Lanka - ADPC sign MoU on disaster warning

Chesmal Siriwardhana

BANGKOK: The government of Sri Lanka and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on regional cooperation on multi-hazard early warning arrangements, preparedness and mitigation of natural hazards, including tsunamis for South East Asia and the Indian ocean at a ceremony held in Bangkok recently.

The signing of the MoU was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Royal Thai government. Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Royal Thai Government, Khun Sihasak Phuangketkeow, J.D.A. Wijewardena, Sri Lanka Ambassador in Thailand P.D. Amarasinghe, Secretary Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights, and G.H.P. Dharmaratne, Director General Department of Meteorology, were present on the occasion.

The agreement will formalize arrangements for the sharing of data and early-warning information in respect of tsunami and other hydro-meteorological hazards between ADPC and government of Sri Lanka to strengthen early-warning capacities in the region. Also ADPC will facilitate capacity building, regional, national and community level hazard prediction and warning dissemination and disaster preparedness and response.

The ADPC has been nominated by the Royal Thai government in January 2005 and subsequently mandated by several south and southeast Asian countries including Sri Lanka. The ADPC-facilitated early-warning systems in the first stage of implementation across ten countries and is designed to provide early-warning on tsunami and severe weather events such as typhoons, hurricanes and floods. The minimum requirements for this is to be established by July 2007.

Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe has taken several steps through his Ministry to improve the ability of disaster management of the government by taking action to prepare an integrated budget for disaster management, securing funds for disaster mitigation and prevention in the national budget and formulating and publishing a national policy for disaster management and the national 'Roadmap for Disaster Management'.