Joint action needed to curb natural calamities: Experts

New Delhi, Apr 1: Natural calamities do not respect any boundaries and wreak havoc without distinguishing between caste, creed or nationality, thereby underpinning the need for evolving a joint strategy by various countries to help assuage its far-reaching implications, experts feel.

They drive home the point that ''developing countries are more vulnerable to such disasters compared to developed countries'' in that the former lack resources, planning and witnesses a plethora of challenges staring them in the face.

South Asian nations, comprising many developing countries, in the recent past, have encountered some of the worst ever calamities which had their fallout not only on one part of Asia but the whole region had to bear the brunt of it. The tsunami tragedy caught in its clutches the whole region while Pakistan earthquake found its echo in many of its neighbouring countries.

The experts, representing several South Asian countries who were here to attend an International Conference on 'Creating a New South Asia', touched upon the myriad facets of these intricate issues relating to the region, exhorting to seek solutions and creating opportunities to address them through the forum.

According to the Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Pakistan Abid Q Suleri, South Asia is the world's poorest region, forming homes of about 500 million people, most of whom are unlettered, denied of basic amenities and primarily depend on natural resources to eke out their livelihood.

''The government's indifference to the deteriorating condition of the people whose basic human rights are neglected, leads to extensive exploitation of natural resources. Poverty coupled with wrong policies of the governments concerned have a direct impact on environment resulting in fast depletion of natural resources which, in turn, creates an environmental imbalance,'' he said.

Dr Suleri pointed out that while the countries spent a huge amount on national security, they turned a blind eye to environmental issues and check its adverse effect on society in particular and the region in general. He bemoaned that the countries were achieving the goal of ''national security at the cost of environmental insecurity.'' Terming the issue a ''regional matter rather than an internal matter,'' he said, ''India and Pakistan spend millions of dollars on its defence. If an effort is made to demilitarise the region and cut down the cost on military exercises and the amount instead utilised in solving people's protracted problems, it would not only result in regional stability but also lessen, to a greater extent, the daunting fear of climatic changes.'' Putting weight behind Dr Suleri's opinion, an environmentalist from Pakistan Arshad Hameed Abbasi said, ''besides global warming, the deployment of troops in the Siachen region has led to melting of glaciers. The maintenance of the troops in such inhuman terrains necessarily requires incurring of a sizable expenditure.'' Unequivocally calling ''poverty and people-related chores'' the principal reasons behind degradation and global warming, the experts sought ''joining of hands and taking of concrete steps to curb the menace''.

UNI