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Delivered by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana

06 December 2022

ESCAP ES

Excellency, Mr. Nou Keosothea, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Commission of ESCAP of the Royal Government of Cambodia and Chair of the APDIM Governing Council,

Excellency, Mr. Yunus Sezer, Head of Disaster and Emergency Management, Presidency, Government of the Republic of Turkey,

Distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen,

It is indeed my great pleasure to address the “High-level Consultative Meeting on Risk Data Governance and Disaster Information Management and their Role in Enhancing Monitoring, Impact-based Forecasting, as well as Early Warning.”

At the outset, I would like to express my warm and sincere appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Türkiye and the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) for hosting this important event.

Distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen,

Disasters continue to impose heavy losses and damages and hamper the achievement of the SDGs, particularly in our region, the world’s most disaster-prone region.

As countries are gradually beginning to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, recent developments have shown that the crisis is far from over.

Effective risk assessment, hazard monitoring, impact-based forecasting and early warning are of paramount importance to help us manage the risk of disasters and reduce their impact, especially on the most vulnerable, when they occur.  

If I may, I would like to quote the United Nations Secretary-General announced during COP27 the “Executive Action Plan for the Early Warnings for All initiative,” including the call for initial new targeted investments of $3.1 billion between 2023 and 2027 and the realization of early warning systems for every person on Earth by 2027.  

Effective risk assessment and hazard monitoring, and early warning can be achieved only if we have reliable risk-related data that can be used to develop relevant information and knowledge.

To improve hazard monitoring and early warning, there is an increasing need for appropriate risk data governance and policies at global, regional and national levels.

I am very pleased to note that this High-level Consultative Meeting has these important topics at the core of its agenda.

Risk data governance, monitoring, impact-based forecasting and early warning are among the priorities that our region needs to consider and improve upon more than ever.

Drawing from the wealth of knowledge and experience of the countries and organizations of the region, this meeting can look forward to generating solution-oriented recommendations to improve hazard monitoring and early warning and, as a result saving more lives and protecting livelihoods and infrastructure in our region.

Distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen,

It is very encouraging to see that APDIM continues to make important achievements in the area of disaster knowledge and information management.

At our last Commission session,  the 78th session of ESCAP in May of this year, member States endorsed the Regional Plan of Action on Sand and Dust Storms in Asia and the Pacific, whose development was facilitated by APDIM in close cooperation and consultation with countries and experts from the region.

The Regional Plan of Action is a significant step toward the expansion and alignment of regional cooperation to reduce the risk and negative impacts of sand and dust storms as an increasingly damaging hazard at global, regional as well as national scales.

I hope that  APDIM, as a regional entity on disaster information management, will be able to further promote transboundary and regional cooperation and continue to facilitate the exchange of experience, knowledge and information among countries of the region.

The countries can align their efforts and develop regional cooperation framework for other types of disasters such as flood, drought, forest fires, cyclones, earthquake and tsunami.

Please stand ready to support the countries of the region.

In that endeavor, to achieve this towards Disaster Risk Reduction and the achievement of the Sendai framework targets and sustainable development goals.

In closing, allow me to, once again, thank the Government of Türkiye, especially the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye for hosting this very important event. 

I wish you all a very successful meeting.

Thank you very much.

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Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management
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