Op-ed: Disaster preparedness secures APEC's growth

By Ambassador Muhamad Noor

This year's typhoon season is well under way and the tropical cyclones that are forming will affect over 48 million people living in the Asia-Pacific. Most recently, Typhoon Ma-On lashed south-western Japan, injuring dozens of people and grounding over 100 flights.

This and the effects of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, the earthquakes in China's Sichuan province, Chile, and New Zealand, floods in Australia and the triple-headed disasters in Japan just this March serve as critical reminders of the negative repercussions these disasters have on the supply chain and the need for emergency preparedness to ensure the economic vitality of the region.

The world has watched in horror as these large scale disasters destroy lives and cripple economies. APEC recognizes that these threats can greatly undermine its efforts to facilitate trade, raise living standards, and reduce poverty in the region. For that reason, APEC includes human security in its original economic agenda. Clearly, both are complementary as human security is essential to the region's growth and prosperity. Emergency preparedness is vital to support economic development.

Last week, APEC held a workshop in Da Nang on how to cope with abnormal flood disasters, especially those with higher magnitude and lower predictability. Indeed, this area suffered a little over three years ago from the devastating Typhoon Xangsane which hit the nearby city of Hue and damaged 166,000 homes, downed numerous power lines, and flooded major streets. An estimated US$200 million in economic losses were incurred and the disaster claimed 26 lives.

Mitigating these effects are important for APEC because this region comprises 52 percent of the earth's surface area and is home to 40 percent of the world's population. It also experiences over 70 percent of the world's natural disasters.

In response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami, APEC has been working toward such vital emergence preparedness solutions since 2004 and established its task force for emergency preparedness. Since then, numerous workshops and studies have been conducted across the region to share experiences and best practices in coping with emergency situations. More recently, APEC Leaders reaffirmed the importance of enhancing human security and reducing the threat of disruptions to business and trade in the Asia-Pacific region.

Now, the APEC Emergency Preparedness Working Group is playing a more pivotal and constructive role in enabling the region to better prepare for, and respond to, emergencies. Currently, the working group is implementing projects ranging from wildfire management to precipitation forecasting. The group is also undertaking a study to help make schools in the APEC region more resilient to seismic shocks, utilizing the OECD's school earthquake safety policy. And this month in Sendai, Japan, the group will hold a workshop aimed at fostering private sector preparedness and business continuity planning. As we all know the coastal areas of Sendai suffered catastrophic damage from the Tohoku tsunami in March of this year.

Another key initiative by APEC is the establishment of the APEC Climate Center in 2005. Located in Busan, Korea, this Center houses some of the region's best climate scientists and develops real-time climate data using state-of-the-art climate prediction systems. This high-cost climate information is then made readily accessible to all APEC economies.

The notion of Secure Growth – or protecting APEC's citizens' economic and physical well-being – was enshrined in the APEC Leaders' Growth Strategy last November. Members were specifically instructed to strengthen disaster risk reduction approaches and develop mechanisms to maximize resilience in the region.

The first line of defense of disaster management lies in preparedness and training. Addressing these issues will therefore help APEC economies, businesses and everyday citizens build their capacity to better respond to natural calamities. APEC recognizes that dealing with disasters requires a coordinated and integrated response. While deploying emergency response units is not part of APEC's effort – for it far exceeds APEC's mandate as a trade and investment forum – APEC's delivers its value through working closely with other complementary organizations including the UN and ASEAN – for example, with the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance, a newly established unit that facilitates cooperation and coordination on disaster management and emergency response issues.

Emergency preparedness will, no doubt, continue to remain at the center of APEC's human security agenda. Given the magnitude and unpredictability of recent natural catastrophes, this agenda is increasing in both urgency and seriousness. Thus, APEC's contribution grows more vital with each passing year.

Ambassador Muhamad Noor is the Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat in Singapore.