E-Paper
Covid-19 taught us no nation is immune to global disasters: PM Modi
Terming the current situation "unprecedented", the Prime Minister noted that the Covid-19 pandemic has shown how the world can come together.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has taught that no country is immune to effect of global disasters. "We are witnessing an event that is being termed a once-in-a-hundred-year disaster. Covid-19 pandemic has taught us that in an interdependent and interconnected world, country-rich or poor, in the east or west, north or south- is immune to the effect of global disasters," PM Modi said at the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
PM Modi addressed the opening ceremony of International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure t video conference. Prime Minister of Fiji, Italy and the United Kingdom were also present on the occasion.
Terming the current situation "unprecedented", the Prime Minister noted that the Covid-19 pandemic has shown how the world can come together. “The pandemic has shown us that innovation to address global challenges can come from anywhere."
PM Modi called for fostering a global ecosystem that supports innovation in all parts of the world, and its transfer to places that are most in need. "The year 2021 promises to be a year of swift recovery from the pandemic," he added.
The Prime Minister cautioned that the lessons from the pandemic must not be forgotten. "They apply to not only public health disasters but other disasters as well. It will take sustained and concerted efforts to mitigate climate change," PM Modi said.
PM Modi said that countries that are making large investments in infrastructure, such as India, must ensure that this is an investment in resilience, and not in risk.
"Many infrastructure systems- digital infrastructure, shipping lines, aviation networks- cover the entire world and the effect of disaster in one part of the world can quickly spread across the world. Cooperation is a must for ensuring the resilience of the global system," he added.
PM Modi said 2021 is particularly an important year. "We are approaching the mid-point of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris agreement and the Sendai Framework. The expectations from COP-26, to be hosted by the UK and Italy later this year, are high. This partnership on resilient infrastructure must play its important role in helping meet some of those expectations," he said.
