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Remarks by former Ambassador T.P.Sreenivasan at the Ãå±±½ûµØAcademic Impact

Seminar on 'Disaster Preparedness and Management' at the Ãå±±½ûµØHeadquarters in
New York. September 11, 2015.

Chairman Ramu Damodaran,
Panelists and
Participants,

I am delighted to be back at the UN, particularly in Conference Room 6,?where I spent many days and nights, working on resolutions, which, we?believed, would change the fortunes of the world. Even the room has not?changed, except for the multitude of electronic gadgets and audio-visual?equipment all around us. As for myself, I have lost touch with the UN?jargon and can speak only like an outsider.

As someone, who has moved from diplomacy to higher education, I am honoured to be invited to participate in the seminar to?share the experience of a diplomat and an educationist. The more the?academic community gets involved with the UN, the better it will be for?both.

I have been fortunate enough not to be in the middle of a disaster, though?I have faced many official and personal crises. So I cannot claim any?direct experience of handling disaster management. But I have a friend in?UNEP in Geneva, who has handled so many disasters that he expects to name?his autobiography My Life and Other Disasters. I have gained some?insights from his experience. I shall also share some stray observations on?the basis of my experience in the UN.

The Ãå±±½ûµØwas created to prevent war, the biggest man-made disaster of all.?Through preventive diplomacy, peace-making, peacekeeping and peace?building, the Ãå±±½ûµØhas contributed to make the world a peaceful place. The UN?principles and practices, such as preparedness, disaster relief and?recovery are now being applied to disaster management. In tackling?disasters, the Ãå±±½ûµØand its Agencies draw heavily on the experience of the UN?in the last 70 years.

While the number and intensity of wars are less today, natural disasters?seem to have increased on account of terrorism, global warming,?climate?change,?desertification and other phenomena. ?Today, we have scientific?evidence to show that many such phenomena are consequences of human?activity. There is hope, therefore, that these can be prevented by more?responsible human behaviour.

Predictability of natural resources has also increased because of research?by some of the Ãå±±½ûµØAgencies such as the IAEA and the CTBT Organization. In?their search for evidence of nuclear tests, they have come across?technology, which can point towards possible earthquakes. People also?predict disasters by observing unusual developments around us. Even as we?speak, some people in India are saying that a major tsunami or earthquake?is likely because it has been observed that fish are jumping out of water?to die on land!

Man has lived with natural disasters for centuries and even accepted them?as nature's way of maintaining a balance in human population. India takes?pride in the fact that it has made peace with nature and does not worry too?much about aberrations in nature. When Dr. Radhakrishnan, the philosopher?President of India arrived at the White House lawns by helicopter, the?weather was very rough. President Kennedy apologized that the US had not?yet mastered the technology of changing the weather. Dr. Radhakrishnan said?that he did not have to worry as Indians had mastered the technology of?accepting the weather centuries ago.

Today, international cooperation can prevent disasters by setting standards?for construction and maintenance, evacuation plans and environmental?planning. The Ãå±±½ûµØhas played a major role in disaster relief in every major?disaster, whether it is Nepal, Haiti or Fukushima. At the same time, in?disaster management, the affected country should take the lead and the work?of the international community should be supportive.?

The Ãå±±½ûµØshould focus on promoting an ecosystem-based approach for reducing?disaster risks and climate change adaptation. Any development strategy,?which?does not take into account disaster risks and environmental damage?cannot be sustainable.

Finally, I would stress the need for educating the masses on disaster?management. The Kerala State Higher Education Council has been working with?UNEP in Geneva in developing a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), a revolutionary new concept in?higher education, to promote awareness of the new knowledge about?ecosystems.?The course has been planned for both policy makers and experts.?12,000 students from 183 countries signed up for the course. The MOOCs model?developed by UNEP should be supplemented by the specialized knowledge of?other Agencies such as the IAEA and UNIDO.?

I would suggest that the Ãå±±½ûµØAcademic Impact should embrace MOOCS as a?matter of faith to lower or eliminate borders to learning.