Germany beefs up support for disaster preparedness

The German government has contributed 500,000 Euros to help the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap) strengthen early warning systems in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.

The contribution, which was made through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), is expected to help vulnerable communities receive the information they need to save lives and livelihoods when disasters strike.

In a statement, Escap noted that the Asia-Pacific region remained highly vulnerable to coastal hazards, such as tropical storms, storm surges, flooding and tsunamis.

Typhoon Haiyan (local name: Yolanda) in the Philippines is one of the recent disastrous episodes that killed over 6,000 people and affected millions.

“Escap values its partnership with the German Government to further strengthen early warning systems and build resilience to natural disasters,” said Shamshad Akhtar, UN undersecretary-general and Escap executive secretary.

“The contribution from the German government will kick-start the next phase of the [Trust] Fund and this investment will enhance regional warning mechanisms, while building national capacities of vulnerable countries for early warning,” Akhtar said in a statement.

Created in 2005 following the devastation caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the Trust Fund supports activities that build resilience through strengthened early warning systems for coastal hazards.

According to Escap, the German government’s contribution was part of the newly launched Global Initiative on Disaster Risk Management (GIDRM), of which Escap is a major partner. The initiative is coordinated by GIZ and brings together a wide range of stakeholders from Germany and the Asia-Pacific region.

“If we want to effectively and systematically reduce and manage disaster risks, we will have to think more outside the box, bringing in new actors like the private sector, promoting knowledge-sharing and creating space for innovation across regions,” said Gisela Hammerschmidt, chair of the advisory board of GIDRM.  Amy R. Remo