As there are many possibilities of natural and man-made disasters in Myanmar, it needs to engage in preparing for calamities by getting all people to participate, according to Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr. Win Myat Aye.

He proclaimed so at the “Red Cross Seminar on Coalition for Resilience in Myanmar”, held at the M-Gallery Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw on October 15.

He said that Myanmar is a country prone to natural and man-made disasters. Due to change of climate and unbalanced development activities, possibilities of disasters that we will have to face are increasing day by day in the future. In order to carry out effective management, ideal preparatory measures play an important role of which includes inclusiveness, cooperation of public during emergency response, rehabilitation, and re-construction. Response to disasters is an important process in preparatory measures for reducing damages done by natural and manmade disasters.

A framework has been laid in 2017 for disaster response. Under the guidance of the Ministry for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, respective committees and ministries, States/Regions governments, and working groups formed with private and social organizations have participated in drawing the framework. The natural disaster management committee had also cooperated with the above mentioned organizations in the past.

The Minister continued that for the promotion of strength in tackling disasters, reducing of the chance of disasters occurring is also a major process. The global community is also making arrangements in order to reduce the rate of natural or manmade disasters that the world is facing. A global framework for disaster risk reduction was laid down for the 2015 - 2030 period. The four major priorities within the framework are; Understanding Disaster Risk, Strengthening Disaster Risk Governance to Manage Disaster Risk, Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience, Enhancing Disaster Risk preparedness for Effective Response and to “Build Back Better” in Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.

Some processes in the framework for Myanmar are to educate the public concerning the disasters, inclusiveness in response to disasters, to aware of disasters and to reduce these disasters.