PM for cooperation among Asia-Pacific nations to combat natural disasters

Hossen Sohel of DOT : 
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today put emphasis on cooperation among the Asia-Pacific nations, especially among neighbours, to combat natural calamities, describing it as very important to face damage of greater magnitude, reports BSS.
“Collaboration among the nations of Asia and the Pacific region, especially among neighbours, is very important in facing damage of greater magnitude from any natural calamity,” she told the inaugural ceremony of the 4th session of the Regional Consultative Group (RCG) on Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination for Asia and the Pacific at Hotel InterContinental here yesterday morning.
The premier added:”We would not be able to prevent natural disasters, but we can reduce the extent of damage through our prudent works. In Bangladesh, we are also putting emphasis on mitigation programmes.”
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has organised the three-day event.
Sheikh Hasina also laid stress on undertaking appropriate measures to fight manmade disasters.
“We can’t ignore the manmade disasters like traffic accidents, building fire, building and bridge collapse, terrorist attacks etc. We have to undertake appropriate measures to arrest these disasters,” she said.
The prime minister said the mother earth is facing increased intensity of disaster possibly due to the impacts of climate change.
“The Global Climate Risk Index 2017 published by GERMANWATCH says, from 1998 to 2017, over 0.526 million people died as a direct result of more than 11,500 extreme weather events,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the losses incurred between 1998 and 2017 amounted to around USD 3.47 trillion in PPP.
According to the Index, she said, Bangladesh is at the 9th position among 10 most affected counties. In the index of 2014 and 2015, Bangladesh was at the 6th position, she said.