Myanmar turns to response, relief at Indonesia conference

“National development and DRR are interdependent. National, state and regional governments are closely cooperating to explore the best ways to integrate disaster reduction programs with national development projects,” stated U Phone Swe, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement at the Fifth Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He added that avoiding loss of life during disasters is the most important task. He talked about the steps the government has taken to prepare for disasters, including building critical infrastructure, such as cyclone shelters and opening a traning school for disaster management.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyon emphasised the importance of enhancing DRR capacity of local governments and said: “DRR is a collective responsibility of governments and the people, both at national and local levels."