Guwahati, Feb 21 (PTI) Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell on Monday said his government is looking forward to working with India towards developing disaster resilience in the northeast Indian Ocean.
Speaking during a visit to Assam State Disaster Management Authority headquarter here, O’Farrell said the overview of the challenges and steps towards its mitigation given to him by the ASDMA authorities has brought out the similarities between Australia and India in this sector, a press release said.
The visit to the ASDMA office was to share knowledge on areas concerning international cooperation between the Australian government and the Government of India in the context of disaster management and allied sectors, the release said.
During the meeting, Gyanendra D Tripathi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ASDMA, presented the measures adopted by the agency over the years to address the challenges that the state faces due to the interplay of multiple disasters.
Climate change-induced disasters like recurring floods, erosion, landslide, and thunderstorm have been devastating the communities every year.
Moreover, challenges of environmental degradation, seismic vulnerabilities, are making the task of preventing the adverse outcomes more complex, Tripathi said.
To promote safety and reduce disaster risk, the ASDMA has been strengthening its disaster management plan through infrastructure development like multi-purpose flood shelters, enhancing knowledge through various collaborative studies and various technology interventions, and a quick response, recovery, and rehabilitation mechanism.
“From the point of view of disaster management in Assam, we are now putting more thrust on risk reduction instead of focusing only on response and recovery. I seek support from the commission to help the department in developing a robust Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) plan and management,” he said.
The ASDMA is also keen to take inspiration from the land management system of Australia as land use management and rapid urbanisation have been a major challenge in Assam, Tripathi said. PTI SSG MM MM
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