Pressing need to fight natural disasters
VGP – Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh emphasized the need to strengthen coordination and cooperation in policy and action in response to natural disasters.
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Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh at the ASEM high-level meeting on disaster prevention and relief in response to climate change, Ha Noi, November 18, 2013 |
In recent global climate change conferences, delegates have pointed out that never before have calamities become so devastating and challenging, according to Mr. Minh.
“Entering the 21st century, natural calamities have turned out to be much more extreme, with an exceptional increase in both frequency and scale and in its impact.”
The World Meteorological Organization has warned that, just in more than a decade of this century, global sea level reached a new record this year and doubles the observed 20th century trend, while typhoons, hurricanes, floods, flash floods, landslides, snow and extreme cold, cyclones, droughts, wild fires continue to be more severe and prolonged.
Deputy Prime Minster, Foreign Minister Minh said “2013 is likely to be among the 10 warmest years since global records began in 1850. Global warming is causing changes in biological systems, thus leading to abnormal catastrophes.”
In a globalized world, natural disasters disrupt not only the operation of our business at local and national levels, but also our regional and global supply chains and value chains. Besides, the global financial crisis - the most prolonged in over a century - is also eroding our resources and capability to mitigate disaster risks.
Such catastrophes will continue hindering our efforts to improve the quality of life of our people, to accelerate economic recovery, to promote sustainable development and to strengthen international economic integration.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister said that only by joining hands to take bold actions today, can we be able to better cope with the threats posed by disasters in the future.
He called on the participants to this high-level meeting to name best practices and lessons learned in response to natural disasters, the most practical measures for ASEM partners to promote coordination and cooperation in disaster risk reduction and management and mitigation.
Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Minh also urged the participants to discuss on how to set up a network of research institutes and early warning systems among ASEM partners, between Asia and Europe, and with those of regional and international organizations./.
By Thuy Dung
