The South-East Asia Flood Risk Reduction Forum was attended by representatives from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Philippines, Timor-Leste, Thailand and Viet Nam.
The Forum concluded with a call for narrowing the gap between rapid economic growth and investment in disaster risk reduction (DRR).
20 February 2012: The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), together with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management, convened the South-East Asia Flood Risk Reduction Forum, which focused on lessons learned from the 2011 South-East Asian flooding and ways to increase resilience to future floods.
The Forum, which took place on 20 February 2012, in Bangkok, Thailand, was attended by representatives from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Philippines, Timor-Leste, Thailand and Viet Nam. According to UNESCAP, the Forum concluded with a call for narrowing the gap between rapid economic growth and investment in disaster risk reduction (DRR) in order to protect social and economic assets.
The Forum stressed the need for regional collaboration, facilitated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the UN, to ensure achievable and deliverable regional goals to reduce risk, and promote inclusive and sustainable development. DRR is considered key to climate change adaptation. [UNESCAP Press Release] [UN Press Release]