SAARC Disaster Management - Machizo：南盟灾害管理machizo.doc

From unilateral and bi-lateral to mutual obligation for disaster management: a critical reflection on SAARC disaster management processes 1. Introduction-disasters in the South Asia today Since the first SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit in 1985, disaster has been a part of the official discussion reflected in almost all the declarations. Close to its silver jubilee, the thirteenth SAARC summit in Dhaka and fourteenth summit in Delhi set out landmark commitment for regional cooperation in disaster management (DM). The 13th summit agreed to establish SAARC Disaster Management Centre in Delhi and 14th summit approved the SAARC Comprehensive Framework on Disaster Management 2006-2015. These DM processes are taking place at a time when the region has entered a new era in relation to disaster that can possibly be best described by five important characteristics: changing nature of disaster i.e. upward frequency of high intensity disaster in the region. This is most likely to grow further in the context of climate change. Arguably, today more people in the region are vulnerable to disaster than ever. common experience across the region that development policies and practices exacerbate the impact of disasters, higher level of effort by the countries (in the region) in revisiting and strengthening their own disaster management system; increasing understanding about geo-physical and hydro-meteorological characteristics of the region; wealth of knowledge, experience, skills and technology generated at community and institutional level in the country and the region as a whole. The national governments are responsible for protecting and fulfilling the rights of the disaster affected people within their political boundaries. They also have a responsibility to protect citizens from disasters. But in South Asia, this responsibility cannot be fulfilled by the individual state alone, as sources of hazard often are located outside the political