Under the directives of the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the country’s leadership has allocated US$10 million to implement a programme aimed at enhancing the resilience of communities in the Asia-Pacific region to natural disasters. The initiative was reported by Emirates News Agency (WAM), a partner of TV BRICS.

The goal of the initiative is to utilise natural mechanisms to protect people from disasters. The first phase of the programme will be funded by the UAE, while further financing is expected to come from both the public and private sectors.

The programme focuses on three key principles:

• restoration of natural protective ecosystems, including mangrove forests and coral reefs;

• creation of sustainable sources of income for farmers, fishermen and small businesses through the development of ecotourism;

• enhancement of public preparedness for natural disasters through early warning systems.

The first phase of the initiative will be implemented in the Philippines and Indonesia. It is expected to serve as a scalable model for the future expansion of the programme across the region.

The actions of the UAE authorities align with the strategic goals of the BRICS countries in the field of disaster risk reduction. As noted in paragraph 122 of the final declaration adopted at the Rio de Janeiro Summit, the heads of state have committed to cooperating on the development of climate-resilient infrastructure.

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