High-Level Side Event on Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia Pacific: achievements in regional cooperation for tsunami, disaster and climate preparedness (Event organised by Royal Thai Goverment and ESCAP)

20 September 2018

 

Mr. Chairman,

Hon'ble Minister for Foreign Affairs, Royal Government of Thailand

Hon'ble Executive Secretary UNESCAP  Dr Shamshad Akhtar

Distinguished Delegates and Ladies & Gentlemen:

Good Morning

I bring you greetings and best wishes from the Government and people of Maldives on this momentous occasion.  The Government of Maldives is the host country for secretariat of the Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System (RIMES), an inter-governmental organization established with the financial and technical support from ESCAP Multi-donor Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness. On Behalf of Govt of Maldives and RIMES I record my sincere appreciation to the Royal Government of Thailand for establishing UNESCAP administered Tsunami Trust Fund with gracious contribution of USD 10 Million immediately after Indian Ocean  Tsunami 2004. I am very pleased to state RIMES has been providing valuable early warning services since its establishment in 2009 to countries and communities of Africa, Asia and the Pacific Region .

With UNESCAP Tsunami Trust Fund supported programs,  particularly through RIMES,  Maldives benefits by receiving  valuable Tsunami  Early warning services ,  weather and climate ocean state forecast  on daily basis , conducting Monsoon fora and capacity building of user institutions as well as community  awareness program . As  such Maldives  is one of  several beneficiary country of UNESCAP trust fund program for enhancing its early warning services with enhanced disaster preparedness capabilities.

I am very pleased to state that with UNESCAP's guidance and support through the Tsunami Trust Fund, RIMES gradually expanded and deepened its services from Tsunami to all natural hazards and providing valuable services to low capacity but high risk   countries to meet their special needs and demands with range of early warning services.

I am very proud to note that RIMES has grown from just three founding Members namely, Comoros, Maldives, and Seychelles in 2009 to 50 countries to-day across Africa, Asia and the Pacific region - covering almost half of the global population. We also share 75 % natural disaster events that endanger lives of thousands of people, cripple livelihoods of millions and derail development efforts of these countries.

With the support from ESCAP Multi-donor Trust Fund, RIMES has established monsoon forums in more than 20  countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia  Maldives ,Myanmar   Lao PDR , Pakistan  PNG etc to name few countries which help build climate resilience. The monsoon forums, during the El Nino period 2015-2016, supported the countries with risk informed multi-sectoral interventions to mitigate the impeding slow onset disasters.

Mr. Chairman and Excellences:

Last month during RIMES Ministers conference we witnessed the multiplier effect ESCAP Tsunami Trust Fund .  RIMES established its Sub-Regional Center in PNG, for channeling RIMES early warning services to 14 Pacific island states.

We hope the vision of ESCAP Administered Tsunami disaster and climate preparedness  Trust Fund's contribution and RIMES collaboration secures  a better future for us all.

I thank you for your kind attention.