Women can take the lead in fighting disasters: PM

Home minister Rajnath Singh and PM Narendra Modi during the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in New Delhi. (Photo: Asian Age)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed on the need for encouraging involvement of women volunteers in disaster management while seeking greater co-operation among the international community in dealing with all types of calamities.

Inaugurating the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) in the Capital on Thursday, the PM, stressing on the need for risk coverage, said that development sectors must imbibe the principles of disaster risk management and encourage involvement and leadership of women as they are the biggest sufferers of any disaster.

“Women are disproportionately affected by disasters. They also have unique strengths and insights. We must train a large number of women volunteers to support special needs of women affected by disasters. We need women engineers, masons and building artisans supporting reconstruction, and women self-help groups assisting livelihood recovery,” the PM said. He stressed on the need for investing in risk-mapping, greater use of technology for enhancing efficiency of disaster risk management efforts and utilising the opportunities provided by social media and mobile technologies. The PM said the focus should be on building local capacity and initiative while ensuring that opportunity to learn from a disaster is not wasted.

Sharing his experience during the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat, Mr Modi said he worked with the people to support post-earthquake recovery. “The capabilities of satellite and other space-based technologies can support the full disaster risk management cycle. India is ready to make its space capabilities available to any country for purposes of disaster risk management,” the PM added.

Also speaking on the occasion, home minister Rajnath Singh said that disaster risk recognises no political boundaries so “it is satisfying that today we realise that both disaster risk reduction and disaster relief should be supported through bilateral, regional and international co-operation, including partnerships”.

“It is with this spirit of regional and international co-operation that India has supported other countries, specially its neighbours, in disaster mitigation and management efforts. We are uncompromisingly committed to regional and international co-operation,” Mr Singh said.