| As this year's El Niño phenomenon develops into potentially
the largest climate event of the century, the Asian Disaster Preparedness
Center (ADPC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
have decided to hold an Asian Preparedness Meeting and Media Workshop.
The event, sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development's
Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/ OFDA), will be held in Bangkok
from February 2 to 6, 1997. The follow up activities will include the establishment
of an El Niño related Information Clearing House at ADPC and a Lessons
Learned workshop after twelve months.
The main objectives of this initiative are to: share the latest scientific
information on current El-Niño event and related climatological
forecasts and their ongoing and expected impacts; share information on
regional, national and local efforts at coping with, responding to, and
managing current and potential El Niño related emergencies; identify
short term action plans for regional cooperation; learn from the efforts
of other regions in responding to and managing El Niño related emergencies
and other societal impacts; and promote informed media coverage and establish
regional and national information clearing house arrangements.
The February meeting will bring together national policy and decision
makers, regional and international climate scientists and organizations,
disaster managers from countries of the region, representatives from the
international humanitarian assistance community including bilateral and
multilateral donors and NGOs, and the regional media representatives. The
key outcome of the meeting would be a set of national plans of action for
each country as well as the development of a protocol for regional cooperation.
The meeting would be followed by a one day working group session and a
one day session on the role of the media in supporting better preparedness,
mitigation and response to the impacts of El Niño in southeast Asia.
For more information, please visit the following site: http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th/learning/elnino/elnino.html
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