The Regional Workshop on Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, organised by the Permanent Committee for Emergency in co-operation with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), began in Doha Monday with the participation of a number of staff members and representatives of authorities concerned in Qatar.
The Regional Workshop on Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction was adopted for the period 2015 to 2030 at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan, in 2015.
The workshop, attended by a number of UNISDR experts, addresses a range of topics on how to reduce disaster risk and strengthen national co-ordination mechanisms to reduce these risks in the context of the Sendai framework, besides discussing international frameworks and the Arab strategy in this regard.
The workshop also reviews the importance of national forums and committees in the formulation of national strategies, policy support and decision-making in the field of disaster risk reduction, the progress made by the government in the implementation of the Sendai framework, and other relevant topics.
Assistant DG of the Civil Defence Department, Secretary of the Permanent Committee for Emergency Brigadier General Hamad Othman al-Dhaimi stressed in a speech during the workshop the importance to achieve the maximum benefit in the field of dealing with risks and enhance the efforts of Qatar in preparing the report on disaster reduction, and raise the capabilities and skills of employees in the authorities concerned in the State.
Al-Dhaimi stressed that the Regional Workshop on Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction is the result of consultations and discussions among stakeholders in various countries of the world and works to build the capacity of nations and communities to cope with disasters and depends on elements that ensure continuity of work.
Al-Dhaimi stressed that strengthening international co-operation and partnership in the areas of civil protection and risk reduction is key to achieving the goals of sustainable development.
He pointed out the importance of raising the efficiency of the bodies concerned and enhancing co-operation to face these risks and challenges through specific mechanisms and programmes by facilitating and exchanging experiences, co-ordinating efforts and assisting countries to develop their systems and raise the efficiency of the bodies concerned and other aspects and forms of addressing those risks.
The deputy head of the Regional Office for Disaster Reduction Fady al-Janan stressed the efforts of the Permanent Committee for Emergency in Qatar within the framework of the implementation of the Sendai framework, pointing out that there is no country in the world free of risks and natural phenomena.
During the opening of the workshop, Fady al-Janan warned that the economic losses caused by disasters are increasing despite the technological development that contributed to the reduction of human losses as a result of the progress of search and rescue operations.
He pointed out that the knowledge of the circumstances of each country and its geographical components and the distribution of population, its infrastructure and economy plays a big role in determining the potential losses due to disasters. He also reviewed ways and mechanisms of preventing risks and the importance of readiness to reduce losses.
