UNESCO HOLDS REGIONAL SEMINAR IN PADANG ON ALERTNESS AGAINST TSUNAMIS

Padang, Mar 6 (ANTARA) - Unesco and the Indonesian Tsunami Alert Community (Kogami) will hold an Asia-Pacific seminar to discuss the alertness of countries in tsunami-prone regions against the deadly natural disaster.

The seminar will be held in Padang, on March 17 and 18 2009 and attended by delegates from six tsunami-prone countries, Executive Director of KOGAMI Indonesia Patra Rina Dewi said in Padang Thursday.
Besides with Unesco, the seminar will also be held in association with the European Union (EU), the ISDR (Internasional Strategy For Disaster Reduction), Andalas University, and the West Sumatra chapter of the Disaster Alert Journalist Nework.
Participants will come from host Indonesia, Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia.
Patra said the regional seminar themed "Building a Model For Disaster Preparedness" serves as a means in providing regional, national and local public with information on the process and progress in the development of disaster alertness like what had been done by the Padang city administration, West Sumatra.
The information will include the efforts of Padang city in preparing a system and capacity in overcoming natural disaster, tsunamis in particular, he said.
He added that in proving the alertness the participation of many sides would be necessary in which the actors playing a role in the alertness, are expected to give inputs to the regional seminar.
The inpurts may take the form of progress, achievement and the process carried out by the actors in achieving the alertness and preparedness in facing disaster, he added.
Therefore, Patra added, the seminar would also serve as a comparison and input for the regional, national and local representatives in reducing the risks of disasters, especially tsunamis.