Australia and Canada ink deal to co-operate on disaster management

Australia’s and Canada’s emergency management agencies have formalized an agreement to encourage greater co-operation and better disaster management preparedness for their nations.

A memorandum of understanding to encourage greater co-operation across the disaster management continuum, particularly through information-sharing activities, was signed by Public Safety Canada (PSC) and Australia’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The memorandum establishes a framework for cooperation between PSC and NEMA over a five year period.

Canada’s assistant deputy minister for emergency management, Trevor Bhupsingh, and Australia’s co-ordinator-general for NEMA, Brendan Moon, met to discuss domestic approaches to disaster management and risk reduction at the high-level meeting on the midterm review of the Sendai Framework in New York – a key forum for advancing international discussions on disaster risk reduction.

Assistant Deputy Minister Bhupsignh said the two nations working together would lead to improve disaster preparedness and help reduce disaster risk.

“While the disasters that we face may be different, similarities in our governance structures, policy settings and even demography mean that there is significant value in Canada and Australia collaborating on disaster management,” he said.

“Regrettably, the impacts of climate change mean that natural hazards will occur more frequently. We may not be able to stop these disasters from occurring, but in working together, we can get better in how we prepare and manage disasters.”

Coordinator-General Moon said the agreement would help build resilience in the longer-term for both nations.

“It is timely that the emergency management agencies for Australia and Canada have been able to meet at this forum for advancing international discussions on disaster risk reduction as we’ve both had many lived experiences in preparing for and responding to recent disasters,” he said.

“There is also significant opportunity to collaborate and learn best practice so that we can reduce the risk of disasters, or their impacts. This steely focus across the whole of the disaster management continuum is necessary if we are to build resilience in the longer-term.”