Symposium on green development and risk governance kicked off

Writer: Chang Zhipeng  | Editor: Holly Wang  | From:  | Updated: 2019-10-14

The International Symposium on Green Development and Integrated Risk Governance kicked off yesterday morning at Wuzhou Guest House, aiming to explore new methods of disaster prevention and alleviation, and improve risk management abilities based on the achievements and lessons learned from the disaster reduction activities organized by the United Nations over the past three decades.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction Program (UN-IDNDR). In the past three decades, the global disaster reduction, prevention and alleviation and post-disaster reconstruction works have made remarkable achievements.

Michael Glantz, a professor at University of Colorado, said that the UN-IDNDR has made great efforts to lead over 200 countries in responding to risks of climate change and geological hazards like earthquakes and tsunamis over the last three decades. “Before 1989, the countries were dealing with natural disasters separately. They did not realize that we share the same problems. When the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) was established in 1972, problems such as sea level rise, climate change, tropical deforestation and desertification were not mentioned, but they are all in our agenda right now, which require global response, not just national response,” said Glantz.

According to Ye Qian, a professor at Beijing Normal University and executive director of Future Earth-Integrated Risk Governance Project (IRG Project), the increasing number of natural disasters poses great threats to human beings. “We should take advantage of the development opportunities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, use scientific and technological means to turn this work into an opportunity and provide the world with a model for disaster prevention and alleviation,” said Ye.

In 2017, the International Symposium on Integrated Governance of Large-scale Disaster and Economic Risks was organized jointly by Beijing Normal University, Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen and Global Risk Forum Davos. One of the consensuses made was to hold this event every two years in Qianhai with the purpose of promoting scientific knowledge, technology and practical solutions for integrated risk governance in order to achieve the goals of green development.

The two-day symposium will focus on themes including “Road Map of Future DRR,” “Systemic Risk and New Opportunities” and “Belt and Road Initiative (Risk, Early warning and Cooperation)” to explore further measures for disaster prevention and alleviation.

Government officials, delegates from U.N. agencies, enterprises and media, and experts and scholars in the fields of science and education attended the event.