Training materials on disaster management.

 Opinion of Dr. Sisaliao SAVENGSUKSA,

President of the Association to Support the Development

of Peasant Societies (LAO PDR) on Disaster Risks Reduction

Disasters have occurred in our world or our Earth planet since the ancient time. There are plenty and uncountable trails of disasters occurrences during the times before and after the existence of life on this Earth, such as: the uprising of Earth’s surface that forms mountains, the collapse of Earth’s surface that forms seabed, formation of soil layers, earthquakes, volcanoes eruptions, trails of dinosaurs skeletons, Mammoths trails under the     ice-mountains in the North Pole. All these trails show the occurrences of natural phenomenon which are irrespective of whether we want them or not.

However, during recent time, the occurrences of disasters are more frequent, such as: the occurrences of flood, drought, forest fire, storm or cyclone, landslide, avalanche of ice-mountain has become more numerous and more frequent.  

 All these new phenomenon are due to human acts which have destroyed the balance of nature, such as: exploitation of underground resources, construction of large hydropower dams, destruction of mountains for building communication roads, use of war weapons, creation of global warming by various forms, clearing of forest for making livelihood areas and for development and reconstruction of the nation. All these human acts are essential for the people’s livelihood and for the growth and expansion of the society. If these acts are performed in a careful, conscious and reasonable manner, the impacts may be limited. But, if such acts are performed for responding to the greed of humans, the impacts would be immense.

 Since humans have caused the gradual shortening of the rhythm of the occurrences of natural disasters, so humans can also lengthen the rhythm of the occurrences of natural disasters. But humans must recognize that the lengthening of such rhythm is the responsibility of all mankind; an individual or a country is not capable to do it alone because disasters are occurred on the Earth planet that belongs to all human beings.

 All human beings must, therefore, join their force and heart to find the solutions. The solutions must be conformed with the saying: “prevention is better than cure!’’. For example, human beings must develop children all over the world to have a uniform global vision of: “One Planet for All”.

In order to allow the children all over the world to have such uniform global vision, I suggest that the UNO must take the topic on: “This Earth planet belongs to all, all are owners of this Earth planet,  all have the duty to protect and rehabilitate this Earth planet to make it lively forever”  as one of the topics of the Millennium Development Goals for the period 2016-2030. If UNO does not accept to do this, Government of Asia and Europe countries must include this topic in the educational curriculum for primary level or secondary level. The contents of the curriculum shall aim at:

 Educating the students to allow them to have an objective global vision that this Earth planet and all countries are like a cellule. Each cellule consists of many components which are: Nucleolus, Nucleus, Ribosome, Vesicle, Rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus (or "Golgi body"), Cytoskeleton, Smooth endoplasmic reticulum, Mitochondrion, Vacuole,  Cytosol,  Lysosome,  Centriole. Each component is of equal importance. If any one of the components is missing, such cellule cannot be sustained. In other words, all components are unique units which are composed into a single unified unit.

Educating the students to allow them to see that all countries in the world have the components which are unique for them. For example: Laos has many components, such as: for natural components, Laos has high mountains, steep hills, deep ravines, rivers, rivulets, ponds,  pools, swamps, plains, plateaus, aquatic animals and wild animals of various species; for social components, Laos has the cultures, customs and traditions of 49 ethnics which form 5 ethno-linguistic groups. The students must recognize that these components are formed into Lao PDR. If any one of these components is lost, Lao PDR will not be Lao PDR as she used to be.

E   Educating the students in all countries in the world to allow them to see that their country is among over two hundred countries and territories which are the components of the same Earth planet. The students must understand that all components, both natural and social, of all countries in the world are the components of the same Earth planet. If any one of these components is absent, the Earth planet will not be the Earth planet as it used to be.

Educating the students to allow them to see that the exploitation and use of natural resources in each country is the exploitation and use of natural resources of this Earth planet. We must teach the students to enable them to see that the protection of natural resources in each country is also the protection of natural resources of this Earth planet so that they may become sustained for the good living and well-being of humans and all living creatures in this Earth planet. More importantly, the students must be taught to allow them to recognize that all human beings are originated from the same Homo Sapiens. So, Human beings must support and help each other.

 These are the global vision which must become the consciousness of all students by 2030.