ASEAN Strategic Policy Dialogue on Disaster Management (SPDDM) 2024 – Speech by Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Digital Development and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs

Your Excellency Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ahmaddin bin Haji Abdul Rahman, AMMDM Chair of Brunei Darussalam,

Your Excellency Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN,

Your Excellency Mr. Sujiro Seam, Ambassador of the EU to ASEAN,

Heads of the National Disaster Management Organization of the ASEAN Member States,

1. Good morning and thank you for inviting me to join you today for the Opening of the ASEAN Strategic Policy Dialogue on Disaster Management (SPDDM) 2024.

2. I wish to start off by thanking Brunei, the Chair of ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM), ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), and Vice Chair Cambodia, for their exceptional leadership in 2024.

3. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami.

4. The tsunami of December 2004 claimed close to 230,000 lives, and displaced 1.7 million people.

5. I remember the tsunami vividly.

6. I was, in fact, on a car ride that morning to the airport in Paris, Charles de Gaulle.

7. When we arrived and were about to take the flight, in the terminal’s waiting lounge, we saw images on the television of the tsunami unfolding.

8. So here I was, somewhere in the EU, trying to get back into Asia and looking at this disaster unfolding right before my eyes on television.

9. It was a harrowing sight, and I don’t think in that generation, those of us who had the experience of learning about it, will ever forget the kind of pain and destruction that it brings.

10. The tsunami highlighted the devastating impact of natural disasters and the importance of preparedness.

11. It was a burning platform that we found ourselves thrusted into.

12. It also marked a turning point for disaster management in our region. Since then, ASEAN has made significant progress in our disaster management efforts.

(a) 20 years on, we have built up a network of multi-hazard early warning systems in the region. The ASEAN Disaster Monitoring and Response System complements national early warning systems to facilitate the sharing of important hazard information between ASEAN member states.

(b) We have bolstered our risk financing facilities to provide a crucial safety net in times of crises. The Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Insurance Facility, or SEADRIF, helps to build financial resilience in the region by providing access to immediate financing in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Since its launch in 2019, SEADRIF has made payouts totalling US$1.5 million to support flood response and reconstruction efforts in Laos PDR.

(c) We have also forged stronger linkages with other sectoral bodies for a more comprehensive and integrated approach to disaster risk reduction. The establishment of the ASEAN Disaster Resilience Platform in 2022 is a prime example of this multi-sectoral approach. This platform brings together decision and policy-makers from the political-security, economic and socio-cultural sectors of the ASEAN Community to enhance coordination in disaster preparedness and response.

13. The theme for this year’s dialogue begins with the familiar adage – “It Takes A Village”. It affirms our collective action in empowering our communities towards building a resilient ASEAN for the past 20 years and in the future.

14. Let me elaborate.

Inclusivity in Disaster Resilience

15. ASEAN is one of the most diverse and disaster-prone regions in the world.

16. Each disaster affects different communities differently.

17. The most vulnerable are typically the women, children, elderly and persons with disabilities.

18. Our stories of resilience will look unique and varied.

19. But there is a common thread running through them – that is, our commitment to leave no one behind.

20. Singapore’s approach to disaster resilience aims to involve all segments of society.

21. Let me share a few examples.

(a) When it comes to emergency preparedness and response, Singapore believes in equipping and mobilising the community. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and People’s Association co-organise Community Resilience Day at the grassroots level, to build awareness and skills, so that everyone can be involved when responding to emergencies.

(b) SCDF developed the myResponder app, a mobile application that disseminates information on emergencies and mobilises community responders in the vicinity. We have seen good outcomes from myResponder – in 2023, more than 2,300 Community First Responders (CFRs) stepped up to render their assistance to myResponder emergencies. In fact, in my constituency work, whether I’m doing home visits or walking around in the market, sometimes, I asked people what they do in their spare time. They tell me that they are one of the CFRs. I asked them when was the last time they were activated, and quite often it was not so long ago. They would tell me it was just two weeks ago or last month, “I happen to be shopping in the mall and I received a message that somebody had a cardiac arrest so I went to respond to it.” So the CFR is working. Last month, SCDF introduced new features to enhance the response of CFRs:

(i) CFRs are now able to choose new modes of response, either by bicycle or vehicle, and respond to incidents that are further in distance.

(ii) A new chat function will allow CFRs to communicate with the SCDF Operations Centre to get real-time guidance. CFRs can also communicate with one another to better coordinate their responses. For example, if the incident involves more victims.

22. Besides national efforts, the region also shares a commitment for a more inclusive and resilient ASEAN.

23. For example, the ASEAN Vision 2025 on Disaster Management is dedicated to advancing a people-centered approach.

24. Other regional instruments, such as the ASEAN Committee on Women’s Work Plan and the ASEAN Enabling Master Plan 2021 - 2025, outline key actions to protect and enhance the resilience of women, girls and persons with disabilities.

25. To cite an example, a local organisation in Indonesia has been providing training and funding support to communities in the Special Region of Yogyakarta Province, to improve the quality of disaster response and resilience.

26. Their programme has reached over 1600 individuals in 10 villages across five cities and regencies, of which 780 were people with disabilities, older individuals and women.

27. The project team proactively involved these vulnerable groups in reducing their community’s vulnerability in the face of disaster threat.

28. This effort is commendable.

Community-Led Approaches to Disaster Resilience

29. Today’s dialogue will also cover how we can go a step further to invite the community to take the lead in building resilient communities.

30. We can achieve better outcomes collectively when we enable all groups, including those who are most at risk, to become agents of change.

31. I will spotlight some ground-up, community-led initiatives.

(a) In the Philippines, the Cebu Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Network leads a team of people with disabilities to train government and public sector workers on how to mainstream inclusivity into disaster preparedness. The convenor of the network is an advocate for disability inclusion; she is familiar with the difficulties faced, as she has reduced mobility and is wheelchair-bound.

(b) In the rural district of Pong Nam Ron in Thailand, an association formed by older persons takes the lead in driving community-based disaster risk management efforts. Some of their initiatives include building small dams to mitigate flood risks, planting trees along the riverbank for flood protection, and educating the younger generation to identify warning signs for impending floods.

Conclusion

32. Inclusivity is a worthwhile goal that takes sustained hard work to achieve.

33. I am heartened to know that we are on the right track.

34. We have, amongst the 180 delegates in this hall, representatives from local agencies involved in disaster management efforts.

35. I urge the ACDM and stakeholders at every level to discuss how we can practically sustain our commitment to diversity and inclusivity in disaster resilience.

36. For example, how can we improve the collection of disaggregated data on vulnerable groups, promote localised responses and invite vulnerable groups to become agents of change.

37. I extend my sincere appreciation to our organisers, SCDF, ASEAN Secretariat, AHA Centre, the European Union, our knowledge partners, the very eminent list of speakers, moderators and all participants for making today’s dialogue a fruitful one. Your long-standing dedication has sustained close to a decade of meaningful discourse at this platform.

38. I look forward to another fruitful dialogue today.