India had always been the first respondent in situations of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Management (HADR) in the subcontinent, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday.
Addressing the 10th meeting of the Heads of Departments of SCO member-States, he called on the Shanghai Cooperation organisation (SCO) members to make a concerted, synchronised effort towards securing people from disasters. Climate change presented new challenges to disaster management today, he pointed out.
“Mr. Shah expressed the hope that this meeting would bring together all SCO nations to deliberate on an effective strategy to build disaster resilient infrastructure and bolster each others capabilities to efficiently tackle future disasters by exchanging best practices,” the Home Ministry said in a statement.
The Minister stressed the need for all stakeholders to focus on building disaster resilient infrastructure to minimise the loss of precious lives and property. “This forum would become an important platform to increase mutual cooperation among SCO nations in disaster management,” he said
Mr. Shah expressed the confidence that the four-day Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search and Rescue (SCOJtEx)-2019, held early this week, and the ministerial meeting would help in finalising an action plan for managing disasters for the year 2020-21. “The protocol to be signed today will open new vistas of cooperation between SCO nations in this regard,” he said.
India attached special importance to SCO as a platform for regional outreach , he said, adding that it had participated in more than 20 ministerial meetings in the last two years.
