..Press Release................................ UNESCAP News Services

Date: 15 February 2012
Media Advisory No: N/05/2012

South-East Asian Nations to Discuss Lessons Learnt from 2011 Floods

Bangkok (UN ESCAP Strategic Communications and Advocacy Section) – Senior South-East Asian government officials will meet at a United Nations forum here next week to discuss lessons of the 2011 floods that caused unprecedented economic and social damage in several countries in the subregion.

The South-East Asia Flood Risk Reduction Forum is being organized on 20 February by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in cooperation with the International Centre for Water-related Hazard Risk Management (ICHARM), and funded by the Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAXA).

The 2011 South-East Asia floods affected millions of people, claimed more than one thousand lives and caused severe economic damage in Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. The unprecedented flooding exposed vulnerabilities of countries to large-scale disasters which threaten to undermine regional progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

A panel discussion on the relationship between rapid economic development and the increasing number of water-related disasters in Asia will be held during the Forum which will be followed by a workshop on Flood Risk Reduction through Space Applications in South-East Asia on 21 and 22 February.

What: South-East Asia Flood Risk Reduction Forum

When: Monday, 20 February 2012, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Where: United Nations Conference Centre

Who: Speakers include:

• Mr. Kittirat Na-Ranong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Thailand
• Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP
• Professor Kuniyoshi Takeuchi, Director of the International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM)
• Dr Masanori Homma, Executive Director of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

NOTE TO EDITORS

You or your representatives are cordially invited to attend the Opening Session of the Forum which the above speakers will deliver their statements from 9:00 to 10:30 am on Monday, 20 February 2012 at the United Nations Conference Centre, Rajadamnern Avenue, Bangkok.

For further information about the event, please contact:

Ms. Thawadi Pachariyangkun, Public Information Officer, ESCAP
T: (66) 2 288 1861, M: (66) 81 634 3876, E: pachariyangkun.unescap@un.org