Recent flooding inundated thousands of homes in Ratanakkiri province. Four indigenous people were swept away in the disaster. - PPP/ANN
PHNOM PENH: Natural and human-made disasters continue to evolve in increasingly complex ways, requiring all relevant stakeholders to work together to address them through smart investment and direct resources, warned Prime Minister Hun Manet.
He highlighted the issue in a congratulatory message released to mark the National Day for Disaster Management on October 13. This year’s event is themed “Daily Steps Toward Disaster Resilience Today”.
Manet noted that, under current global conditions, the world is facing multiple risk crises caused by both natural forces and human activity — such as global warming driven by climate change — which has led to increased natural disasters including flooding, storms, earthquakes, forest fires, pandemics and more. These have affected many countries, whether rich or poor.
As chairman of the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), the prime minister emphasised:
“At the same time, wars and armed conflicts in parts of the world — human-made disasters — continue to develop in increasingly complex ways.”
Cambodia is no exception, he noted. Like other countries in the region and around the globe, it faces climate-related challenges such as rising temperatures, irregular rainfall during the wet season, violent storms, lightning strikes, riverbank collapses, communicable disease outbreaks, fires and other warning signs. These have caused loss of life and damage to the property of citizens and many communities.
However, regardless of the circumstances, he explained that the government has consistently adhered to the use of combined forces, resources and mechanisms, with the NCDM as the command body.
It coordinates with ministries, national institutions, local authorities at all levels, the armed forces, the Cambodian Red Cross, public and private sectors, and civil society to reduce disaster risks, save lives and property, and resolve all issues for affected people, leaving no one behind. This includes recent humanitarian responses to displaced citizens caused by the Cambodia–Thailand border conflict.
The theme selected for this year’s National Disaster Management Day aligns with both the Asean Day for Disaster Management and the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. It represents a link between national, regional and international efforts — highlighting the importance of reducing disaster risk and demonstrating the stance, commitment and solidarity of the Asean community.
This is in line with the Asean Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response and the spirit of “One Asean, One Response”, and corresponds with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.
“Disaster management is a multi-sectoral task involving almost every aspect of a nation’s socio-economic life and must be carried out sustainably and responsibly," added Manet. "In this sense, all stakeholders have a role in reducing disaster risk through smart investment, meaning direct allocation of funding and resources, to integrate disaster risk reduction into community development.”
The 2025 theme “Daily Steps Toward Disaster Resilience Today” encourages institutions and the population to take part in improving community safety and resilience. To make this commitment a reality, the prime minister called for the promotion of a culture of sharing knowledge and experiences in disaster risk reduction and disaster awareness.
All ministries and institutions must treat disaster management as a core function and strengthen human and material resources for response. They must also participate in implementing the National Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction 2024–2028 and the national early warning roadmap to achieve successful results.
The NCDM should continue strengthening inter-ministerial systems by developing capacities in disaster risk management and risk reduction by sector. Meanwhile, municipalities and provinces must improve flood and drought management with better infrastructure and local water management to boost citizens’ resilience to climate change and other hazards, he continued.
The Ministry of National Defence also has an important part to play, by cooperating with the NCDM to enhance the capacity and technical skills of disaster search-and-rescue units. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
