Topic: Long-Term Rebuilding Strategy Following Natural Disaster
Country: Egypt
Delegate Name: Mark Hensel
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Egypt position papers GLIMUN 2011 committees
Efforts at mitigating the destruction of natural disasters have to balance the economic, social, and environmental needs of the disaster area; while ideally countries would renovate existing structures and adopt strong standards for new construction, too often the flaws in a nation’s buildings are only exposed when a storm, earthquake, tsunami, hurricane, flood, or other cataclysm occurs, and the nations most affected by natural disasters are often less developed and less equipped, in terms of institutional framework, governmental management, and economic resources, to manage these crises or to work proactively to reduce their effects. Egypt has seen several major earthquakes in recent decades, as well as many flash floods, dust storms, drought, and annual fires, and has seen firsthand the challenges of rebuilding and of avoiding disaster. On a global scale, natural disasters have become more frequent with climate change, and population booms in developing areas of the globe have meant that when disasters do occur, more people feel their sting, and the large numbers put strain on relief and rebuilding efforts. Furthermore, rapid growth in Egypt and other growing areas has often meant that there is not enough time or money to build well or ecologically, and Egypt has been identified as an area with a high potential for disaster, especially as regards the Nile Delta. Egyptians, at least in the abstract, are committed to ecological, secure development,: recently 90% of surveyed developers said that sustainable development is an issue. Nevertheless, construction on the ground remains largely subpar, vulnerable to a major earthquake like that of 1992 which leveled large parts of Cairo.
Egypt believes that Rio+20, the 20th anniversary revisitation of the landmark 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, is one of the best opportunities to create a basis for international action on disaster relief and prevention, as it is one of the few truly universal venues, in which all nations can contribute to the debate on the ends and means of collaboration. Furthermore, links between existing agencies must be fortified so that aid is delivered in the most effective manner possible, and more generally there is a need for dynamism in the legislative process, an end to the internal conflicts and stagnancy of membership on committees that has not yet been converted into action. Future initiative agreements must be tripartite, ensuring economic, ecological, and social security for societies as they re-build, be it before or after a disaster. Per UNISDR (UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction) every one dollar spent on risk prevention saves seven dollars of recovery expense. The United Nations must coordinate the resources of member states, rich and poor, to reduce disaster risk and to respond to it rapidly, with manageable expense, and build better and stronger. Although all agree that risk areas must be protected, and disaster sites rebuilt, the main debates at hand revolve around the sourcing of funds and the degree of centralization of the rebuilding process.
Egypt is confident that there will be unanimous or near-unanimous support from other countries for disaster relief, as well as an emphasis on more responsible construction and, if necessary, reconstruction. Most countries have shown willingness to accept refugees from neighboring countries who are suffering from catastrophe, as well as service human, food, medical, and monetary aid. Egypt will be at the fore in all these efforts in its area and for itself.
Sources:
http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/environment/mena-at-risk-of-natural-disasters-says-report.html
http://www.afribiz.info/content/90-of-construction-professionals-in-egypt-say-sustainable-development-an-issue-press-release
http://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/news/v.php?id=7947
http://www.undp.org.eg/Default.aspx?tabid=155
http://www.unic-eg.org/index.php?view=items&cid=1%3Aun-system&id=2%3Ainternational-strategy-for-disaster-reduction-unisdr-regional-office&option=com_quickfaq&Itemid=66
http://www.un.org.eg/UNInner2.aspx?pageid=55
http://www.unisdr.org/2005/mdgs-drr/national-reports/Egypt-report.pdf
http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/content/documents/Egypt.pdf
