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- Title
THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTARIANS IN NATURAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT.
- Abstract
Commonwealth Parliamentarians must ensure that governments cooperate to learn from past mistakes, both in disaster management policies and practices and in environmental policies, to ensure the catastrophic effects of natural disasters are minimized rather than exacerbated. Parliamentarians were urged to help educate the people and to pass effective legislation to check the unlawful damage people do to themselves and the environment, damage that makes the effects of natural disasters worse. They should work together to share ideas to identify the best solutions. Pakistan, for example, has constituted a Special Committee on Disaster Management to frame laws not only to fix responsibilities but also to suggest genuine actions to reduce the effects of disasters by improving response times and increasing assistance. Unlike the response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the workshop was told that countries took longer to respond to the flooding in Pakistan. Parliaments must use their democratic platform to rise above sovereign suspicions to address natural disasters. Deforestation and other related examples of environmental negligence must be stopped to help save the environment and check the disasters. Parliamentarians can help people to understand the grave consequences of environmental degradation. While countries have disaster management plans and policies in place, the session noted that preparedness levels can be very low. It was agreed that countries need to move from policies to implementation and action to address disasters effectively. In addition to mainstreaming disaster management in development planning, it is prudent that countries emulate best practices and draw lessons from those states that have suffered catastrophic disasters in recent history. Parliaments were singled out as the best avenue to engage in high-level advocacy to press for government actions. At the same time, Parliaments need to sustain linkages and networks, and participate in global platforms to address issues. Noting that climate change and human activity have played a significant role in disasters, participants recommended that the CPA should have an on-going programme on climate change and disaster management.
- Subjects
LEGISLATIVE bodies; NATURAL disasters; COMMONWEALTH Parliamentary Association; ENVIRONMENTAL policy; DISASTERS -- Law &; legislation; POLITICAL leadership; MANAGEMENT
- Publication
Parliamentarian, 2010, Vol 91, Issue 4, p318
- ISSN
0031-2282
- Publication type
Article