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Applications invited for the RADIUS Case Studies

The IDNDR Secretariat is now inviting applications for RADIUS case studies (see the previous issue of this newsletter for a profile of the project). The Secretariat has sent letters with an application form to major cities in earthquake prone regions. Interested cities should obtain this application form from the IDNDR secretariat and write basic information about their city in the application form. Although the official deadline for the application is already over (end of May), we feel that the interested cities could still write to the IDNDR Secretariat and seek an application form.

Candidate cities (approximately 15) will be selected by the IDNDR Secretariat, based on the data and information in the application form. Then, experts of assigned international institutes will visit the candidate cities, to assess the feasibility of the case study. Based on their evaluation reports submitted to the Secretariat, 6 cities for the "full case study" and 3 cities for the "auxiliary case study" will be selected in August. Several cities will be also designated as the "associate case-study" cities.

The RADIUS project aims to develop common methodologies for seismic risk assessment of urban areas. The objective of the case studies is to prepare earthquake damage scenarios for the city. The earthquake scenario would show damages to a city one hour, one day, and one week after a potential earthquake. The case studies aim to transfer the advanced technology for the seismic risk assessment to local experts and to raise public awareness at local level. The results of the case studies will be incorporated to develop common tools for the seismic risk assessment.

The "full case studies" will be conducted in cities where a similar project has not been carried out. The Secretariat will provide US $ 40,000 to US $ 50,000 to the local governments. Internationally respected experts will visit the city a few times during the case study to provide technical advice. An internationally experienced institute will help to coordinate the case study and will offer technical assistance through electronic communication. One or two counterparts from each city will be invited to a training seminar, planned to be held in Japan. One or two counterparts from each city will be invited to an international workshop to present the results of the case studies.

The "auxiliary case studies" will be conducted in cities where a similar project has been carried out before or where intensive external assistance is not necessary. The Secretariat will provide US $ 10,000 to 20,000 to the local governments for auxiliary case studies..

Some similar projects, which are conducted with independent resources, can be designated as the "associate case study" for information exchange. An expert from the city can participate in a training seminar at their expense. The city will be invited to participate in an international workshop to present the results of the case study at their expense.

UN-DHA initiative

United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs will be organizing the "Asia International Disaster Response Coordination Workshop" in cooperation with the ADPC. The workshop will be held at the ADPC in Bangkok from 7 to 16 July 1997. Six disaster-prone countries (Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) will be represented at the workshop by country teams, composed of Government, Red Cross and UNDP officials. In addition, participation is being sought from Australia, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, Thailand and the United States as well as UN system agencies and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The workshop will familiarise national disaster managers with international relief systems and the expectations thereof, including DHA's relief coordination function, and introduce United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) disaster response methodology in order to establish a basis for future UNDAC involvement in the region. The workshop will strengthen national and regional disaster management capacity to conduct rapid post-disaster assessment, to communicate relief needs, to mobilize and then coordinate appropriate international relief efforts with national mechanisms. This will reinforce regional cooperation through a network of mutually supportive experienced disaster managers, based on the UNDAC system, and with the continuing support of the UNDP offices across Asia.