VIENTIANE, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Members of the Lao National Disaster Prevention and Control Committee and development partners met in Lao capital Vientiane have met to discuss ways to progress disaster management and disaster risk reduction in the country.

Disasters are an acute threat to development, and implementing disaster risk reduction is necessary for saving lives and avoiding economic losses, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Monday.

During the meeting held last Thursday, participants discussed progress on construction and maintenance of critical infrastructure in order to ensure that the creation of new risk is avoided and that infrastructure continues to function during and after a disaster.

Attendees took part in experience sharing discussions dedicated to understanding disaster risk, strengthening disaster risk management, investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience and disaster preparedness for effective response.

Lao Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Khampheng Saysompheng, the keynote speaker at the event, thanked the participants for their efforts to support local authorities in creating post-disaster assessments and recovery planning including plans in disaster risk reduction for resilience and disaster preparedness for effective response.

"Local authorities need to build plans which aim to reduce damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services," he added.

The meeting identified that authorities at provincial, district and village levels must implement more activities to ensure the creation of new risk is avoided, and that infrastructure continues to function during and after a disaster. Enditem

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