His Life and Work

Born on 8 May 1932, in London, United Kingdom, Col Brian got his education in Marlborough (1945-1950) and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (1951-1953). He passed the British Army Staff College, Camberley in 1965.

He served for twenty years in the British Regular Army (Royal Engineers) (1953 - 1973). This included five years work where he was attached to the Malaysian Armed Forces. During this time he participated in several rural development projects, worked in the Malaysian Ministry of Defence and on liaison duties with the police for joint Thai-Malaysian border security operation.

Prior to his retirement, he served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Logistics Planning Division, Headquarters, of the South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), Bangkok, Thailand, where he was responsible for detailed logistics planning for SEATO. He took voluntary retirement in 1973.

As Founding Director of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, he successfully built the center and nurtured it like a caring father until his last days. Starting in 1986, he led the ADPC team in offering a comprehensive range of services in disaster management available for the first time in the region through training, workshops and seminars, technical projects, support to national programs through advisory and consulting services and information management.

Earlier Disaster Management Experience
From 1975 to 1985, he worked as a Consultant for the United Nations Disaster Relief Office (UNDRO: now renamed UN-OCHA) and as a Delegate for the League of Red Cross Societies (LRCS: now renamed International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies [IFRC]). His work for UNDRO entailed advice and assistance to national and provincial governments in disaster-prone developing countries in all aspects of disaster management - legislation, prevention and mitigation, warning measures, contingency planning, logistics, training, public information, relief, rehabilitation, evaluation, coordination. His work for the Red Cross entailed advice and assistance to Third World National Societies in their long-term development plans and current operations including disaster preparedness and relief, management systems, budgets and traditional Red Cross activities. All the missions involved liaison at a senior level with governments, diplomatic missions, UN agencies and inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations.

His specific missions were a Joint Feasibility Study commissioned by UNDRO/WMO/AIT and funded by UNDP to examine the needs of Asian-Pacific countries for international assistance in the field of disaster management (1985); LRCS Chief Delegate in Uganda (1983-1984); UNDRO consultant in Papua New Guinea advising on preparation of provincial disaster plan for East New Britain (1983); LRCS relief delegate in Liberia (1982); UNDRO consultant advising Government of Western Samoa on national structure for disaster management (1982); UNDRO consultant advising Government of Papua New Guinea on national structure for disaster management (1982); LRCS Chief Delegate for Indo-Chinese refugee relief operations in Indonesia and Philippines (1980-1981); Administrator Refugee Affairs, Hong Kong Red Cross (1979-1980). Earlier missions were to Sudan , Ethiopia , Bangladesh , Yemen Arab Republic and Indonesia.

Founding Director of the ADPC
From 1985 to 1992, he was the founding Director of the ADPC at AIT. He retired at his own request on 31 October 1992 . The ADPC was established in response to requests from countries in Asia and the Pacific for international assistance in formulating their policies and developing their capabilities in all aspects of disaster management. During his time as director he undertook numerous senior-level disaster-related technical advisory and liaison missions in Asia, the Pacific and elsewhere including Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, China, Costa Rica, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, UN in Geneva and New York, UK, USA, Vietnam and Western Samoa.

International Disaster Management Consultant
From 1992-1998, he was the Senior Technical Advisor to UNDP-sponsored project. He assisted in the capacity building of the national disaster management coordinating body in Indonesia . He was a resource person to the Australian Conference on Emergency Prevention and Management. He also advised the UNDP Bangladesh project to strengthen the national disaster management structure, to propose a training strategy and was a resource person in a disaster training course at the Defence Services Command and Staff College.

From 1985 he was Senior Technical Adviser in a UNDP- sponsored project to in project to strengthen the national disaster management coordinating body in Indonesia. Previous consultancy missions included: Australia as a resource person in a conference on Emergency Prevention and Management; Bangladesh (thrice) to advise in a UNDP project to strengthen the national disaster management structure, to propose a training strategy, and as a resource person in a disaster training course at the Defence Services Command and Staff College; Brunei as course director in a national Counter-Disaster Staff Training Program; China (twice) for UNDP as team leader in a post-disaster evaluation, and to advise on a regional project; Laos as lead resource person in a Red Cross workshop on disaster management; Myanmar (thrice) as a UNDP consultant to the Government to assist in enhancing awareness among policy makers of the preventive and preparedness aspects of disaster management, and to represent the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center at the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones; Singapore as a resource person in an international conference on Aircraft Disaster Management; Thailand three months work for UNDP as a consultant to the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) of the Royal Thai Government advising on measures to strengthen national disaster management strategies, as a resource person for the Royal Thai Police Fire Brigade at an international conference on fire prevention, and as a resource person at an Asian Development Bank seminar; and as a member of a WHO expert review panel for a publication.

Director Emeritus of ADPC
He returned to be Director Emeritus of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center Foundation (ADPC), when ADPC separated from its parent organization the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand. He is the pioneer in launching ADPC's program on Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (DANA) which aims to develop a standard methodology and protocols, appropriate to the needs of disaster managers in countries in Asia and the Pacific, for assessing and reporting post-disaster damage and needs so as to facilitate response and optimize the use of resources.

In recognition of his outstanding personal contribution to disaster reduction, Col. Brian Ward was awarded the United Nations Sasakawa Certificate of Distinction in 2001.

He lived and was based in Bangkok, Thailand for over thirty years until his demise on June 12, 2004 in London, the United Kingdom, following heart surgery.

Following is a list of his publications:

Strengthening Disaster Management in Thailand. UNDP Technical Advisory Report, co-authored with Dr G. Shook. 1994.

Disaster Mitigation and Prevention in Myanmar. UNDP Technical Advisory Mission Report. 1993.

1991 Anhui Flood Evaluation, China. UNDP Technical Advisory Mission Report. 1993.

Disaster Management Training Strategy for Bangladesh. UNDP Technical Advisory Report, 1993.

Disaster Mitigation in Asia and the Pacific (Executive Summary). Asian Development Bank. 1991.

Report on South Pacific Mission prepared for the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator (UNDRO). 1990.

Disaster Management Training in the Asian-Pacific Region. "Managing Natural Disasters and the Environment". World Bank. 1991.

Flood Protection and Relief Management for Thailand. Asian Institute of Technology. 1989.

Trends in Disaster Management in Asia. International Seminar on Regional Development Planning for Disaster Prevention, Nagoya , Shizuka and Tokyo . 1986.

The Uganda Experience. The Red Cross Relief Operation in the Luwero Triangle in 1983 and 1984. League of Red Cross Societies Report.

East New Britain Provincial Disaster Plan. Papua New Guinea. 1983.

Mano Landslide Disaster, Liberia. League of Red Cross Societies Report. 1982.

Disaster Management in Western Samoa. UNDRO Technical Advisory Mission Report. 1982.

Disaster Management in Papua New Guinea. UNDRO Technical Advisory Mission Report. 1982.

The Red Cross Relief Operation for Indochinese Refugees in Indonesia and the Philippines. League of Red Cross Societies Report. 1981.

The British Red Cross Relief Operation for Indochinese Refugees in Hong Kong. British Red Cross Society Report. 1980.

Disaster Prevention and Preparedness in the Democratic Republic of the Sudan. UNDRO Technical Advisory Mission Report. 1977.

Disaster Prevention and Preparedness in the Yemen Arab Republic. UNDRO Mission Report. 1977.

UNDRO Assistance to the Government of Bangladesh. UNDRO Technical Advisory Mission Report. 1976.

The Organization for Disaster Prevention and Preparedness in Indonesia. UNDRO Mission Report. 1975.