HONOLULU (Jan. 11) -- Developing an international regime for handling disasters is a regional and global priority, according to Charles E. Morrison, president of the East-West Center. Health issues are also among key issues for Asia-Pacific countries in the coming year.
Morrison made the comments today as part of a review of challenges facing the region this year.
While the world has international systems in place to provide standards and norms for world trade, nuclear non-proliferation, protection of exotic species, human rights and some other important areas, nothing comparable exists for preventing and dealing with disasters, Morrison said. There should be some expectation of all countries that they have some systems in place for preventing and dealing with disasters.
"I am told by our disaster specialists that the most serious problem is the last mile -- not so much how to get to the national government authorities, but how to get the information to villages along the coasts," Morrison told about 50 people at a breakfast briefing hosted by the Bank of Hawaii. "This is mainly the responsibility of local governments."
Morrison said the East-West Center is committed to hosting an international conference if needed to help develop an Indian Ocean tsunami warning system. But he stressed that a much more comprehensive approach to disaster preparedness is needed.
He said it was also important to build public interest in longer-term aid to the tsunami-stricken countries as rebuilding could take a decade. Morrison suggested sister-city type relationships in which cities with the will and capability to assist could agree to work with specific disaster-affected communities to help them rebuild over a three-five year period of commitment. "This gives the rebuilding work a local dimension and brings it down to a size you can comprehend," Morrison said about long-term assistance.
While many sister-city relationships exist between U.S. cities and cities in Japan, China and the Philippines, Morrison said he knew of only two in the tsunami-affected region -- Las Vegas with Phuket, Thailand; and Denver with Chennai, India.
Morrison also quoted information from the World Health Organization saying a new viral disease appears every year and an even optimistic scenario for a future pandemic could lead to 2-7 million deaths worldwide. While the timing of pandemics, like those of tsunamis, is difficult to predict, there are similar "faultlines" to watch. One such faultline lies in southern China with its large populations of people and animals in close proximity.
Morrison added that another category of health issues relates to changing diets and more sedentary lifestyles in Asia. These lead to increased obesity, particularly among the young, more diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Many countries do not yet have the expertise and health systems in place to effectively address these diseases.
Speaking briefly on the economy, Morrison said Asian countries continue to finance the growing U.S. debt "and are not getting much return" on their investments because of the falling dollar. The long-term willingness of central bank authorities to continue to allow their already huge dollar reserves to grow is questionable. For this reason, the United States faces a continuing challenge to improve its savings rate and reduce its current account.
Charles E. Morrison can be reached at (808) 944-7103 or morrisoc@eastwestcenter.org.