Dear Readers

We are pleased to bring out this issue of the Asian Disaster Management News focusing on “Disaster Reduction for Sustainable Mountain Development”, the theme of the UNISDR’s 2002 world campaign for disaster reduction, with special significance in this International Year of Mountains. Hazards are inherent in mountainous terrain: landslides, debris flows, avalanches, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires, floods and glacial lake outburst floods. Given their remoteness, mountain communities face more severe disaster impacts because of poor communication facilities and delays in response and relief operations. This inaccessibility necessitates a self-reliant community-based approach to disaster reduction which fits well with mountain people’s relationship with their environment and their resilience.

This issue highlights experiences and issues in disaster reduction in mountainous areas of France, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, and also reports on organizations like ICIMOD, and websites and publications dealing with this theme. In keeping with our tradition of encouraging debate and diverse viewpoints, we bring you an article by Thomas Enters of the Food and Agriculture Organization which questions the role of forests in protecting against catastrophic floods.

To encourage innovative and pioneering work by young professionals and researchers, a new program of grant awards for applied research and documentation on disaster risk reduction is announced in this issue. ADPC is excited to partner with the World Bank and ProVention Consortium in this effort, which we are confident will encourage new thinking, and more effective documentation of and learning from good practice from the field. Do publicize this program widely and encourage young practitioners to apply.

We are also publishing a report on the emphasis on disaster reduction in the final declaration of the recently concluded World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. Similar linkages were also explored at the recent COP 8 meeting of the IPCC in Delhi. We encourage disaster management practitioners and advocates to use these linkages in their efforts at integration and partnership with programs of the sustainable development, environment and climate change communities.

With this issue, we have included a readers survey questionnaire, with the aim of improving the quality and focus of the newsletter and making it more reflective of reader interest. The questionnaire is also available on our website. I encourage you to complete the questionnaire and send it to us as soon as you can by post, fax or email. Your valued comments, views and suggestions will be welcomed and will further help us serve you better.

Wishing You a Safe and Happy New Year 2003!
Loy Rego
ajrego@ait.ac.th

Themes for Forthcoming Issues of the Asian Disaster Management News
Cyclone Preparedness (January-March 2003)
Disaster Risk Communication (April-June 2003)