Lalitpur, August 7:

About 6,000 died from natural calamities during the last 20 years. The deaths were in the natural calamities that befell because of increasing population, geographical structure and climate.

Of all the calamities in South Asia, 90 per cent are related with climate and 70 percent of it is related with dust. The people of hilly areas and poor community are mostly victimized by the natural calamities. It is reported that the capital city, Kathmandu, is one of the risky areas from the perspective of the natural calamities.

This came to light at the three-day long regional workshop which started from today, and is being organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) with the assistance of Department of Humanitarian Service of the European Commission in order to discuss on calamities management plans prepared for the calamities potential areas.

Joint Secretary of the Home Ministry, Calamities Management Department Thir Bahadur GC said that the national plan for calamities management was started from the Seventh Plan and the work related to it has been implemented in all the 75 districts. Principal Secretary of the Indian government NN Napanchyal, Abdul Bari Khan of the Ministry of Food and Calamities of Bangladesh and Ghulam Khan of Pakistan informed about the policies and plans adopted by their respective governments while managing the calamities.

Some 70 participants from Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan have been taking part in the seminar.