Addressing the inaugural session of the Asia Leaders' meeting towards implementation of the Sendai Framework for disaster risk reduction in Asia, Singh said that that the multi-dimensional aspects of disaster related risks should be dealt with affirmative action.
"India has moved ahead from disaster mitigation to risk reduction. Our national policies include mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction and development programmes, besides community resilience building," he said.
"We have established robust Institutional structures from national to provincial level with legislative back up and policy framework for enhancing our capabilities to reduce risk and loss to economy," he said.
Calling upon all entities, public and private, to strengthen the international support mechanisms for disaster risk reduction by sharing of reliable and affordable modern technology for capacity-building, Singh hoped the three-day deliberations will set the agenda for the First Asia Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) after the advent of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) due be held in New Delhi in November next year.
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The Home Minister hoped the meeting would help devise future strategies for identification of risks, challenges and equal distribution of scarce resources ultimately contributing to achieve sustainable development goals.
Singh said the ISDR Asia Partnership forum is a vital
space for our governments to collectively reflect and share experiences on best practices and innovative solutions to implement disaster risk reduction effectively at national and local levels across the Asia region.
Rijiju was conferred as the first regional champion for DRR after the Sendai Agreement, giving an impetus to India's efforts to facilitate regional support towards enabling community resilience in the Asia-Pacific region.
The function was attended by Ministers from China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, South Korea and Thailand, delegates from various countries and international organisations.
"We recognise the importance of including disaster and climate risk management as an integral part of developmental planning and programmes to realize the global goals of sustainable development and poverty eradication," he said.
The Minister said countries in the Asian region have been "building back better" in the face of inexorable disasters.
Rijiju said as partners, India can use this platform to collaborate on responsibilities and make actionable commitments towards implementation of the shared goal of disaster risk reduction.
Acknowledging the importance of private sector
participation in disaster risk reduction, he said the Global Assessment Report by UNISDR has highlighted the fact that the relationship between business investments practices and disaster risk reduction needs to be strengthened in order to reduce economic losses.
"In fact, our National Policy on Disaster Management too recognises the role of private sector and encourages public- private partnerships for disaster risk reduction," he said.