Greater Investment in Disaster Risk Reduction in South East Asia

The torrential floods that occurred across South-East Asia last year left an imprint on both the region and its people. Over 1,000 people were killed. Moreover, the floods caused billions of dollars in damage. Last year's floods were the worst seen in generations. Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam were hit hardest by the floods.

This past Monday, delegates from nine countries attended a forum, in Bangkok, that focused on greater investment in disaster risk reduction. Noeleen Heyzer, the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has said that, "Hazards become disasters in the absences of development and with inadequate investment in risk reduction."

Delegates, having seen with their own eyes the importance of disaster risk reduction, are calling for increased investment in order to protect key social and economic assets.

-Akshika Patel


SOURCE: UN News Centre