers, academics, civil society organizations and media representatives. At this event the South Asia Disaster Report published by Duryog Nivaran and Practical Action South Asia Programme was ceremonially launched. This report contains an analytical view of South Asian disaster situation, response and management.

• Disasters and Development - Lessons from South Asia
• South Asia Disaster report

Agenda of the South Asia Policy Dialogue

The two-day programme will have five sessions:

1. Country Approaches to Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster Management
2. Human Resource Development and Capacity Building for Disaster Risk Reduction
3. Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction- Lessons Learnt  and Challenges Ahead
4. Application of Information and Communication Technologies for Disaster Risk Reduction
5. Media Coverage of Disaster Events, Recovery and Mitigation

Expected Outcomes

• Identification of gaps and weaknesses in the existing policies regarding disaster management in different countries with a view to look at issues that concern the entire region
• Approve and Adopt a policy framework for the SAARC centre for Disaster management and Preparedness that spells out its future direction and regional aspirations
• Develop a framework for multi-stakeholder participation at regional level disaster management mechanism
• Develop tools of accountability at regional level
• Develop a roadmap for better regional collaboration by improving the visioning, planning, implementation and monitoring capacities of the SAARC Secretariat