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INTRODUCTIONEnvironmentalproblemshaveprogressively ome nto focusall over the world after the Stockholm Conferenceandthe more recent conferenceson global environmentalproblemsat various international fora. A wide cross sectionof people ncludingscientists, ngineers, ecisionmakersand the generalpublicare increasingly ecomingawareofthe environmental roblemsand need or ecological rotectionand estoration.Countrieshavebecomeacutelyawarethat althouqh hey havehad a differentpast ndividually, heycertainlyhavea'Common Future'.Dunng the Third SAARC Summitat Kathmandu n November1987 he Headsof Stateor Governmentexpressedtheir deep eonocrnat the fastandcontinuingdegradationofthe environment ncludingexf,ensive estructionofforestsin the region.Theyalsonoted hat the regionwasafflictedwith natural disasters uchas loods,droughts, andslidegcyclonegandtidd waveswhich causedexcessiveamage o the natural resourcesand mmensehumansuffering.Theyalso expressed oncernover the dangerposedby the global sea evel rise and its effectson SouthAsian countries.As thesenaturaldisasters nd environmental egradationwereseverely ndermining he development rocessandprospects f the Member Countrieg heHeadsof Stateor Government ecided o intensify egionalcooperationwithaview o strengtheningheir disastermanagement apabilities. heyalsodecided o commission studyon thecrausesandconsequencesf natural disasters nd the protectionandpreservation f the environment.In pursuanceof this decision, he SecretaryGeneral consulted he Member Stateson the possiblemethodsofconducting he study.On the basisof theseconsultationg he SecretaryGeneralconcludedhat a meetingof expertsnominated by each member country shouldbe held to formulate recommendations n the objectives, erms ofreference,methodologt, funding and time frame of the study.Accordingly,at the invitation of His MajestfsGovernmentof Nepal,the rneetingof expertswas held on Ii-15 July, 1988at Kathmandu.TheGroup of Expertsconcluded hatnaturaldisasters uchas loods,droughts, yclones,ubmersion f coastalareasdue to rise in the sea level, tidal waves, andslides,masswasting,earthquakesand glacial lake outbursts, andenvironmental egradation eserve arefulstudy.TheGroupnoted hatpublicawarenesss very mportant o protectand preservehe environmentand that the studywould provideMember Countrieswith an opportunity o arousegreaterpublic consciousness.The recommendations f the Group of Experts elating o the objectives,erms of reference,methodology,undingand time- frame for the studvwereas follows :

ObiediwsTo providea basis or the MemberCountries o draw up policyconclusions nd recommendationsnd to identiareaskeeping n view the potentialand possibilities f evolvinga regionalplan of actionfor strengthening isastermanagement apabilitiesand for the protectionandpreservation f the environment.

Tcrms of Referener) Country-wisedentificationand studyof naturaldisasters,heir nature,extent,causes nd consequences;ii) Country-wisedentificationof different aspects f environmentaldegradation,he causeshereof and theirimplications or naturaldisasterswhichundermine he development rocess;iii) Country-wise survey of cxisting programmes for (u) the management of disasters includingprevention/mitigation/elief and ehabilitation; nd, b) the protection, onservationndrestoration f theenvironment;iv) Identificationof specificareasof nationalpriority requiringfurther action;v) Identificationof commonareasof regionalconcern;and,

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vi) Identification f measures nd programmes t the regional evel, or strengtheningisastermanagementcapabilitiesand for the protection and preservationof the environment of the Member Countries tosupplement ationaf bilateral,regionalandglobalefforts.The methodologr recommended by the Group of Eraerts was that the SecretaryGeneral constitute a group ofcoordinatorsconsistingof a representative rom eachMember Countrybasedon nominationsreceived rom MemberGovernments.Each representativewill function as the national coordinator for the study,who may coopt as manye:rpertsasrequired.The group will have he responsibilityof preparinga commonformat for the national levelstudywithin a specified ime frame.The SecretaryGeneralmaydecide o convene nc or more Eeetingsof thegroupforthe purposeof plenning and finalising the format and may request the Menber Countries to volunteer to host themeetings. Each coordinator will thereafter be responsible or preparing the national level study. The country-wisestudieswill be consolidated nto a draft regional study by the SecretaryGeneral in consultationwith the group ofcoordinators and if necessary,with the assistanceof a consultant to be appointed from within the region, TheSecretary General will finally eonvenea meeting of experts nominated by each member country, including thecoordinator to finalize the regional study and formulate recommendations or a plan of action.TLe delegationof India agreed o preparea draft format for undertaking he studiesat the national evel whichwasgratefully acceptedby the group. The draft format preparedby India was finalised n the meeting of nationalcoordinators eld n Dhakaon 1zt-15March 1988. he final formatwascirculatedo all MemberCountries o preparethe country report to be submitted o the SAARC Secretariator compilationand ;rreparationof the draft regionalstudy.Several ountriesof the region,while submitting he national eports,havepointedout tbat given he widecoverageof the nationalstudies,a thorough assessmentf all sectorshasnot been ully possible.The availabilityof data hasdetermined he analytical copeof environment nddisasterelatedproblems.However, t hasbeenpointedout thatas this is the first effort to preparea national environment anddisaster report, improved coveragecanbe expectedwith regular updatingof informationand subsequentevisions.Even so, t is hoped hat the present eport will beuseful to national and regional plannersand decisionmakers, and will stimulate further work in systematicallyassessing nd effectivelyaddressing nvironmentand disaster elatedproblems n the SAARC region.It is expected hat regional cooperationon the ecological ront will provide the mechanism or sharing experiencesandexpertiseamong he regionalcountries o evolvestrategiesandmeasures or environmentconservation.Problemssuch as the loss of forest @ver, or those that have their origins outsidenationalboundariessuch as floods orearthquakeg should logically be treated as componentsof a singleecological matrir Understandingof the factorsbehind natural disastersand measures aken by different countries o copwith the impaclsof such disasterswouldbe extremely useful for preparingDisasterManagementPlansat national and regional level.Furthennore, there isa need o pool resouroes o that emergencyreliefcanbe providedduring droughtg floods, or generalcrop failure.Cooperation in rehabilitation and environmentalplanningwould also permit the participants to realize economiesof scale, nherent in resourcepooling exercises.