Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, addressing the opening session of the World Reconstruction Conference (WRC) in Geneva on Monday, highlighted the importance of effective early warning systems, as global warming-induced climatic variations have made natural calamities like floods and cyclones more frequent.
Sufficient early warning helped Odisha to contain losses during the recent Cyclone Fani, Mr. Vijayan pointed out.
The floods of 2018 brought out the best in Kerala, he said.
“We supported each other in a spirit of brotherhood, without social or economic differences. This spirit will continue to inspire us through all our recovery efforts,” he said.
Describing in detail the losses sustained by the State, the Chief Minister said that the recovery needs of the State had been pegged at roughly $4.4 billion, as per the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) conducted by UN agencies.
Kerala society handled the floods with determination and strength gathered from its renaissance movement.
Role of govt., fisherfolk
Outlining the role played by the government in the rescue efforts and post-flood reconstruction, he also drew attention to the role played by fishermen.
“The fisherfolk who brave the sea for a livelihood deserve our special gratitude for their timely intervention without which we would have lost many more lives,” he said.