Afra: Disaster risks cost the public treasury nearly 35 billion dinars annually – Al-Hiwar Al-Jazaeryya

The delegate of major risks at the Ministry of Interior and Local Communities, Dr. Abdelhamid Afra, revealed this Tuesday that disaster risks cost the public treasury approximately 35 billion dinars annually, which requires a comprehensive review of the legislative system for major risks.

“The new draft law, which includes rules for prevention, intervention and disaster risk reduction, will allow a shift from a reaction approach and crisis management to a more effective and less costly forward-looking approach,” Afra said.

He also added, “The decision to draft a new law related to a comprehensive review of the legislative system for major risks came after a series of forums, meetings, discussions and consultations, in coordination with all concerned groups of university researchers and civil society, in addition to the private sector and all relevant ministerial sectors.”

He continued, “The work began in March 2021, after organizing a national forum in which more than 300 experts participated, which allowed many recommendations to be made, the most prominent of which is the review of Law 20-04 related to the prevention of major hazards and the management of disasters within the framework of sustainable development.”

In a related context, Afra explained that “a working group consisting of various experts has also been set up. At first, they prepared a preliminary project represented in reviewing the provisions of the law related to the prevention of major dangers, but in the end it was decided to prepare a new law that includes 35 new articles.”

He also pointed out that “the new law was implemented in consultation, with participation and with the contribution of many experts, and in conformity with the new Sendai Framework, which brought a new approach and vision that shifts from managing and managing disasters to managing and managing disaster risk with the aim of mitigating and limiting damage.”