Disaster Management by Managing Human Activities

Human activity is like a virus which is attacking the planet and the trend needs to be reversed. This was stated by the Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Kapil Sibal while delivering the valedictory address at the First India Disaster Management Congress 2006 organized by National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) here today. Shri Sibal said all the issues discussed are interlinked and have impact on each other. He said as a result of various human activities, 24 billion tons of soil is lost and 100 million acres of land become infertile every year. Advocating the efficient and judicious use of resources, Shri Sibal said that lesser you use the earth resource more it will compensate. More you cooperate with nature less it will attack you. Quicker we realize this and respond, better it will be for the International community. He emphasized the basic needs of trained human resource for total control of facts, data collection, interpretation and assimilation to manage the disasters, he said. For this there is need to offer courses in disaster management discipline at schools and colleges levels.

Congratulating NIDM for bringing all the players of disaster management together, he said this will help deliver the net product to the consumer i.e. common man. Earlier various speakers summed up the deliberations during the two- day Congress.

Source : Press Information Bureau
Date : November 30, 2006