UNDP calls for better readiness in disaster prevention
china.org.cn / chinagate.cn by Chen Boyuan, October 27, 2014 Adjust font size:
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has called for universal provision of social services and stronger social protection to raise resilience and risk resistance in its 2014 Human Development Report (HDR), the Chinese edition of which was presented on Thursday.
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Xu Haoliang (L), UN assistant secretary-general and UNDP assistant administrator, inspects post-quake reconstruction progress in Deyang, Sichuan Province. UNDP funded several infrastructure reconstruction projects after a major earthquake hit Sichuan on May 12, 2012. [Photo by Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn] |
The UNDP annual flagship publication stressed that disaster reduction and prevention, a bid to reduce mankind's vulnerability while raising anti-risk capability and resilience, is an issue that concerns all countries – not only developing ones.
While admitting achieving such goals in a timely manner for poverty-stricken areas and remote areas is "a huge challenge," Xu Haoliang, UN assistant secretary-general and UNDP assistant administrator, advised that "starting from the small" is the right approach to achieve "step-by-step progress."
According to Xu, installing natural gas stoves and solar water heaters in rural areas is just the right thing to do.
"With natural gas stoves and solar water heaters, a rural housewife could be freed from looking for firewood. With the time saved, she could spend more time on educating her children or planting cash crops," Xu said, while attending the International Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness Forum held on Oct. 23 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
