ASEAN Regional Forum...

From Latin America

Dear Readers,

At the dawn of a new century, I welcome all of you who have been working tirelessly towards saving lives and protecting the environment and property from the impacts of disasters in Asia and the Pacific regions. This is an opportune time to look at what has been achieved during the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) and chart directions for the future.

The Decade saw an increased awareness on all aspects of disaster management. During the Decade a number of national and provincial level disaster management focal institutions were established and strengthened in the Asia and Pacific regions. However, in spite of national and international efforts, the annual losses from disasters have continued to rise. A growing number of people, economic activities and infrastructure are becoming exposed to disaster risks. The seeds of disasters are often sown within the pattern of development itself. It is now widely recognized that "risk management" can not remain an esoteric concept. It must be an integral part of all sectors of developmental activity. In this context, we see "partnership" as one of the key themes in our work in the coming years. Only through partnerships at all levels and across different disciplines shall we truly be able to propagate a culture of prevention. The establishment of the Asian Disaster mitigation Training Network (ADMIT) last year, and greater emphasis on regional programs running in partnership with national institutions, indicate the increased accent on partnerships in our work. We see similar partnerships emerging in disaster management related scientific disciplines as well.

At the international level, as a follow on to the IDNDR, we welcome the global, interdisciplinary approach adopted by the United Nations in the form of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR). We also applaud the establishment of ProVention Consortium by the World Bank to mitigate the impact of disasters in developing countries. As a proportion of their national GDP, developing nations suffer the greatest losses from disasters, but they have fewer resources to prevent or reduce future disasters. The new World Bank facility will provide an added impetus to preventive efforts in developing countries. The other leading financial institutions in the region and internationally have also been recognizing the importance of disaster risk management as an integral part of social and economic development. I am privileged to have been invited to serve on the organizing bodies of both ISDR and the ProVention Consortium.

I take this opportunity to reaffirm ADPC's commitment to help in whatever ways we can to reduce the impact of disasters in Asia and the Pacific regions.