Disaster Management in S.

Asia needs a hub;

and it ought to be Sri Lanka - Jayanath
Colombage

2017-10-31

Disasters are becoming increasingly common and dangerous. Many populations

are vulnerable to disasters. As large populations are now urbanized, and living in
coastal areas, they are more prone to disasters.

Disasters can occur without much warning. Many governments and populations
are quite unprepared for facing or recovering after a disaster, points out Adm.
(Dr.) Jayanath Colombage, former Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy and now an
expert in maritime strategies.

Epicentre

Colombage points out that nearly 90% of natural disasters and 95% of disaster-
related deaths occur in developing countries. According to M.M.Ariyabandu and
M.Wickramasinghe (Gender Dimensions in Disaster Management - A guide for
South Asia, Zubaan, New Delhi, India), between 1992 and 2001, disasters claimed
96,285 lives in the South Asian sub continent.

The South Asia region is exposed to a variety of hazards, mainly due to its
geographical location, Colombage says.

It is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. Three out of ten
deadliest natural disasters since 1980 have occurred in South Asia. These include
tsunamis, earthquakes, cyclones and low-intensity conflict. And climate change
has increased exposure to these hazards, resulting in more frequent and more
intense natural disasters, he adds.

In South Asia, natural disasters can be exacerbated by human interference or

inaction. Regional cooperation is necessary, but that is not easy in South
Asia.Political sensitivities, trust deficit between states, and the vast disparity
between the size and wealth of different countries make it hard to find mutual
ground on many trans-boundary issues, Colombage points out.
Since the South Asian region is both disaster-prone and vast, it has to have a
hub to coordinate disaster risk management and disaster management.
Therfore, the ideal location for the hub is Sri Lanka
SAARC has developed a comprehensive framework for disaster management and
disaster prevention in 2005, and established a number of SAARC Disaster
Management and Prevention Centres (SDMC). But progress in building disaster
risk management capabilities of South Asian states through regional cooperation
has been slow, he says.

The following areas must be developed, he recommends: institutional

frameworks; economic capacity; frequent testing of early-warning systems;
maintenance of ready-to-use resources; coordination of action among various
stakeholders including domestic, international and regional agencies; recording
and analysis of disaster responses; and learning from mistakes.

All this needs international cooperation and a hub for the region. The ideal hub
for the South Asian region is Sri Lanka, says Colombage emphatically.

Frameworks

There are models of framework for South Asia to follow. There is the Sendai
Framework and that of ASEAN. The Sendai Framework for disaster risk
management was adopted at the Third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan, on
March 18, 2015. It was the outcome of stakeholder consultations initiated in
March 2012 and inter-governmental negotiations from July 2014 to March 2015,
supported by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction at the request
of the UN General Assembly.
The United Nations Framework focuses more on Disaster Risk Management as
opposed to Disaster Management. The scope is broadened to include both
man-made and natural hazards and related environments, technological and
biological hazards and risks.

ASEAN Framework

Developing South Asian countries could take the cue from ASEAN and it has
succeeded in providing humanitarian assistance after disasters in its area,
Colombage says.
In November 2011, ten ASEAN nations signed an agreement on disaster
management and created the ASEAN coordinating centre for humanitarian
assistance and Disaster Management (AHA Centre) in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The AHAs Centre was aimed at facilitating cooperation and coordination among
ASEAN member states with the United Nations and International organizations for
disaster management and emergency response in the region.
There are models of framework for South Asia to follow. There is the Sendai
Framework and that of ASEAN. The Sendai Framework for disaster risk
management was adopted at the Third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan,
on March 18, 2015
The motto of the AHA centre is: One ASEAN-One Response. Therefore, ASEAN
addresses the issues of strengthening of international cooperation and global
partnership.There is also clear recognition of the Global Platform for Disaster
Risk Reduction and the regional platforms for disaster risk reduction as
mechanisms for coherence across agendas, monitoring and periodic reviews in
support of UN Governance bodies. There is a renewed understanding that
international, regional and sub regional and trans-boundary cooperation is
essential in supporting states, their national and local authorities, as well as
communities and businesses to reduce disaster risk, Colombage says.
Lanka as hub

Since the South Asian region is both disaster-prone and vast, it has to have a
hub to coordinate disaster risk management disaster management. Therefore,
the ideal location for the hub is Sri Lanka Colombage says.
Listing the reasons for recommending Sri Lanka, he says: Sri Lankas unique
advantage in the India Ocean is the geographical location. It is located in the
centre of the Indian Ocean, almost equidistant from the Eastern and Western
Indian Ocean littorals.

Further, the island is located just 12 nautical miles from the busiest East-West
shipping route across this ocean, linking Europe, the Americas, Far East, Middle
East and Asia, which is considered a key shipping lane in the 21st century. Sri
Lanka is blessed with deep-water ports and deep navigable waters around the
country and especially along the approaches to major ports. The port of Colombo
is the only port in the region which is capable of docking and handling even the
latest version of mega
container ships.

The country maintains a balanced and equidistant diplomatic posture and is

considered to be friendly country by many countries. It is the only country in this
region, where all states arrive without any restrictions - be they Indians, Chinese,
Pakistanis or Americans.

Sri Lanka is well connected digitally to the world and possesses an advanced
telecommunication network. It also enjoys a well connected aviation network
linking major cities in the region and beyond and has already taken leadership
roles in the Indian Ocean with the Indian Ocean as the Zone of Peace initiative. It
had a role in creating SAARC and UNCLOS (Law of the Sea).
Sri Lanka has presently taken the initiative to discuss a Code of Conduct for Major
Maritime Users in the Indian Ocean region and a new Indian Ocean Order.

It is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. Three out of ten
deadliest natural disasters since 1980 have occurred in South Asia

- Admiral Jayanath Colombage

It has taken effective measures to Disaster response with a well-established

Disaster Management Centre (DMC) under government patronage. The DMC
coordinates all the stake holders, both domestic and foreign agencies in
responding to disasters rapidly.

Considering these factors, Sri Lanka would be the most suitable location to act as
a hub for disaster management in the South Asian and Indian Ocean Region,
Colombage concludes.
Posted by Thavam