MOU between India and Turkmenistan on Disaster Management

Indian Government on Thursday approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Turkmenistan on Disaster Management. This MoU is for cooperation between the two countries in the field of Disaster Management.

As per the press release of PIB Delhi, the MoU seeks to put in place a system, whereby both India and Turkmenistan will be benefited from the Disaster Management mechanisms of each other and it will help in strengthening the areas of preparedness, response, and capacity building in the field of Disaster Management.

Further, some of the areas in which the MoU envisages cooperation between two countries on a mutually beneficial basis include the following-

• Monitoring and forecasting emergencies and assessment of their consequences;
• Interaction, through Competent Authorities, between appropriate organizations involved in disaster management;
• Joint   planning, development   and   implementation   of   research   projects, exchange of scientific and technical publications and results of research works in the field of disaster management;
• Exchange of information, periodicals or any other publications, video and photo materials, as well as technologies, as mutually agreed within the scope of this MoU;
• Organization of joint conferences, seminars, workshops as well as exercises and trainings in the relevant fields;
• Exchange of experts and experiences in disaster management;
• Training and capacity building of first responders in search and rescue operations; exchange of trainees and experts to facilitate capacity building in the field of disaster management;
• Rendering assistance, as mutually agreed, for providing technical facilities and equipment, enhancing early warning systems and capacity building of the Parties in disaster management;
• Providing assistance, as mutually agreed, in emergency response;
• Mutual assistance sharing of knowledge and expertise for creation of disaster resilient infrastructure;
• Rendering quality management systems, as mutually agreed in accordance with the internationally recognized standards;
• Any other activities related to disaster management, which may be mutually agreed by the Competent Authorities of the Parties;

At present, similar agreements exist between India and some other nations including Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Japan, and Bangladesh for cooperation in the field of Disaster Management.