The Saarc states must redouble their efforts when responding to natural disasters, Deputy Prime Minister Bhim Rawal said at the concluding session of the South Asian regional conference on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in Kathmandu, on Friday.

Noting that all countries in the region are facing different kinds of natural disasters, Rawal said that there should be a collaborative response and preparedness measures to mitigate their risks. 

The two-day conference, which saw participation from individuals working in the field of disaster management and media personnel from South Asia, discussed the natural disasters and their risks in the region, ranging from tsunami danger in Sri Lanka and Maldives, floods in India and Bangladesh, and earthquakes in Nepal and Pakistan. 

The role of media in reducing risks and improving response mechanism in times of natural disasters was also discussed. Journalists from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal were present in the session.

The conference was hosted by European Union Delegation to Nepal in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Centre for South Asian Studies, and DAI Europe.  

The European Union reiterated its commitment to continue supporting climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as disaster risk reduction in South Asia.