Australia, Indonesia warn of Asia Pacific of ‘major disasters’
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
Australia and Indonesia have warned that the Asia-Pacific region is becoming increasingly prone to disasters and must prepare to deal with natural events capable of killing more than 10,000 people each year, The Age has reported.
Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and Indonesia’s President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, announced they were setting up a joint organisation to help countries respond to the disasters more effectively.
They made a joint statement at the APEC summit in Peru,
“The number and severity of disasters is increasing because of, among other things, climate change and urbanisation,” The Age reported the joint statement as saying.
China, Indonesia and the Philippines were prime candidates for earthquakes severe enough to cause more than 1 million deaths, they said, while volcanoes in Indonesia and the Philippines had the potential to kill hundreds of thousands. Tens of millions could be affected by tsunamis, particularly in low-lying delta countries such as Bangladesh, the statement added.
It is believed Australia will cover the cost of the Australia-Indonesia disaster reduction facility by contributing AU$67 million (US$42 million) over five years. The facility in Jakarta will open in April. The new organisation will work closely with other regional bodies, ASEAN and APEC, the report said.
Comments are closed.