Governance

To address the serious threats of desertification and the degradation of its natural resources, Madagascar has adopted a National Action Plan (PAN) to combat desertification aligned with the ten-year strategic framework plan 2008-2028.

An official from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Suman Ghimire said the plan was to respond to disasters with three approaches: disaster-preparedness, mitigating losses and rehabilitation and reconstruction after disasters....

The 14th Regional Disaster Managers' Meeting, convened in Nadi, recognizes the importance of sharing experience among the Asian countries in order to build a south-south partnership in disaster reduction....

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is developing an extensive programme which will reinforce the coastal dyke system to help protect coastal areas from rising tides....

Better informing the public is critical to implementation of building improvements, stressed a home safety group yesterday to a Congressional panel, in support of federal efforts to boost building safety....

"It is very necessary for China and Japan, two seismically active countries, to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in this aspect," said the ministry's spokesman Liu Jianchao....

'Effective disaster management through timely hazard identification and risk reduction is a necessity to protect human, economic and environmental resources' said K. T. Hammond, Dep Minister for the Interior....

'Disaster risk management is everyone's responsibility', says Pacific Island Applied Geoscience Commission's sustainable development adviser, Netatua Pelesikoti ....