Event held to promote ASEAN natural disaster risk prevention
VOV.VN - The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) and ASEAN Day on Disaster Management (ADDM) was celebrated on October 13 at Bai Chay Primary and Secondary School in Ha Long city in the northern province of Quang Ninh.
The event was organised by the Vietnam National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control in co-ordination with the Australian Embassy in Vietnam and other relevant organisational partners.
Those in attendance included leaders from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, representatives of the Vietnam National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, dialogue partners, ASEAN development partners, representatives from various UN agencies, international organisations, and development co-operation agencies, alongside more than 300 pupils and teachers of Bai Chay Primary and Secondary School.
October 13 is observed every year by the UN as the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and aims to raise global public awareness of the complex natural disaster situation taking place every day around the world, as well as recognizing and praising individuals and groups working in the field of natural disaster prevention and control.
The date is also chosen as ASEAN Day on Disaster Management and is solemnly organised every year by the ASEAN Committee on Natural Disaster Management, capturing the attention of the wider ASEAN community to natural disaster prevention and control, calling for international collaboration towards building safe communities and areas which are resilient to natural disasters.
Upon addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep emphasized that the country’s natural disaster prevention and control work has achieved remarkable results.
In achieving this, in addition to the efforts of the Government, ministries, sectors, localities, and every Vietnamese person, it is impossible not to mention the valuable support and assistance provided by international friends.
In particular, the Australian Embassy in Vietnam has given plenty of support to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development during its term as Chairman of the ASEAN Committee on Natural Disaster Management over the past year.
Vietnam has shown itself to be an active and highly reputable member of ASEAN, in which the bloc’s co-operation on natural disaster management is an important content of joint efforts as part of the socio-cultural community pillar.
The Deputy shared that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment and operation of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM).
This represents an opportunity to congratulate the success of the 11th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM) and the Ha Long Declaration on Early Action in ASEAN Disaster Management.
Shantanu Chakraborty, country director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and co-chair of the Disaster Risk Reduction Partnership, said that preventing, combating, and reducing natural disaster risks requires the participation of all countries, not only ASEAN, in addition to all people around the world.
The ADB continues to stand side by side with the Government and people of Vietnam to join hands in efforts to manage, reduce risks, and overcome consequences caused by natural disasters.
The bank has joined with the Vietnamese Government and a number of regional countries to assess and resolve the impacts of natural disasters, such as floods, droughts, saltwater intrusion, and climate change, he added.
