New Delhi: The three-day Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016 came to an end with the adoption of the ‘New Delhi Declaration’ and the ‘Asian Regional Plan for Implementation of the Sendai Framework’. The Closing ceremony was presided over by Union Home Minister ShriRajnath Singh.
This was the first Asian MinisterialConference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) after the advent of theSendai Framework for DRR (SFDRR).The SFDRR (2015-2030) was adopted by at the Third World Conference on DRRat Sendai in Japan in March, 2015. It identifies targets and priority action areastowards reducing disaster risk by ‘reducing the damage caused by naturalhazards like earthquakes, floods, droughts and cyclones, through an ethic of prevention’.
New Delhi Declaration
The ‘New Delhi Declaration’ is a political statement spelling out the commitment of participating governments towards preventing and reducingdisaster risk, and strengthening the resilience of communities, nations and the Asian region. Recognising the need to accelerate the implementation of global frameworks, it commits to a people-centred and whole-of-society approach towards DRR. It also emphasises the need to enhance the capacity of communities and ensure participation of all stakeholder groups towards achieving resilience.
Asian Regional Plan
The ‘Asian Regional Plan for Implementation of theSendai Framework’focuses on the ‘How to’ reduce disaster risk at national and local levels. It has arrived at a longer term road map of cooperation and collaboration, spanning the 15-year horizon of the Sendai Framework, as well as a two-year action plan to further disaster riskreduction with specific, actionable activities.
Voluntary action statements of stakeholder groups towards a ‘shared responsibility’ approach in implementation of theSFDRR were also made.
The Conference also commemorated the first World Tsunami Awareness Day to spread awareness ontsunami. The observance of the day stressed on the importance of early warning systems and preparedness of communities in order to mitigate damage fromthe often devastating natural hazard.
Winners of a short film competitionorganised during the Conference on themes related to DRR werefelicitated by ShriRajnath Singh.
Established in 2005, the AMCDRR is a biennial conference jointly organized by different Asian countries and the United Nations Office for Disaster RiskReduction (UNISDR).
The next AMCDRR will be held in Mongolia in 2018.
