The BRICS countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have pledged to strengthen cooperation in disaster management against the backdrop of worsening climate change, increasing natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a joint statement issued after the third meeting of BRICS disaster ministers, they will “enhance exchange and cooperation on national strategic plans, policies, regulations and standards in the field of disaster risk prevention and mitigation to promote strategic cooperation”. Management held virtually on Friday.
Crisis Management
The theme of the meeting, organized by China’s Ministry of Crisis Management, was “Promoting the Modernization of Disaster Prevention and Management Capacity, Contributing to the High-Quality Development of BRICS Countries”. There will be more high-level visits and experience-sharing between management and technical staff, it said, as the BRICS countries seek to promote cooperation between disaster management agencies and improve the capacity of their disaster management experts.
Key sectors where BRICS countries plan to strengthen cooperation include :
•risk monitoring
• early warning and assessment
•occupational safety prevention
• capacity building for emergency response agencies
•and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction.
They are also determined to jointly apply for cooperation projects from international organizations and institutions, as well as to develop joint research and support technological innovation. They support the central role of the United Nations in international cooperation on risk reduction and will continue to promote the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030), the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The countries also reaffirmed that they will continue to support and promote exchange and cooperation with other countries and international organizations in the field of disaster management. In his keynote speech at the meeting, Wang Xiangxi, Minister of Emergency Management, emphasized the importance the Chinese government attaches to natural disaster control and its willingness to strengthen cooperation with other BRICS countries in the field of disaster management.
In line with the people-centered development philosophy and the belief that nothing is more precious than life, China has stepped up its efforts to promote the modernization of its emergency management system to reduce major accidents, he said. As influential emerging economies and developing countries, the minister said all BRICS countries suffer from natural disasters and therefore there is a consensus to multiply exchanges and cooperation to strengthen disaster mitigation capabilities.
In addition to sharing its disaster management experience, China is also willing to support innovation in the development of emergency management technologies, he noted. Wang said he looks forward to deeper and more pragmatic “BRICS Plus” cooperation in disaster management as joint efforts are made to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promote a shared global development community. Friday’s event was the third BRICS ministerial meeting on disaster management. The two previous meetings were held in 2016 in St. Petersburg, Russia and Udaipur, India.
