Improving resilience and preparedness for disasters impacting the Asia-Pacific region
Jakarta, 7 November 2013
– Every year around 200 million people are directly affected
by natural disasters in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2013 thus far,
Indonesia has recorded several destructive natural disasters such as
landslides, earthquakes, and flash floods. When such disasters occur,
they inevitably impact economic stability across the
archipelago.
While disaster relief efforts have a significant impact on a community’s
ability to recover, it is more prudent to help communities be better
prepared for disasters, so they may help themselves in order to reduce
damages and losses.
CSR
Asia, an organization building capacity and awareness of sustainable
business practices, with the support of the Prudence Foundation, the
charitable arm of Prudential in Asia, have collaborated on a White
Paper entitled “Business and Disaster Preparedness: Helping Communities
Prepare for Effective Response”, the first of its kind in the region.
The research, findings and proposals of this White
Paper will be made public at the first annual Disaster Preparedness
Forum to take place on November 21st, 2013 at the Four Seasons Hotel, Jakarta.
The
Forum will underline opportunities for businesses to engage in
partnerships that help build disaster preparedness of communities in the
Asia-Pacific
region. It will also examine four modes of business engagement
covering: skills-based volunteering, use of business assets and
networks, application of new technology and innovation, and advocacy
efforts.
Richard Welford,
Chairman of CSR Asia said: “With the collaborative support of the
Prudence Foundation, we are aiming to strengthen the business sector’s
role in helping communities prepare for disasters through our first such
forum. We want to bring together key leaders in the business,
humanitarian, and government sectors to identify and
discuss opportunities for cooperation in helping meet community needs
and leveraging company contributions in disaster preparedness.”
The speakers at the Forum will include a representative from
Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana, Victor Rembeth, National Manager, Disaster Resource Partnership (DRP) Indonesia National Network,
Rajan Gengaje, Head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Indonesia,
Richard Welford, Chairman of CSR Asia, and representatives from Save the Children, Plan International, Oxfam
and VSO. From the private sector, speakers will include Donald Kanak,
Chairman of Prudential Corporation Asia, Rahim Tahir, Managing Director Indonesia, DHL Supply Chain, and
Erin Steinhauer, Head of Corporate Responsibility Asia Pacific, Central Europe, Middle East and Africa, Visa Inc.
Donald Kanak,
who is
also a Trustee of the Prudence Foundation, said: “We hope that this
Forum will be an opportunity for business to learn and to engage in
dialogue relating to disaster preparedness. As a leading
life insurer and asset manager in Asia, Prudential has a strong
commitment to the health, safety and prosperity of the communities in
which we operate. The primary message of this forum is that disaster
preparedness can be more effectively realised with the
cooperation of communities and businesses.”
For further information about the Forum, and registration please visit
http://csr-asia.com/dpforum2013/
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About CSR Asia
CSR Asia builds capacity and promotes awareness of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in order to advance sustainable
development across Asia.
Through
our expanding global presence and our team of specialists, we provide
cutting-edge research, strategy advisory,
networking and executive education services with an informed
understanding of evolving CSR issues on the ground. Our offices in Hong
Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Australia and the United
Kingdom and our partnerships in Vietnam, Bangladesh and
Indonesia, contribute to tackling the sustainability challenges facing
the region. For more information:
www.csr-asia.com
About Prudence Foundation
In
2011, we established the Prudence Foundation to further drive our
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts,
building on our long-standing commitment to corporate responsibility.
The Foundation provides a unified charitable platform for bringing our
regional CSR activities to a new level of strategic alignment and
maximising the impact of our efforts across Asia.
The Prudence Foundation continues our focus on the key thematic pillars of Children, Education and Disaster Preparedness
& Relief.
The
Prudence Foundation embodies the long-term and heartfelt commitment of
Prudential's people in Asia to provide
innovative, focused, and practical support to their local communities.
Through meaningful contributions to sustainable initiatives focused on
Education, Children and Disaster Preparedness & Relief, we aim to
make a lasting contribution to Asian societies.
The Prudence Foundation is governed by a statutory Board of Directors, under which is a Board of Trustees comprised of senior business leaders of the firm. The Board of Trustees is the main decision-making forum for the Foundation. A full-time Executive Director has been appointed to perform the day-to-day management of the programmes approved by the Foundation in collaboration with the business units where the programmes may operate. For more information: www.prudencefoundation.com
