March 15, 2015

Japan offers $4 bil. aid to global disaster-control efforts

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150315p2a00m0na007000c.html

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Saturday Japan will offer $4 billion in aid for global efforts to enhance disaster management over four years through 2018, including support for building infrastructure in developing countries.

Delivering a speech at a U.N. conference on disaster risk reduction, which began in Sendai, a northeastern Japanese city affected by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Abe also announced Tokyo's plans to help train a total of 40,000 experts across the globe on disaster prevention as well as reconstruction from natural calamities.

"Disaster risk reduction is the most important challenge for both developed and developing countries," Abe said. "For developing countries in particular, where 90 percent of disaster victims are concentrated, disaster risk reduction is a great challenge with a view toward sustainable development and adaptation to climate change."

The five-day conference is partly aimed at showcasing Japan's initiative to foster international cooperation in disaster reduction as a quake-prone country that has learned a lot from past disasters, including the 2011 catastrophe that also triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Japan is specifically planning to send experts around the world to give advice and other help in introducing relevant legislation and drawing up plans for disaster prevention, and offer technological support on disaster prediction.

"Japan will contribute to the international community with our knowledge and technology," Abe said, promising to "further advance our cooperation for disaster risk reduction."

The Japanese government says international cooperation in preventing disasters would also help the world adapt to the fallouts of climate change, such as rising temperatures, the retreat of glaciers and sea-level rises. It aims to offer strong support especially for countries seen vulnerable to the impact of climate change.

Delegates from over 160 countries are gathering in Sendai for the third U.N. Disaster Risk Reduction conference through Wednesday.

March 15, 2015(Mainichi Japan)