Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday suggested identifying five major areas to further strengthen the approach of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the meeting of Heads of Departments of SCO member-states responsible for prevention and elimination of emergency situations.
Chairing the meet, Shah pointed out that these five major areas include Confidence Building Efforts in Asia, Collective Responsibility Approach, Expanding Cooperation in Communication and Information Sharing, Identification of Priority Areas, and use of newly developed technology in disaster resilience capacity building. Shah, while speaking about the five areas in detail, said adopting a collective responsibility approach for disaster resilience will help SCO member-states to work together, more effectively.
“Along with this, by pooling our resources and expertise, Member States can avoid duplication of efforts and resources, and this will strengthen the region’s overall disaster resilience approach,” said a Ministry of Home Affairs statement quoting the minister.
Shah said the SCO member-states can expand their cooperation on emergency situations by exchanging best practices of communication, coordination of response efforts and real-time information exchange.
The minister said that effective communication and information exchange can help ensure timely, specialised and coordinated response to emergent situation, and that new and developed technology can play an important role in disaster resilience capacity building.
“SCO member-states can share their experience and knowledge in the successful use of technologies, such as, Artificial Intelligence, Remote Sensing, Drone Technology and Data Analytics to improve in Early Warning Systems, Disaster Risk Assessment and Response,” said Shah.
The Home minister said similar technologies can also help in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of our response efforts as it can prove to be a game-changer in search and rescue operations.
Concluding his address, the minister expressed confidence that the meeting in New Delhi will open up new avenues of cooperation among Member Countries.
Shah said India attached special importance to the SCO in promoting dialogue on the subject relating to multi-dimensional political, security and economic subjects.
Shah said India has been associated with the SCO since 2005 and was playing an important role as an observer country, since then.
At the 17th Summit in 2017, Shah mentioned that India became a full member of the SCO as part of an important step in the process of expansion of this organisation.
He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is committed to exploring and availing new opportunities to the fullest possible extent and was willing to cooperate in sharing our experience in enhancing the role of SCO in the World Forum.
Noting that India attaches special importance to Disaster Risk Reduction and is ready to share its expertise and experience in this field for greater cooperation and mutual trust among SCO member-states, Shah said India believes that no hazard is small or big and it does not leave anyone behind.
He also said India now has more accurate and timely early warning system in place and the country has seen a sea change in the way its early warning systems (EWS) of drought, flood, lightning, heat wave, cold wave, and cyclone have improved.
