A high level symposium on disaster risk reduction kicked off in Nepali capital Kathmandu amid a program Monday.

The symposium is organized by Nepali Ministry of Home Affairs in partnership with the United Nations and the United States Embassy to Nepal.

Chief guest of the program, Prime Minister of Nepal Jhalanath Khanal, inaugurated the symposium.

Addressing the function at the inaugural ceremony, Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal appreciated the U.N. and the U.S. government's effort to hold the symposium.

"Nepal is designated as 'hotspot' for disasters such as landslides, earthquakes, epidemics, floods, fires and clod waves have been claiming life and infrastructure every year," the Prime Minister said.

He also said that disaster management is not the sole responsibility of the government but NGOs., local communities, civil societies and the international community should work together.

He expressed his confidence that this consortium will be able to mobilize adequate resources and enhance disaster resilience of Nepal.

Speaking at the program, Maria Otero, U.S. Under Secretary of State called for a new paradigm for disaster risk reduction in the country.

She said that there should be shift in the mindset from thinking about present to future, from thinking about disaster response to disaster reduction and from thinking of the millions of dollars to be lost to utilize it for preserving resources.

"Regional cooperation is must for reducing the risk in the nation, if earthquake comes in Nepal then India and China should help Nepal," she said, adding "we can't avoid the disaster but we can minimize the effect of the disaster."

Special guest of the event, Robert Parker, Mayor of Chirstchurch, New Zealand said that we should all work together in reducing the effect of the disaster.

"You must work together to protect your infrastructure and look after each other in the period of disaster," he added.

Also speaking in the same occasion, Margareta Wahlstrom, United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General on Disaster Risk Reduction highlighted the need of acting now and planning about the future.

"We have to bring up the sense of urgency and accelerate the action implementation", she said. The symposium will conclude till Feb. 15.