Disasters demand collective response: Minister Khand

Kathmandu, June 28

Minister for Home Affairs, Bal Krishna Khand, has urged on Tuesday the private sector and civil society to forge a strong collaboration with the government in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM).
"Government efforts alone are not sufficient in disaster risk reduction and management, it needs the support from the private sector, civil society and international development partners," he said at an international symposium 2022 on 'Establishment of multi-sectoral platform for disaster risk reduction and management in Nepal' jointly organised by National Business Initiative (NBI), Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management, Youth Development Centre and Japan.

He urged all on behalf of the government to help in developing the early warning system, disaster management and response mechanism.

"Small initiative to disseminate weather forecast, traffic obstruction and road damage due to landslide or accident will make a long-term positive impact. It makes lives of people easy," said Minister Khand.

He informed that a work procedure is being formulated to make the disaster risk reduction and management more effective and transparent.

The minister also appreciated youth concerns and activism to disaster preparedness and management, 

Speaking at the programme, Kush Kumar Joshi, President of NBI, said that disaster preparedness in business entities is very limited, so many businesses faced market collapse and other challenges during the 2015 earthquake.

"The coordination in rescue and relief efforts was also weak during the quake. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) were the most affected sector during the quake and blockade in 2015/16," he said while stressing on a robust policy framework to address this challenge.

As Nepal has high exposure to risk and hazard, businesses here are highly vulnerable to disasters.

It is unfortunate that although seven years have passed since the massive disaster, our caution and preparedness have already taken a back seat, said Joshi.

Private sector employs more than 4 million workers in formal and informal sector, and it needs to train them in disaster and workplace safety and caution, and the message should be spread among the communities.

However, Joshi, who is also a former president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, maintained that the private sector alone can't implement the change, it needs multi-sectoral support in coping with the disasters, creating preparedness policies and framework and responding to the disasters once they happen.

"Businesses should try to mobilise their Corporate Social Responsibility funds to creating disaster preparedness framework, it shouldn't be limited to relief distribution in the post-disaster scenario," he said while pledging private sector's support to collaborate and cooperate with the government in disaster risk reduction and management.

Dr. Anil Pokharel, Chief Executive Officer of National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), said that his organisation can support businesses in creating disaster preparedness plan and strategy.

NDRRMA is working with the private sector and local governments. "We have already established an information system for disaster risk reduction and management in Nepal," he said.

Tamura Takahiro, Charge d'Affaires ad Interim of Japan to Nepal at the Embassy of Japan in Kathmandu, said that Japan would continue to fund development projects and disaster risk management in Nepal.  

Likewise, Dr. Sushil Koirala, Chairperson of the Association of International NGOs (AIN) Nepal, informed that more than 50 INGOs have thematic focus on climate change and disaster risk reduction and management. AIN has various working groups which can support the government in private sector when needed, he said.

Dr. Quazi Quamruzzaman, Chairman of A-PAD International, said that the role of the multi-sector approach in disaster risk reduction has proven effective in many other countries. It will help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well, he stated.

  Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 29 June 2022.