INTRODUCTION

Environmental problems have progressively come into focus all over the world after the Stockholm Conferenceand the more recent conferenceson global environmental problems at various international fora. A wide cross section engineers, decisionmakersand the generalpublic are increasingly becomingawareof of peopleincludingscientists, protectionandrestoration. problemsand needfor ecological Countrieshavebecomeacutelyaware the environmental that althouqhthey havehad a different past individually,they certainlyhavea'Common Future'. Dunng the Third SAARC Summit at Kathmanduin November1987the Headsof State or Governmentexpressed destructionofforests their deep eonocrnat the fast and continuing degradationofthe environmentincluding exf,ensive suchas floods,droughts,landslideg in the region.Theyalsonoted that the regionwasafflictedwith natural disasters damageto the natural resourcesand immensehuman suffering.They cyclonegand tidd waveswhich causedexcessive also expressedconcern over the danger posedby the global sea level rise and its effects on South Asian countries. were severely degradation underminingthe development processand and environmental As thesenatural disasters prospects decidedto intensifyregionalcooperation with of the Member Countrieg the Headsof Stateor Government They alsodecidedto commission management capabilities. their disaster a view to strengthening a studyon the crauses of the environment. of natural disasters and the protectionand preservation and consequences In pursuanceof this decision,the SecretaryGeneral consultedthe Member States on the possiblemethods of the Secretary Generalconcludedthat a meetingof experts conducting the study.On the basisof theseconsultationg nominated by each member country should be held to formulate recommendations on the objectives,terms of reference,methodologt, funding and time frame of the study. Accordingly, at the invitation of His Majestfs Governmentof Nepal, the rneetingof expertswas held on Ii-15 July, 1988at Kathmandu. cyclones, suchas floods,droughts, submersion of coastalareas The Group of Expertsconcluded that naturaldisasters due to rise in the sea level, tidal waves,landslides,mass wasting,earthquakesand glacial lake outbursts, and is very important to protect deserve degradation carefulstudy.The Group notedthat public awareness environmental and preservethe environmentand that the study would provide Member Countrieswith an opportunity to arouse greaterpublic consciousness. terms of reference,methodology, funding The recommendations of the Group of Expertsrelating to the objectives, and time- frame for the studvwere as follows :

Obiediws and recommendations and to identi$ To provide a basisfor the Member Countriesto draw up policy conclusions of evolvinga regionalplan of action for strengthening disaster areaskeepingin view the potential and possibilities of the environment. management capabilitiesand for the protectionand preservation

Tcrms of Referene r) ii) their nature,extent,causes Country-wiseidentificationand study of natural disasters, and consequences; of environmentaldegradation, the causes Country-wiseidentificationof different aspects thereof and their process; which underminethe development implicationsfor natural disasters Country-wise survey of cxisting programmes for (u) the management of disasters including prevention/mitigation/ and,(b) the protection, conservation relief and rehabilitation; and restoration of the environment; Identificationof specificareasof national priority requiring further action; Identificationof commonareasof regionalconcern;and,

iii)

iv) v)

vi)

at the regionallevel,for strengthening disastermanagement Identification of measures and programmes Member protection preservation environment of the for and of the Countries to capabilitiesand the global nationaf regional and efforts. bilateral, supplement

The methodologr recommended by the Group of Eraerts was that the Secretary General constitute a group of coordinators consistingof a representativefrom eachMember Country basedon nominationsreceivedfrom Member Governments.Each representativewill function as the national coordinator for the study, who may coopt as many e:rpertsas required. The group will have the responsibilityof preparing a common format for the national level study onc or more Eeetingsof the group for within a specifiedtime frame. The Secretary Generalmay decideto convene plenning format may request the Menber purpose finalising Countries to volunteer to host the of and the and the meetings. Each coordinator will thereafter be responsiblefor preparing the national level study. The country-wise studies will be consolidated into a draft regional study by the SecretaryGeneral in consultation with the group of with the assistanceof a consultant to be appointed from within the region, The coordinators and" if necessary, will finally a meeting of experts nominated by each member country, including the eonvene Secretary General regional finalize the study and formulate recommendationsfor a plan of action. coordinator to TLe delegationof India agreedto preparea draft format for undertakingthe studiesat the nationallevel which was gratefully acceptedby the group. The draft format preparedby India was finalised in the meeting of national March 1988. The final format wascirculatedto all Member Countriesto prepare held in Dhaka on 1zt-15 coordinators for compilationand ;rreparationof the draft regional SAARC submitted to the Secretariat country report to be the study. Severalcountriesof the region,while submittingthe nationalreports,havepointed out tbat giventhe wide coverage The availabilityof data has of all sectorshasnot been fully possible. of the nationalstudies,a thorough assessment relatedproblems.However,it hasbeen pointedout that and disaster determinedthe analyticalscopeof environment as this is the first effort to prepare a national environment and disasterreport, improved coveragecan be expected Even so, it is hoped that the presentreport will be revisions. with regular updatingof information and subsequent useful to national and regional plannersand decisionmakers, and will stimulate further work in systematically environmentand disasterrelated problemsin the SAARC region. assessing and effectivelyaddressing It is expectedthat regional cooperation on the ecological front will provide the mechanismfor sharing experiences for environment conservation.Problems and expertiseamongthe regional countriesto evolvestrategiesand measures such as the loss of forest @ver, or those that have their origins outside national boundariessuch as floods or earthquakeg should logically be treated as componentsof a single ecological matrir Understanding of the factors behind natural disastersand measurestaken by different countries to cop!with the impacls of such disasterswould be extremely useful for preparing Disaster ManagementPlans at national and regional level. Furthennore, there is so that emergencyreliefcanbe providedduring droughtg floods, or generalcrop failure. a need to pool resouroes Cooperation in rehabilitation and environmental planning would also permit the participants to realize economies of scale,inherent in resource pooling exercises.