Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka who are associated with the network, participated in the meeting that sought to thrash out the recent issues of battling disasters.

Nepal based Intermediate Technology Development Group, which is affiliated with the network, made arrangement of DN meeting. It was noted at the two day meeting, according to organisers, that media could play a pivotal role to influence policy matters and public opinion by taking into account the social dimension of natural disasters.

It is noted that large-scale disruptions of social life due to disasters and conflicts are very widespread in South Asia. In the region every year on average 55,000 people are reportedly killed and thousands of people displaced. The traditional way to cope with such damages by the governments and other organisations is presently confined to post-disaster relief activities

Duryog Nivaran, however, critically notes that disasters should be understood in the context of economic, political, and gender related vulnerabilities. This point of view argues that there is a link between disasters, conflicts, and conditions in society 'during normal times'. It is important to understand this link to identify the social causes and effects of disasters. Duryog Nivaran is promoting the alternative perspective on disasters on policy and public level throughout the region. According to the 'alternative perspective' natural disasters can not be dealt with in isolation to the broader social linkages.

The overall poverty index of the region makes people of South Asia more prone to the disasters.

The annual average number killed in South Asia in the period 1987-1996 was 50,695 and in the same period the annual average number of people affected by disasters was 77,250,041.  During the last decade on average 56 % of that killed worldwide by disasters each year, were in South Asia. Poverty and manifold vulnerabilities are the vital factor those contribute to the innumerable damages to life and property. A considerable amount of money is dolled out in relief activities, those primarily deal with post-hock responses. Less is considered to reduce the vulnerabilities and inherent deprivations of the poor communities. Duryog Nivaran deliberates that to mitigate the devastating effects of disasters we need to reduce the poverty of at-risk communities and there is an equal need to enhance the capacities of people to cope with disasters.

Courtesy: daily Rising Nepal (Nepal), Dec 9, 1999