PRESIDENT OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN DISASTER REDUCTION DAY MESSAGE, STRESSES RISING DISASTER TRENDS, NEED FOR PREVENTION STRATEGIES

Press Release
GA/SM/107
OBV/113

PRESIDENT OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN DISASTER REDUCTION DAY MESSAGE, STRESSES RISING DISASTER TRENDS, NEED FOR PREVENTION STRATEGIES

Following is the message by the President of the General Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab (Namibia), on World Disaster Reduction Day, observed on 13 October:

Today, 13 October, the United Nations observes the annual World Disaster Reduction Day. This is the culminating point of the 1999 World Disaster Reduction Campaign organized by the United Nations concerning the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction. This year, the theme is “Prevention Pays -- Science and Technology for Disaster Prevention Save Lives and Secure Assets.” National activities to celebrate this Day will be taking place in about 100 countries worldwide and the international celebration will be held in Mexico City, hosted jointly by the United Nations and the Government of Mexico.

This year’s observance of World Disaster Reduction Day highlights the importance of disaster prevention. Almost daily, we are reminded of the threat of natural hazards. These tragedies capture our imagination and we tend to think of them in terms of the horrors we see on television. But the true extent of their impact lies beyond our daily awareness. They profoundly affect the efforts being made to achieve economic growth and sustainable development, at times erasing in a flash any progress made.

Despite 10 years of persistent efforts in disaster prevention by the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction and its partners, the number and cost of natural disasters continue to rise. There were three times as many natural disasters in the 1990s as in the 1960s and disaster costs increased more than nine-fold in the same period. The disaster trend is indeed likely to worsen in the future, as many economic and social factors, such as rapid urbanization, environmental degradation, climate change, the decaying of infrastructure, overpopulation and poverty continue to increase the vulnerability of communities everywhere in the world.

But while we cannot stop the forces of nature, we can and must prevent them from turning into major disasters. This means paying much greater attention to the introduction of prevention strategies that reduce the vulnerability of societies and shifting from a culture of reaction to a culture of prevention. We need to strengthen and broaden disaster reduction programmes, including through the transfer of technology, in our efforts to limit the impact and costs of human suffering.

- 2 - Press Release GA/SM/107 13 October 1999

There is no doubt that disaster prevention will always require politically challenging choices. But the courage to decide and taking bold actions will help save lives and protect our vital achievements. In 1999, furious storms, violent earthquakes, pernicious and devastating droughts caused the loss of thousands of lives and billions of dollars in economic damage. Conversely, in many regions of the world hard hit by natural disasters, lives have been saved and assets protected thanks to effective prevention policies and actions by governments, business and the civil society.

As we approach the next century, it is vital to ensure that the positive results achieved over the Decade are not lost. We must build on the progress made, by acting decisively so that disaster reduction becomes an essential element of international strategies and national development plans. In this context, I am encouraged by the decision of Member States to establish successor arrangements to the Decade to continue disaster reduction activities into the twenty-first century and beyond.

Prevention strategies are indeed effective only to the extent that policy-makers, internationally and nationally, have the political will to make a sustained commitment in terms of funds, resources and technology to carry out effective disaster reduction measures.

To all of the world’s people, the time for action is now! What is urgently required is unity of purpose and concerted action to prevent natural disasters or mitigate their devastating effects.

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