Asean Must Deepen Collaborations With Local Communities On Disaster Solutions: Sec-Gen

By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz

SINGAPORE, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- ASEAN must deepen collaborations with local communities, including civil society organisations (CSOs), to harness their expertise in empowering communities and promoting community-led disaster solutions, said its Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn.

“In this regard, revitalising the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM)-CSO Partnership Framework (ACPF) is necessary to strengthen this vital partnership,” he said at the ASEAN Strategic Policy Dialogue on Disaster Management (SPDDM) 2024 opening session here, on Friday.

His speech text was made available at the ASEAN website.

Kao proposed this action as ASEAN faces a complex disaster risk landscape amid existing and emerging environmental challenges that threaten to reverse the hard-won development progress that it had achieved in the region.

He said this challenging reality compels the regional body to adopt multifaceted approaches and intensify its commitment to building a resilient and inclusive ASEAN Community.

Kao noted that ASEAN must equally value the local wisdom, knowledge and ingenuity within the communities while also embracing technological advancements in disaster management.

“By integrating their time-tested methods for resilience and adaptation with modern innovations, we can develop more holistic and sustainable solutions tailored to the unique needs of our region,” he added.

He also proposed that ASEAN continue to monitor and evaluate the implementation of its regional frameworks, plans, guidelines, tools and mechanisms, as they will help to enhance inclusivity and identify areas for necessary improvements.

Kao went on to say that promoting inclusive disaster management has consistently been at the core of ASEAN’s agenda and the organisation has undertaken several significant measures to enhance inclusiveness in disaster management.

According to him, ASEAN  has developed and implemented regional frameworks, plans, guidelines, and tools to empower all elements of societies in disaster management including the ASEAN Regional Framework on Protection, Gender, and Inclusion, and the ASEAN Guidelines on Disaster Responsive Social Protection.

In addition, the organisation continuously enhances the capacity of member states to promote inclusive disaster risk management through targeted workshops and training, such as ASEAN-Emergency Response and Assessment Team training, and the ASEAN Standards and Certification for Experts in Disaster Management.

The SPDDM is an annual strategic flagship event of the ACDM, hosted by Singapore since 2015 and co-organised by Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the ASEAN Secretariat, and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre). 

Themed “It Takes a Village: Inclusive Approaches to Enhance Disaster Resilience”, SPDDM 2024 exchanged insights and deliberated on innovative strategies and community-led disaster solutions that are rooted in people-centred and people-oriented principles to strengthen inclusivity and build resilience in the region through multifaceted approaches.  

-- BERNAMA