KATHMANDU: Stakeholders have stressed the need for media to extensively raise the issues of disaster management reasoning the media sector plays an important role in reducing disaster risks.
They made this statement at a discussion organized today here by the IT and Media Group under the National Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction. The event was facilitated by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) and the Disaster Preparedness Network-Nepal (DPNet-Nepal).
The participants viewed that media should disseminate right and analytical news reports and build opinion on the issue of minimizing disasters, which according to them caused a loss of two percent of the gross domestic product of the country.
Saying that making and implementing a five-year plan related to disaster risk reduction could be much effective, acting president of the DPNet Raju Thapa urged Nepali media to help make efforts done by the state in controlling disaster risks known to the international forum.
NDRRMA Spokesperson Dr Dijan Bhattarai said the government wanted to cooperate with media for its disaster risks management efforts and the Group would be an appropriate channel towards that end.
Giving a presentation on the topic of media initiative on the disaster risk reduction, Group joint-coordinator Om Prakash Ghimire highlighted on the widening role of media in disaster reduction in view of economic, social, policy level and technical aspects.
Group coordinator Kamala Panthi spoke of the need of broadly analyzing disaster and inclusiveness to development and disaster issues.
According to a study, over 40,000 people have lost their lives to the incidences of disasters in the past 45 years (1971-2015) while over 75,000 others have been injured. The number of the affected is around three million, it is shared.
Sixty percent of the total area in Nepal is always vulnerable to disasters and 80 percent of the people are at constant risks. As stressed at the program, involvement of media in the disaster reduction was crucial to save such a larger section of people from possible consequences. Over 20 representatives from different media were present on the occasion. (RSS)
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