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In need of international support

Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury
THE United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session has just begun, and the highlight of the gathering this time has been the deliberation by world leaders on the alarming climate changes across the world. President Barak Obama emphsised the issue in a significant speech at the session.
The gathering of die world leaders during the UN session this year bears a special significance and. in a way, is critically important for many countries for V whom climatic changes pose threats and problems that are far larger than one can imagine. The situation is particularly dangerous for Soudi Asia and Soudi-East Asia since countries of these regions often have to face disasters that essentially stem from the effects of climate changes.
In South Asia, Bangladesh and several other countries are extremely vulnerable to these problems that are causing manifold effects and in all probability will bring disasters of unimaginable proportions. For instance, the tiny Indian Ocean island state of Maldives even fears that the whole country may go under water at one stage because of the rise in the sealevel, and President Mohammad Nasheed said that the entire population of his country may have to be shifted to a safer zone.
Not long ago, catastrophic cyclone Nargis narrowly spared Bangladesh but battered neighbouring Myanmar, where many lost their lives and many more were affected. This catastrophe could have struck Bangladesh or any other country in
the South Asian region. Earlier, cyclone Sidr wreaked colossal devastation in Bangladesh, and the country is still reeling under effects while sparing no efforts to bring back normality in tire affected areas. Unfortunately, natural disasters have become regular visitors in this part of the world, and we all are largely hapless before the whims of nature.
South Asia is often in the grip of severe floods, causing havoc. Mainly three regional countries -- India. Bangladesh and Nepal -- are struck, leaving millions badly affected. Last time, three years ago, the catastrophe was seen as worst in several decades in the region, and international community, including the chief executive of die United Nations, had expressed grave concern and anxiety at the situation.
Natural disasters are not a new phenomenon as countries are victims to the fury of nature. Despite tremendous technological and other advancement, the world is still helpless in the face of natural onslaughts and cannot offer much resistance. People now, at best, can know in advance about the impending disaster and take some precautionary measures; and this preparedness help them contain to some extent, or minimise, the consequences of the dangers. In some cases significant progress has been made in combating natural disasters as far as possible, but by and large people still remain only spectators before nature that can cause devastating losses.
South Asia and South East Asia are a disaster-prone areas. Catastrophic floods, storms, hurricanes, droughts, earthquakes and other colossal problems
caused by the whims of nature are a regular phenomenon in this part of the world, while many other regions are also vulnerable to various disasters.
Early warning systems, adequate precalamity preparedness, and speedy postdisaster management systems are some of the measures that can definitely reduce the chances and more importantly lessen the scale ofdevastation. It is not that these possibilities are not being thought of or efforts are not being made in this line to save the calamity-prone nations as far as possible. But what is urgently needed is a more serious bid in that direction on the basis of utmost priority, and placement of resources, even if there is constraint on part of the countries, desperately needs protection from natural disasters. It appears that such a drive is somewhat lacking even though there is no dearth of anxiety and concern, as well as talks of probable steps to mitigate the causes and consequences.
Several yeas ago, the tsunami tragedy brought to the fore the need for antidisaster measures on a regional plane, and this has received particular attention since the occurrence of unimaginable magnitude took the lives of more than a quarter million hapless people in South and South East Asia.
Bangladesh is vulnerable to natural disasters, which were highlighted by the catastrophes of 1970,1988,1998 and other occasions. The world conference on disaster management in Kobe, Japan, five years ago, focused especially on the hardships caused by nature to such nations.
Saarc, in its summits including in the last one in Colombo, had taken up disasters and climatic change as one of the priority issues for South Asia's eight countries, stressing on combating disasters as far as possible with preventive measures. It goes without saying that a venture like disaster prevention in South Asia needs collective endeavour, and larger international support and assistance are also required for the purpose.
It can be concluded that international help will not be absent, as evidenced by
the fact that the sympathy demonstrated in the aftermath of Asia's tsunami was more appealing in the people of the Western nations whose hearts went out in consolation with the dead and affected in the South and South East Asia.
Leaders of some powerful nations were criticised by their people and the media for either not acting immediately, or acting inadequately, for the calamity hit countries. School children, top celebrities of the cine and music world, sports figures and heads of governments of some countries spared no efforts to stand by the suffering humanity. The tsunami and Nargis narrowly spared Bangladesh. Had they hit Bangladesh, the destruction could have been unthinkable. Later, the Kashmir region in Pakistan and India was terribly damaged by severe earthquakes followed by flooding in three countries — Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
As the South Asian nations under the
banner of the Saarc are sparing no efforts to improve their economic and social condition through collective endeavour, despite occasional strain on the Saarc and sluggish progress made by the forum, all avenues are being explored for multifaceted cooperation in various fields. As regards climate change, disaster-prone South Asia must take up the issue of cooperation in this field on a greater priority.
It is just not that disasters bring human tragedies of enormous proportions, but also badly damage and even at times wipe out assiduously built developmental infrastructure. And this destruction undoubtedly covers agriculture, road and other communications as well as some other vital sectors which are critically important for the welfare and well-being of the people.
Such catastrophes negate the progress made in different fields, and it is imperative that anti-disaster plans and progress
are taken up with all seriousness for socio-economic uplift. The terrible Sidr experience in Bangladesh and the Nargis havoc must serve as a wake-up call for them — albeit the fact that all member states are aware of this issue of great concern.
The effects of climate change are inextricably linked with natural disasters and the whole issue needs to be seen in a broader perspective. The deliberations in the UNGA session by the world leaders are a very timely exercise, particularly ahead of the important word conference on the issue in Copenhagen later this year. South Asians nations must seize every opportunity at international level for mitigation of the effects of climate change along with the issue of natural disasters.
Zaglui Ahmed Chowdhury is Senior Special Correspondent ofBSS.