KUCHING: Sarawak remained focused on strengthening disaster preparedness and response capabilities, particularly for maritime, coastal and riverine emergencies.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the matter was discussed during a courtesy call by retired United States Coast Guard Vice-Admiral Peter Gautier yesterday (Jan 16).
Uggah, who is also the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) Chairman, shared that the state had managed various disasters over the years, including floods, the COVID-19 pandemic, fires and haze incidents.
“During the meeting, both parties exchanged views on crisis and disaster management, with particular emphasis on maritime emergencies.
“The discussion also explored opportunities for the transfer and adaptation of weather detection modelling and early evacuation planning to strengthen disaster preparedness and response, particularly for coastal and riverine communities in Sarawak,” he said in a statement.
The statement added that both sides stressed the importance of institutional cooperation, capacity-building and knowledge exchange, including training, technical assistance and the sharing of best practices in emergency coordination and command systems.
Representatives from the United States Embassy also shared information on ongoing and potential collaboration programmes in areas such as education, communication, leadership development and biodiversity.
For the record, Gautier was awarded Harvard University’s Meta-Leader of the Year in 2024 for his leadership in complex crisis environments.
He is set to deliver a public talk at Pustaka Negeri Sarawak titled ‘From Crisis to Cooperation: Case Studies in U.S. Maritime Incident Management’.
