World Bank, Japan partner to improve disaster risk management

The World Bank and Japan on Monday inaugurated a new programme in Lagos that would help improve disaster risk management in developing countries. The bank said in a statement that the programme would have a strong focus on strengthening resilience, including risk identification, risk reduction, preparedness and financial protection. It said that it would also connect Japan’s knowledge with global expertise, to support development planning and investment.

It quoted Mr Zoubida Allaoua, the bank’s acting Vice President for Sustainable Development, as saying that Japan had long been leading in mainstreaming disaster risk management in the global development agenda. Allaoua said that the country’s experience had shown that prevention pays.

“Japan has long been a leader in mainstreaming disaster risk management into the global development agenda, and their own experience shows us that prevention pays. The new programme will have a global outreach, bringing expertise from Japan. It goes beyond developing countries, to help improve the lives of the people, particularly the poor, who are most vulnerable to disasters,” Allaoua said. It also quoted Jiro Aichi, Japan’s Senior Vice Minister, Finance and Senior Vice Minister, Reconstruction, as saying that Japan was committed to rendering technical assistance in disaster risk management to the bank.

“We are committed to supporting technical cooperation in disaster risk management which utilises Japan’s knowledge and technology drawing from the public and private sectors, the academia and others. We hope disaster risk management will be incorporated into the World Bank projects, as well as in development work overall.” This initiative will leverage Japanese expertise to mainstream disaster risk management in development planning and investment programmes,” it quoted Jiro as saying.