Japan is primed to provide its disaster prevention expertise to Africa as climate change continues to threaten sustainable growth on the continent, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Sunday at the African aid conference.
"Japan has the history and experience of fighting natural disasters," Abe told participants at a panel session on bolstering Africa's resilience to climate-related and natural disasters.
Abe said the 2011 quake and tsunami reconfirmed the importance of minimizing damage through preventive measures.
"Damage from droughts and floods continues to threaten Africa" and with climate change amplifying the risks, the issue needs to be urgently addressed, Abe said.
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim agreed, telling the panel that all of Africa's diverse regions are "extremely vulnerable" to the effects of global warming. Stopping natural disasters from causing massive damage will not only save lives but also have an impact on other critical issues, Kim said.
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