Question: Consider the following statements:
(1) The 2nd BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise-2020 was conducted in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
(2) The focus of the 2nd edition of Exercise is on heritage structures’ protection.
Choose the correct one:
(a) Only (1)
(b) Only (2)
(c) Both (1) and (2)
(d) None of the above
Answer: (c)
Related facts:
- On 11 February 2020, Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the 2nd Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Disaster Management Exercise-2020 at Hotel Mayfair, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
- The exercise took place between 11-13 February, 2020.
- The focus of the 2nd edition of Exercise is on heritage structures’ protection.
- The first edition of the BIMSTEC DMEx was also hosted by India in 2017.
- The exercise seeks to provide a platform for member states to evaluate existing capabilities, share best emergency response practices, improve emergency preparedness and strengthen regional response mechanisms, to conduct risk assessment in the context of cultural heritage sites at the time of disasters and to test the multi-stakeholders’ coordination in a disaster scenario involving international, national, state, district and local agencies.
- Participants in the exercise included Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Bhutan and Thailand did not participate.
- Global institutions like United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration Cultural Property (ICCROM) and others however participated in the event.
- The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is building the capacity of its forces to play the role of first responder at heritage sites, which are vulnerable to disasters such as earthquake, floods, cyclones and tsunami across India.
- Reasons for Focus on the Heritage Sites: In the backdrop of recent losses suffered in an earthquake in Nepal (2015), damages to Heritage Sites in Gujarat earthquake (2001), the need was felt to protect the Heritage Sites during disasters and build the capacity of NDRF personnel.
Links:
http://www.ndrf.gov.in/pressrelease/press-note-shri-naveen-patnaik-inaugurates-2nd-bay-bengal-initiatives-multi-sectoral
https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=199287