Bangkok To Follow-Up On Asean Disaster Management

By Jamaluddin Muhammad BANGKOK, Jan 10 (Bernama) -– Bangkok will follow-up on its proposal to enhance Asean capacities in disaster management, especially floods, at the two-day Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) Retreat in Siem Reap, beginning Tuesday. During the recent Asean Summit in Bali, Bangkok proposed Asean cooperation in flood prevention, mitigation, relief, recovery and rehabilitation. The proposal would also look into the capacity in coping with the indirect effects of disaster such as food and energy security and public health. Thailand has just recovered from its worst flood in 50 years, with one-third of the country inundated, affecting five million people from 25 provinces in the north and central regions. The death toll reached 700 and seven industrial estates inundated. According to a statement from the Department of Information, Foreign Ministry, Bangkok would also focus on the need for Asean to undertake a forward-looking approach in community building efforts that goes beyond 2015 in a larger context of East Asia. It would also focus on enhancing connectivity within Asean and beyond Asean at the AMM retreat to be held about 300km northwest of Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. The meeting, to be chaired by Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong, who is also foreign minister, is expected to set the direction that would guide Asean in 2012 under Cambodia's chairmanship. -- BERNAMA