The United Nations System has decided to step up its operations in the area of disaster management in South Asia. It has announced the setting up of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Disaster Management Support Facility in India that will work closely with countries in the region in building capacities of governments and communities in disaster mitigation, preparedness and recovery. The announcement was made in Ahmedabad today by the Assistant Administrator of UNDP, Dr. Hafiz Pasha, who was addressing the National Conference on Sustainable Recovery and Vulnerability Reduction, a joint initiative of the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA), Government of India (GoI) and the UN System in India.

Delivering the keynote address, the Union Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani, expressed his appreciation of the UN System partnering with GoI and the States in times of crises: Maharashtra in 1993, Orissa in 1999 and now Gujarat. Mr. Advani stressed the need for the State Government, the UN System and other international partners to focus on strategizing for sustainable recovery and vulnerability reduction for all States prone to natural hazards.

The Conference was attended by over 200 representatives from national and international development agencies, the Government of India and the Government of Gujarat, UN organizations and bilateral donor agencies, and over 30 community-based organizations. Welcoming UNDP's initiative in setting up the Regional Facility, the Home Minister made a fervent plea for earmarking 10 to 15 per cent of all national and international assistance flowing into Gujarat for disaster risk reduction in other States and at the national level.

Inaugurating the Conference, the Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr. Keshubhai Patel, said the State Government would increase the momentum for scaling up efforts to help the earthquake affected people. He thanked the UN leadership for its contributions to immediate relief, shelter reconstruction, livelihood support programmes, health assessment/surveillance, restoration of schools and education system, food security and disaster risk management. "We have to increase the capacities of our people and communities at the local level to handle such calamities promptly," he said.

Dr. Pasha, the highest ranking UNDP official for the Asia-Pacific region, noted with satisfaction the Government of India's response at various levels, to the recurring disasters in the country. He cited the work being carried out by the High Powered Committee on Disaster Management in finalising a National Disaster Management Plan and for strengthening district level structures so that adequate capacities are built to face the natural hazards and minimise losses.

Expressing the hope that the Conference deliberations would contribute to generating further support for Gujarat in particular, and for other affected States in general, along with institutionalizing lessons learnt, Mr. Advani said: "Human life is precious and it should be our common endeavor to protect it, irrespective of national boundaries".

The UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in India, Dr. Brenda Gael McSweeney said the tragic earthquake had presented an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen people's capabilities for reducing their vulnerabilities to ongoing and future disasters. She said the UN System in the country, in partnership with the Government, the NGOs and the international community was helping to bridge the gap between relief and long-term reconstruction.

The Conference discussed strategies for making the post-earthquake recovery process sustainable and reducing disaster risk in a multi-hazard setting in Gujarat and the rest of the country. The Government of Gujarat - UN System Action Plan endorsed by the Conference focuses on the transition to recovery and defines the strategic priorities and objectives for supporting rapid rehabilitation in Gujarat.

Commending the Government of Gujarat's endeavour for sustainable recovery and vulnerability reduction as a welcome and pioneering step, Dr. Pasha said the unprecedented nature of the disasters called for nation-wide response mechanisms at all levels.

The Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat for National Disaster Management Committee, Mr. Rajeeva Ratna Shah, said the Government of India was committed to working closely with UN organizations for strengthening emergency management capacities in India.

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