Prime Minister Hun Manet addresses the Oct 16 opening ceremony of the 13th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM). - Photo: STPM
PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Manet has highlighted the collective efforts that Asean must prioritise, in the face of disaster-related challenges.
He noted that beyond emergency relief and urgent humanitarian needs, it must also focus on building and rehabilitating infrastructure that is increasingly resilient to climate change over the long term.
Manet delivered his remarks during the opening ceremony of the 13th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM), the 14th Conference of the Parties to AADMER, and related meetings, hosted by Cambodia on Thursday (Oct 16).
The head of government, who also serves as chairman of the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), noted that disasters of all kinds continue to pose constant challenges to all nations, adding that whether large or small, they have severe consequences on individuals and wider society.
“In addition to providing emergency assistance and meeting urgent needs of the population during disasters, Asean continues to focus on the reconstruction of infrastructure that is increasingly resilient to climate change over the long term, in both urban and rural areas,” he said.
He added that with the growing threat of climate change, disasters are occurring more frequently, with greater severity and are increasingly hard to predict. Recent disasters — such as earthquakes, floods and tropical cyclones—have caused rising death tolls and extensive destruction.
From Cambodia’s perspective, he explained, it is necessary to distinguish between disaster relief activities in urban areas and those in rural regions, especially with regard to flooding. With rapid urbanisation and demographic shifts, existing urban infrastructure cannot always accommodate the number of people that rely on it, nor can it withstand the growing frequency and intensity of disasters.
“When there are large-scale evacuations in rural areas, it is very difficult for us to find safe shelters — especially places with roofs, access to clean water and hygienic facilities. As a result, vulnerable groups — especially women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities — face even greater risks,” he said.
Manet warned that in addition to challenges relating to financial resources and physical infrastructure, Asean countries must also acknowledge that capacities, knowledge and experience in disaster management remain uneven across different regions.
He highlighted several key priorities for joint attention. These include: enhancing preparedness through stronger early warning and forecasting systems to address ongoing emerging challenges such as climate change, pandemics and disasters.
He also called for boosting multi-stakeholder partnerships, with participation from the private sector, researchers and civil society, to promote innovation and mobilise resources; applying technology and innovation — including artificial intelligence, geospatial tools and data analysis — to increase accuracy and efficiency in disaster response.
Strengthening global cooperation through Asean partnerships with international institutions — such as the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) — to develop strategies aligned with the Sendai Framework is also a key priority. In addition, Asean will share knowledge, best practices and lessons learned with other regions, especially on community-based disaster risk management and cross-border cooperation.
The NCDM is chairing the 13th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM-13) and the 47th Meeting of the Asean Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM-47), along with related meetings, from October 13–17, in Phnom Penh.
The committee explained that the AMMDM-13 and ACDM-47 serve as regional platforms for Asean member states to strengthen cooperation in disaster risk reduction and management, enhance resilience and improve preparedness through capacity building, policy dialogue and sharing of best practices.
Participants include disaster management ministers from Asean member states, as well as representatives from the China, Japan and South Korea, under the AMMDM Plus mechanism. Timor-Leste is attending as an observer.
The meetings will also see participation from the Asean secretary-general, the executive director of the AHA Centre, senior officials from relevant Asean sectoral institutions and representatives of development partners. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
