Manila, Philippines | Disasters, including those wrought by fiercer storms, are threatening more people and could derail economic progress in the Asia Pacific region if governments don't invest more in disaster mitigation and prevention, a U.N. official said Tuesday.
U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Kamal Kishore, who heads the U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, issued the warning in a speech at the start of a regional conference on disaster mitigation hosted by the Philippines, one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.
"Disasters are now affecting record numbers of people and threatening their lives and livelihoods,” Kishore told hundreds of delegates to the three-day conference in Manila led by ministers in charge of disaster mitigation and response across the Asia Pacific.
"Left unchecked, these disaster risks threaten to derail the development aspirations of the Asia Pacific region and push back progress that has taken decades to achieve,” he said.
Kishore said Asia Pacific countries should regularly dedicate funds in their national budgets for the reduction of disaster risk, and should allocate a larger proportion of foreign development aid to disaster prevention and “not simply response.” Such investments have brought down death tolls, he said. "They do die, but the mortality is coming down compared to before,” Kishore separately told reporters in an interview on the sidelines of the Manila conference.
Discussions focused on better disaster-warning systems, sharing of technology and building more resilient infrastructure, houses and workplaces.
The Philippines, which is co-hosting the Manila conference, has been in the crosshairs of disasters given its location as an archipelago sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, where about 20 typhoons and storms blow across each year. It's also in the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where volcanic eruptions and earthquakes have long been a constant threat.
"These are compounded by the increasing frequencies of hazards brought about by climate change, which makes the Philippines at risk and our landscape even more,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told the conference in a keynote speech.
With better access to financing, technology and data, the most vulnerable states could build better resilience, Marcos said.
European Union Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic attended the U.N. disaster-mitigation conference in Manila because he said closer international cooperation was the only way for nations from Asia to Europe to confront “a new reality” of “unprecedented frequency and intensity of weather-related disasters."
“None of us will be able to face these new challenges alone,” Lenarcic told The Associated Press in an interview. “These disasters know no boundaries.” Since 2020, the EU has allocated more than 80 million euros ($87 million) to the Asia Pacific region to help finance disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts, Lenarcic said, and he urged wealthier countries to contribute more to such campaigns.
"This region has gained a lot of experience in facing disasters, in building resilience, and we would like to learn also the experiences from this region,” he said of the Philippines and other Asian countries. “It's a two-way street.”
You may also like
Allu Arjun's fan cycles to Hyderabad from UP, actor books flight for him
Vastu Tips: Do not do this even by mistake in the north direction, otherwise you will become poor
Holger Rune defends rapid coaching changes after cycling through Becker and Mouratoglou
Mallikarjun Kharge's Facebook page managed from Norway, says Assam minister
Prime Video To Include Ads In Shows, Movies In India From Next Year
Kerala man sets Guinness World Record for smallest washing machine
New CCTV released 20 years after student murdered at nightclub as police issue appeal
The Netherlands moves forward with plans to limit English at universities
Priyanka is going to win Wayanad LS seat with an all time high majority: A K Antony
GB News demand BBC apologise after 'bullying' Andrea Jenkyns on Have I Got News For You
Wicked fans searching M&S stores for 'best pyjamas to ever exist'
Three foods to avoid before drinking alcohol
Vastu Tips: According to Vastu, you should also put these things on the roof of the house, poverty will go away
Starlink Sets Its Sights on India: Musk's Vision for Better Connectivity
Khalistani Terrorist Pannun Invited By Canada Broadcaster On TV Amid Tensions With India, Speaks Against 'Modi Regime'
'I tried the new McDonald's mini hash browns - I have one major issue with them'
The best value gaming headset is about to get even better
Mappable forms strategic partnerships with Fujairah GIS Center, Emirates Transport and Emarat at GITEX 2024
Amanda Holden sparks BGT outrage as 'fake' announcement heard in background of new video
Kyran Durnin's mum left chilling note behind on table before vanishing with her son, 8