Asians told: Reduce risks, don’t wait for another catastrophe

A United Nations official for disaster risk reduction warned Asians against slipping back to complacency after they experience a degree of rehabilitation after a natural catastrophe, saying this would slow progress. “It is morally unacceptable that we need regular big catastrophes to continue to action,” said Margareta Wahlström told journalists on the sidelines of a Bangkok event attended by 3,000 international volunteers, including 22 government ministers. She said it takes 18 months after a catastrophe for people to forget, and this “short-term memory” poses the problem of “inability to link issues together.”

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Also at the conference, Rappler’s documentary “After Yolanda: The Barber of Guiuan” was named the best film in the professional media category.