BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise
2020
Natural hazards transcend national boundaries. So do disasters. This is even truer for nations which share common geological formations and river basins. One such group of nations is the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka Myanmar and Thailand.
The region is home to
about 1.5 billion people which is roughly around 22 per cent of the global
population. It has a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of US$ 2.7 trillion.
As the region is exposed to a variety of hazards, it is imperative that these
countries come together to reduce their disaster risks.
Eighty delegates from five-member
nations - India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar - came together for the second annual BIMSTEC
disaster management exercise in February 2020. The three-day exercise on flood
rescue was conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as the lead
agency from February 11-13, 2020 in Puri, Odisha.
Inaugurating the exercise, Minister
of State for Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai highlighted the historicity and
diversity of cultural heritage sites in the BIMSTEC region. This exercise will
provide a platform for member states to evaluate existing capabilities, share
best emergency response practices, improve existing emergency preparedness and
strengthen regional response mechanism and also to conduct risk assessment in
the context of cultural heritage sites at the time of disaster, he said.
Simulated
exercise sites were set up at the Ramachandi Beach, nearby villages and
the Konark Sun Temple to depict flooded
localities in the aftermath of a cyclone followed by heavy rainfall. Dummy
multi-storeyed buildings and several houses were erected with marooned persons
and livestock.
A Communication Centre, Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), Base of Operation,
Medical Camp, Facilitation Centre, Media Enclave, etc. were established as per
the International Search & Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) guidelines. Rescue
teams conducted a highly synchronised heli-borne operation using the latest flood
rescue gadgets/equipment, improvised rafts and locally available resources to
demonstrate the coordination among various stakeholders.
The
exercise provided an opportunity to share the best practices being followed by the
participating countries while responding to a situation in heritage sites
affected by the disaster.
International
observers from International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and
Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), INSARAG, United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) and National observers from Indian National Trust for Art and
Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) also attended the exercise. Senior Officials
from BIMSTEC Secretariat, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External
Affairs, NDMA, NDRF, Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS), India
Meteorological Department (IMD), Central Water Commission (CWC) and State governments
attended the exercise.
At the 'After Action Review' (AAR), conducted on the last day of the exercise, lessons learnt which would assist the countries to augment disaster response and coordination were discussed. Delegates also emphasized upon the need of cooperation amongst member nations for the conservation of heritage sites.
At the 'After Action Review' (AAR), conducted on the last day of the exercise, lessons learnt which would assist the countries to augment disaster response and coordination were discussed. Delegates also emphasized upon the need of cooperation amongst member nations for the conservation of heritage sites.
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