Cape Town [South Africa], October 1 : The Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh addressed the first Working Session on 'Strengthening Disaster Resilience and Responses' at the 11th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) in Kleinmond, South Africa, on Wednesday.
He highlighted a range of institutional responses by India to improve disaster management and coordination in the wake of frequent challenges posed by climate change. Reiterating India's steadfast commitment to strengthening global disaster resilience, he also called for greater cooperation in financing Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in vulnerable countries.
Harivansh emphasised that the Disaster Management Act of 2005 has provided India with a robust institutional framework for mitigating, responding to, and recovering from disasters. Under this legislation, India has also constituted a professional National Disaster Response Force capable of responding to various natural disasters.
He further stated that India's ability to leverage scientific developments and merge them with innovative technology has improved early warning systems.
"India's cyclone warning system is recognised globally for its accuracy and outreach. A number of new mobile Applications such as Damini, Mausam, Meghdoot, etc. have been developed for the timely dissemination of early warnings and alerts to people," he added.
At the international level, Dy. Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh, highlighted India's role in furthering the cause of resilient development. In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) at the UN Climate Action Summit. India also played a key role in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Towards the end, he called for countries to integrate disaster studies into higher education, create a global repository of best practices, and ensure innovative financing for developing nations.
The Deputy Chairman will further participate in a session on mobilising finance for a just energy transition and will chair a session on harnessing critical minerals for sustainable development during the summit.
The Deputy Chairman is also likely to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Germany, Italy and other countries.
South Africa is the first African nation to host the G20 summit. It has underlined the theme of 'Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability' for its G20 Presidency.