KATHMANDU: Minister for Home Affairs, Ramesh Lekhak, has pointed out the need for coordination and cooperation among three-tier governments in disaster risk reduction and management.

At a programme organised at the Home Ministry on Wednesday, Minister Lekhak opined that disaster management falls under the jurisdiction of three levels in the allocation of jurisdiction of federal, provincial and local governments.

“We are in a high-risk geography. So, coordination and cooperation among the three-tier government are a must for disaster preparedness and management,” he mentioned.

Stating that all seven provinces have emergency warehouses, the Home Minister shared that such warehouses have already been handed over in order to operate them by the provincial government. According to him, the Disaster Management Authority has the responsibility for the warehouse in Kathmandu Valley.

He laid emphasis on the need to make such emergency warehouses capable of lower levels for disaster management by establishing them at local levels, as local people’s representatives are closest to the citizens.

Collaboration and cooperation of all were necessary in the early warning of disaster and in post-disaster search, rescue and rehabilitation, the Home Minister argued.