Escalating Crises Demand Global Unity:A-PAD Symposium Warns

COLOMBO (News 1st); The A-PAD International Symposium 2025, held in Colombo under the theme “Strengthening Collaboration in an Era of Escalating Crises,” brought together global experts, policymakers, and humanitarian leaders to address the growing complexity of disasters and crises worldwide.

Organized by the Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management Sri Lanka, the symposium featured high-level discussions on rethinking preparedness, strategic interventions, operational readiness, and strengthening emergency response and search-and-rescue capabilities.

Delivering a powerful note, Prof. Quazi Quamruzzaman, Chairman of A-PAD International, warned that crises—whether natural or man-made—are no longer isolated events: “Earthquakes, floods, cyclones, climate change, wars, economic and political turmoil—these crises affect all of us due to globalization. Collaboration among governments, private sector, civil and military partnerships, NGOs, and grassroots communities is essential.”

Firzan Hashim, COO of A-PAD International, stressed the economic toll of disasters: “Sri Lanka alone spent Rs. 23 billion and Rs. 25 billion on humanitarian response in 2017 and 2018. Climate destruction is becoming more expensive, pushing countries into a debt spiral. We may be prepared, but not protected. Climate resilience, infrastructure, and sustainable development must take the lead.”

Japan’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Akio Isomata, shared lessons from Japan’s disaster resilience: “Japan faces repeated disasters—earthquakes, floods, torrential rains. Our experience has tempered national resilience across all layers of society, enabling us to better prepare and manage complex emergencies.”

The Ambassador also announced strategic cooperation projects with Sri Lanka, including:

Installation of Doppler radars in Puttalam for advanced weather forecasting
Digitalization of terrestrial TV broadcasting with emergency alert systems
Capacity-building for search and rescue with Sri Lanka’s military
Provision of UAVs to the Sri Lankan Navy for maritime surveillance under Japan’s Official Security Assistance scheme

The symposium concluded with a strong call for policy reforms, technical strategies, and public-private collaboration to break the cycle of disaster and debt, and to prioritize resilience and sustainable development.