UN Secretary general suggests that Thailand undergo routine disaster drills

BANGKOK, 25 June 2014 (NNT) – A Special Representative to the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction is suggesting that relevant Thai organizations should conduct routine drills in order to lower the potential of damage when disasters strike.

Miss Margareta Wahlstrom, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction said at The Sixth Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2014 (6th AMCDRR) that Thailand has learnt a lot about disasters still even after 10 years since the Indian Ocean Tsunami hit in 2004.

She suggested that all parties should work together closely and discuss the issue more seriously. In addition, she repeated that a strong early warning system is necessary for disaster risk reduction. She said that early warning drills should continue to be practiced and made routine.

The Sixth Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2014 (6th AMCDRR) being held on 22-26 June at the Bangkok Convention Center at Central World in Bangkok is helping to set priorities concerning disaster risk reduction for Asia-Pacific in order to make the region a pioneer of practical solutions to build resilience.

The current conference is the sixth edition and is co-hosted by the Minister of Interior of Thailand and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction under the theme: “Promoting Investment for Resilient Nations and Communities”.

This conference is the last regional inter-government meeting in Asia before the completion of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 and it is being attended by government ministers and top disaster management officials from 63 countries.


-- NNT 2014-06-25

looks like they are getting ready for something?

They're worried about risk in Thailand. There is no procedure established, no accountability, no civilian government with management expertise managing any public organization in Thailand. There is no transparency. Of course they are worried about any kind of disaster. This is the same army that sat back and let the airport be commandeered by PAD bring international air travel, commerce and security to its knees. So she wants to know, do they have a plan?

The UN is not my father?

Sorry, someone was gonna say it.

What kind of disaster prevention will they practice first, flooding, drought, politics ?

Don't just issue a general statement like that:

relevant Thai organizations should conduct routine drills

You really should name which Thai organizations should run what kind of disaster exercises, just to avoid misunderstandings and finger pointing in the future...

Being a bit cynical today, this sounds like more jobs for the boys - as in, external consultants to come and tell Thais how to do it. I seem to recall that Thailand rejected many offers of help after the last tsunami, and managed the recovery quite well.

They're worried about risk in Thailand. There is no procedure established, no accountability, no civilian government with management expertise managing any public organization in Thailand. There is no transparency. Of course they are worried about any kind of disaster. This is the same army that sat back and let the airport be commandeered by PAD bring international air travel, commerce and security to its knees. So she wants to know, do they have a plan?

The same army that was armed with sticks when young conscript soldiers were murdered by black shirt guards - and the same army that has done more in a month than the corrupt Shinawatra Governments have done in 8 years - that army??

Why waste time with drills? Thailand seems to have enough self inflicted disasters so as to become quite familiar with those events: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. Using Kubler-Ross handbook.

What kind of disaster prevention will they practice first, flooding, drought, politics ?

Trains staying on a track...........