OREANDA-NEWS. July 02, 2010. Mykola Azarov has instructed the relevant ministries and agencies under the leadership of Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Viktor Slauta to prepare a meeting on developing a comprehensive state programme to prevent devastating consequences of natural disasters. Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov said this today during the meeting of the Government.

According to Mykola Azarov, an analysis of the situation shows systemic failures in providing protection against natural disaster. The Prime Minister stressed that Ukraine has a lack of waterproof facilities, water level regulation systems, sluices, works on silt control. Furthermore, according to the Prime Minister, reservoirs are used for other purposes, houses are not transferred to safe places. Ukraine is facing the wide-scale deforestation.

"It is clear that we should develop and strictly implement a comprehensive state programme that would systematically and in the long-term guarantee protection to people from natural disasters", said Mykola Azarov. He has noted that the programme will aim to prevent such catastrophic consequences of natural disasters, as we are facing now.

"So, I have instructed the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, Ministry of Regional Development and Construction, Ministry of Economy, State Committee for Water Saving, State Forestry Committee under the supervision of Vice Prime Minister Viktor Slauta to prepare for the next week a meeting where we will do a comprehensive analysis, assess the volume of problems and define all programme’s elements to be created", said the PM.

He has reminded that work on rectifying of the consequences of floods in Chernivtsi region is headed by First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Andriy Klyuyev: "He is entrusted to use all necessary experts, all resources. First of all, we must prevent from new victims, ensure people moved from their houses worthy temporary existence conditions. And we must do everything possible as quickly as possible".