NCC, Japanese research centre agreed to cooperate on disaster management.
KATHMANDU: A cooperation agreement has been reached between Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) and the Urban Resilience Research Center (UReC) of Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU), Japan, to collaborate on disaster management response, relief, rescue, and rehabilitation in the event of disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and landslides.
A statement issued by the NCC states that cooperation for disaster management preparedness commenced during a programme held at Chamber Bhawan in Jamal, Kathmandu. The agreement includes technical support from Japan and cooperation for public awareness.
NCC President Kamlesh Kumar Agrawal informed that programmes will be conducted with the direct participation of citizens at the local level regarding risk preparedness and overall disaster management.
President Agrawal said that the NCC has taken the initiative for disaster management work in collaboration with Japanese organisations as citizens face challenges due to natural disasters.
NCC Immediate Past President Rajendra Malla stated that even in the absence of real data, achieving effective results in rescue, relief, and rehabilitation work is challenging. He stressed that actual losses can be assessed through technical collaboration with Japanese agencies.
NCC Senior Vice-President Deepak Kumar Malhotra mentioned that the NCC's cooperation with Japanese organisations in disaster management will be extended to the local level. Malhotra mentioned that although the NCC prepared to start the programme five years ago, it was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. He said that disaster preparedness and public awareness will be enhanced through technical support and cooperation with the Japanese institute.
The UReC representative emphasised the need for increased public participation in all programmes related to disaster management. He expressed pleasure in cooperating with the NCC to increase public awareness and provide technical assistance regarding disaster management response through the Resilience Research Center.
