KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is committed to strengthening strategic cooperation with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) to address increasingly complex disaster challenges, particularly those related to climate change and community resilience, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Ahmad Zahid, who is leading the Malaysian delegation to the eighth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) in Geneva on June 4 and 5, said the matter was discussed during his meeting with UN assistant secretary-general Kamal Kishore, who is also head of UNDRR, at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG) today.
“This meeting is highly significant for Malaysia, particularly in our efforts to strengthen strategic collaboration with UNDRR in facing increasingly complex disaster challenges, closely linked to climate change and community resilience,” he said in a statement on his official Facebook page.
He said the discussions also touched on the potential development of a National Disaster Risk Reduction Act, smarter early warning systems, more accurate flood risk mapping, as well as strategic investments in education and community awareness.
Ahmad Zahid shared Malaysia’s experience in dealing with the severe floods at the end of last year, which affected over 150,000 people in nine states, stressing the importance of long-term planning and science- and data-based preventive measures.
Meanwhile, Kishore praised Malaysia’s swift action through the SMART team in its recent humanitarian and search-and-rescue mission in Myanmar, which he said reflected Malaysia’s leadership in the ASEAN context.
Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia had expressed its readiness to take on a greater role within the framework of regional cooperation under the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) during its ASEAN chairmanship, particularly in enhancing regional disaster preparedness and resilience.
“God willing, through smart partnerships with UNDRR and global partners, we will continue striving to ensure that this country’s policies protect lives, safeguard the well-being of the people, and build a more resilient future,” he said.
