VNU Asia Pacific (part of VNU Group, a globally operating exhibition company with offices in Utrecht, Shanghai, and Bangkok) announced at a press converence at MBK Center, Bangkok on 27 April 2022 the staging of REDCON Asia (Resilience on Emergency & Disaster Conference) sponsored by MBK Public Company Limited.
REDCON Asia is a multi-stakeholder conference and exhibition that envisions to engage business sector leaders, governments, media, international agencies, and academia, among others, in the value chain of disaster and emergency management. It is set to take place on 7-9 December 2022 at the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok.
With the theme, "Bridging Cross-Sectoral Efforts for Disaster Resilience," the press conference featured speakers from different sectors providing insights on the crucial role of multi-stakeholder partnerships on collaborative disaster risk management towards building resilience. Over 40 representatives from media, government, academia and other sectors were gathered.
The highly acclaimed speakers were: Mr. Saharat Wongsakulwiwat, Director of Research and International Cooperation Bureau, Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), Thailand; Dr. Sanjay Srivastava, Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction, United Nations ESCAP; Ms. Neeracha Malisak, Editor, The Nation; Dr. Peeranan Towashiraporn, Director of Geospatial Department, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC); Mr. Tam Hoang, Sustainable Urbanisation Specialist, UN-Habitat; Ms. Anchalee Kongrut, Editorial Pages Editor, Bangkok Post; and Dr. Tavida Kamolvej, Dean of School of Political Science, Thammasat University.
“We are excited to launch this much-needed platform in the region. Our mission is to gather the thought leaders, policymakers and cutting-edge companies on disaster risk reduction and emergency response here in Bangkok. We are convinced, that this event will spur cooperation from various sectors of society for more cohesive and decisive action when disasters strike,” says Mrs. Monika Baro, Project Manager of REDCON Asia.
“Cooperation” is our “salvation,” was the key message in the opening speech of Mr. Saharat Wongsakulwiwat from DDPM Thailand. “Due to the world situation today, it is undeniable that all of us are facing challenges from the spread of COVID-19. This is a new challenge that the world is facing and we need to find solutions together.”
According to Dr. Sanjay Srivastava from UN ESCAP, REDCON Asia provides an avenue to capitalise on these three key opportunities to build a resilient Asia Pacific region: One, build policy coherence among multiple sectors to integrate disaster, climate and health resilience seamlessly into development planning; two, invest in integrated natural and biological multi-hazard early warning systems; and three, promote investments in climate adaptation and resilience.
This advocacy is supported by Dr. Peeranan Towashiraporn from ADPC who said: “We need to work not only with the public sector but also with the private sector. Given what are we facing, it is a right time to have the upcoming REDCON Asia Conference where we can bring both the public and the private sectors together under one roof.”
However, “such coordination will not be easy,” according to Mr. Tam Hoang from UN-Habitat. “Tackling the combined threats of the Twin C’s: Climate change and COVID-19, requires innovative approaches, along with a readiness to finance new infrastructure and technologies towards longer-term durable solutions across the humanitarian-developmental nexus, he said.
Meanwhile, the crucial role of media in disaster risk and emergency management was highlighted by Ms. Anchalee Kongrut and Ms. Neeracha Malisak, representing Bangkok Post and The Nation respectively. “As media, I believe that we can play a productive role, and become part of the effort. Because disaster management is becoming more important. They are no longer just events to be covered. Climate change and even the ongoing war will become mankind's problems. All of us will be affected, so everyone needs to be on the team, including media,” stresses Ms. Kongrut. “I believe we play a crucial role in serving as a medium linking all parties – the government, private sector, the public – through communication to raise awareness and visibility of the problems. As a media representative we cannot deny that we face challenges of making our world a better and more sustainable place to live, not just for us, but also for future generations” Ms. Malisak concurred.
Dr. Tavida Kamolvej from Thammasat University represented academia’s voice at this event, saying that, “Extreme weather will definitely add uncertainty and complexity to disaster risks that need collective action from all mechanisms society has. Environment disruptions require all actions to be proactive and synergised. As we gather today, the strong intention and concerted effort to make the region safer led by government agencies, universities, international organisations and alliances and REDCON Asia, will guide us to more constructive practices to reduce all the risks we share.”
The program was concluded by Mr. Igor Palka, Managing Director of VNU Asia Pacific, saying that, “VNU is grateful for the continued support of our partners and speakers for REDCON Asia in December 2022. Organising it this year could not be more timely and relevant as we, together, find the solutions to address the nexus of disease-disaster-climate change phenomena.”
