Gujarat to host disaster management meet from March 30 as part of G20

Gujarat will host a meet on disaster management from March 30 till April 1 as part of India's G20 presidency, an official said on Friday.

It was earlier announced by the government that Gujarat will host the next round of G20 meetings from March 27 till April 4, during which three meetings will take place in the state.

While the first meeting on 'Environment and Climate Sustainability' will will take place between March 27 and 29 in Gandhinagar, this second meeting of 'Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group" will be held from March 30 till April 1, said Indian Administrative Service official Mona Khandhar, who is coordinating G20 events in Gujarat.

"A curtain raiser event on lessons learnt from past earthquakes will be held on March 29 at Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management in Gandhinagar. On March 30, the inaugural function will be followed by a technical session on the theme Early Warning System for All. Delegates will enjoy cultural events in the evening at Mahatma Mandir convention centre in Gandhinagar," said Khandhar.

Union Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan will be attend the event, Khandhar, who is principal secretary in the state Finance department, said.

On the second day of the event, invited guests would take part in various technical sessions on subjects like disaster resilient infrastructure and regulatory framework for disaster risk financing among others, she informed.

Khandhar said delegates and experts from more than 20 countries, including the United States of America, UK, Italy, Japan, Russia, UAE and Argentina, will take part in these discussions.

Officials from organisations such as International Labour Organization, United Nations Office Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and United Nations Development Programme will also participate in this three day event, she said.

"On April 1, discussions will be held on subjects like ecosystem-based approaches for integrated disaster risk reduction. On the same day, guests will be taken to Bhuj town of Kutch district for a visit to Smriti Van Memorial dedicated to the 2001 earthquake victims," said Khandhar.

In January and February, Gujarat had hosted a series of meetings related to G20, including one on tourism.