JEDDAH: Preparations are underway in the region to reduce and mitigate the worst effects from the increasing risk of natural disasters. Arab nations are being aided to adapt to the dangers of climate change and reduce the effect of possible natural disasters.
"The Arab and Islamic world faces many possible risks (of disaster). The most dangerous are climate change and the increase in population," said Prince Turki ibn Nasser, President of the Executive Bureau of Arab Environment Ministries yesterday. He was speaking at the initial meeting of the ruling council for the newly established regional Disaster Risk Reduction Training and Research Center in the region. The center was established last month in Cairo and is located in the Arab League building. "It is in everyone's interest to contribute in every possible way to protect future generations from these risks and their aftermath," he said.
The United Nations sent its top disaster risk reduction official to the meeting to help in establishing the center.
Climate change is "the most serious challenge to our (the world's) culture and civilization right now," said Margareta Wahlstrom, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. She added that three years ago an unusual cyclone struck Oman and southern Iran, a new phenomenon in the region.
"There is a study going on by the international panel for climate change on extreme events, the kind which are not common in the region," she said.
"Science has to teach us more on what to expect but we will not have answers to all our questions," she said. "So we need to learn to plan how to manage volatile environments everywhere," she added.
The UN says the impact from natural disasters is increasing as populations grow, environments degrade and global warming accelerates. It has been urging countries to put measures in place to reduce the effects of natural disasters.
In 2005, the United Nations adopted a plan called the Hyogo Framework for Action. It aims to help nations and communities reduce their vulnerability to natural disasters. This includes improving early warning systems and strengthening disaster preparedness. The UN aims to achieve its goal by 2015.
The meeting that was chaired by Prince Turki who is also the President of the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment Protection (PME) in the Kingdom and attended by Mohammed Farghali, Director General of the Arab Academy For Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AAST) in the Arab League.
Participants discussed a memo presented by the UN-ISDR and AAST on the role and responsibilities of the center. Participants agreed on composing an international working group to prepare basic laws, rules and regulations of the center in addition to the members who will be appointed at the second meeting. Members are expected to be at ministerial level. Participants discussed the center's regional role in reducing disaster risk and viewed the center's future-working plan. Building a database is one objective in order to set policies, make decisions and develop national and human resources to reduce the risk of natural disasters.
