The Kuwait Environment Protection Society announced its preparations for organizing an event to mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction at the Arab level, in coordination and cooperation with the Department of Environment and Meteorology at the League of Arab States. In this context, Dr. Wijdan Aloqab, President of the Society, stated that “the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction event, which the Society organizes annually on October 13th, aligns with the Arab Coordination Mechanism for Disaster Risk Reduction at the League of Arab States. This ensures broad participation from member states and key stakeholders to discuss strengthening disaster risk reduction in the Arab region, review the Arab Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction, and highlight the National Committee of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Risk Reduction.”.
Dr. Aloqab noted the “continuous coordination with the Minister-designate, Dr. Mahmoud Fathallah, Director of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Meteorology, and Head of the Technical Secretariat of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs at the League of Arab States, to develop the executive content of the event and what it includes in terms of lectures, workshops and participating entities,” pointing out the “keenness to include in the celebration, which acquires a local, regional, Arab and international character, given the multiplicity and diversity of participating entities and national and international experts, various themes and objectives, including discussing work mechanisms and national and Arab efforts, coordination with international partners, and assessing the extent and possibility of developing those mechanisms in accordance with developments and the circumstances of each country.”.
She explained that “the event, through joint organization with the League of Arab States, involves many Kuwaiti, regional and Arab governmental bodies and civil organizations, and international organizations, such as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), in order to adopt and implement national, regional and Arab strategies for disaster reduction, to address efforts to support capacity building in Arab countries, to integrate disaster risk reduction into sustainable development policies, to promote risk awareness and coordinate regional action within the framework of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.”.
She noted the participation of the Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED) and the Global Network of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Risk Reduction (GNDR), through the Network's Regional Advisory Group on Disaster Risk Reduction. She explained that the keen interest, scale, and diversity of the events at the local, regional, Arab, and international levels through which the association participates in the global celebrations of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction reflect the importance it attaches to the content and symbolism of these events, commensurate with the stature and value of the participating scientists and experts, and consequently, the potentially binding international recommendations that may arise in many of their aspects and plans. She pointed out that efforts in the field of disaster risk reduction are collaborative and collaborative globally and locally, involving governmental bodies in their executive capacities, as well as civil society organizations with their expertise, specialists, and capacity for rapid community engagement.
Dr. Wijdan Aloqab concluded by emphasizing that “there are many events and activities that can be shared between the civil and governmental sectors, including the celebration of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, which falls on October 13th of each year, and its use in raising community awareness, as according to the Sendai Framework and the United Nations» call for this occasion to be celebrated with the participation of all relevant governmental parties and the civil and private sectors alike,” as indicated in Article 7 of the preamble to the Sendai Framework for Action. While acknowledging the leading, regulatory, and coordinating role of governments, they should communicate with relevant stakeholders, such as volunteers and professional communities, when designing and implementing policies, plans, and standards.
The public and private sectors and civil society organizations should cooperate and work more closely together, as should academia and scientific and research institutions.”.
