ADPC in Action
Fifth Disaster Management Practitioners' (DMP) workshop for Southeast Asia: Sustaining partnerships: Meeting the challenges of scaling-up CBDRM programs, 2-4 Apr 2008, Cambodia The 5th DMP workshop was jointly hosted by ADPC and UNESCAP in Phnom Penh under ECHO’s disaster preparedness programme (DIPECHO) funded ADPC program, Partnerships for Disaster Reduction Southeast Asia (PDRSEA). The workshop was attended by more than 150 Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) practitioners from various  at-risk communities, government agencies, non-government organizations, community-based organizations, private sector and faith-based organizations, academic institutions, the media and civil society in South East Asia and other sub-regions of Asia.   Representatives from UN agencies, regional organizations and other specialized agencies at the international, regional and national levels along with donor communities were the other participants. The workshop covered three thematic sessions: Revisiting the link between Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) and development, sharing of best practices and lessons learned in integrating CBDRM into development plans & programs and strengthening partnerships on CBDRR. Two skill building workshops on community resilience through Hazard, Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (HVCA) and social mobilization for CBDRM were offered. Some of the key future directions identified by different DIPECHO partner countries are the following: 1. Institutional strengthening at all levels 2. CBDRM to be integrated into development plans 3. To develop CBDRM guidelines & standards and to continue with the integration of CBDRM into local socio-economic planning 4. Actions to be taken in translating and disseminating guidelines on CBDRM as a reference as well as in the documentation of leadership, resources, arrangements and materials. Regional workshop on Flood Preparedness Programs in the lower Mekong Basin, 29 Apr, Bangkok The workshop was organized by Mekong River Commission Secretariat (MRCS) with support from ADPC under the DIPECHO funded, Flood Preparedness program. The workshop provided opportunities for practitioners in the Mekong countries to share experiences, lessons learned as well as to develop partnerships to promote flood risk reduction.  There were more than 40 participants, primarily key players and policy makers from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam. News coverage: Flood Preparedness www.adpc.net or http://www.bangkokpost.com/110508_Perspective/11May2008_pers001.php Seventh meeting of the Regional Consultative Committee (RCC) on Disaster Management (RCC-7), 8-11 May, Sri Lanka The seventh meeting of the RCC on Disaster Management (RCC-7) was organized by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights, Government of Sri Lanka and ADPC in Colombo. The meeting was attended by 19 RCC member countries. The participants included representatives from the National Disaster Management Offices, National Planning Agencies and sectoral agencies. The meeting was also attended by various UN Agencies, development partners and the donors. The RCC-7 meeting had a special theme of Rights-based Community-led Disaster risk reduction. A special session on initiatives on disaster risk reduction in Sri Lanka provided an excellent opportunity for the member countries to learn more about the various initiatives been undertaken by Sri Lanka. Other highlights were session on mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into development planning and policy, thus highlighting the need to promote safer development as an element for sustainable development. News Coverage: Significant strides in disaster prevention since tsunami  www.adpc.net  Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) updates, Apr-May, Bangladesh The second Working Group Workshop on Interim Contingency Planning was conducted on 15 Apr to identify the existing roles and responsibilities of working group members. Participants identified objectives and lead institutions.  The clusters were a) Operations Response, Emergency Services, & Transport; b) Health, Welfare, Food and Nutrition; c) Urban Crisis Planning, Recovery, Mass Media Communications & Public Information; and d) Utilities, Water and Sanitation. Honorable Mayor M. Manjur Alam inaugurated the City-level workshop on “Development of City Disaster Management Plan” on 23 Apr, an activity under CDMP in Chittagong program. A total of 71 representatives from sectoral agencies, elected representatives, universities, fire brigade and navy discussed the scenario related to Earthquake hazards in the city. Program for Hydro-Meteorological Disaster Mitigation in Secondary Cities in Asia (PROMISE) country project event updates, Apr-May Bangladesh-Bangladesh Disaster Preparedness Center (BDPC) and the Red Crescent Volunteers organized a mock drill 0n 27 May in response to multiple hazards. The drill was conducted in Girls High School, Chawk Bazar (Ward 16), Chittagong. Participants included teachers, students, and the city’s fire brigade. Indonesia- PROMISE conducted a workshop with the Technical Working Group (TWG)  on 30 April with the Jakarta Provincial Government (JPG), Jakarta PMI (Indonesian Red Cross) as the focal NGO, and local community-based organizations.  The TWG identified flood preparedness initiatives taken in the region of Jakarta and clarifications were made on information gaps. PROMISE held a focused group discussion on 7 May to discuss preparations for data collection on flood preparedness and mitigation initiatives and program done by various institution and organizations in the DKI Jakarta area. The data and the risk assessments were presented during the Training of Trainers (TOT) previously mentioned on CBDRR Initiative for Development Agencies, Local Government, Local Actors, Community Leaders and Teachers in the designated Kelurahan, at the PKK Training Center, South Jakarta. Pakistan – A workshop was conducted on Governance and Disaster Risk Reduction in Hyderabad from 26-29 May. The workshop was attended by 25 participants from District Administration, Aga Khan planning and building services, NGOs, public representatives and government officers. The workshop introduced concepts of disaster management planning and governance in the district of Hyderabad. Philippines – Typhoon Cosme (international name Halong) hit Dagupan hard with its winds on 17 May, resulting in total damage of 3,349 houses, partial damage to 15,034 houses & affecting 24,973 families. Damage to public infrastructure (school buildings, day care centers, health centers, barangay and city offices, lighting) is estimated at PhP 28.9 million (US$ 0.69 million). Estimated loss to the fishing industry was PHP 537 million (US$13 million). PROMISE-Philippines was acknowledged for having helped the city prepare against disaster.  The city and barangay disaster coordinating councils were all activated well ahead of the typhoon’s approach.  The flood early warning system was monitored non-stop, and there were no deaths in spite of the high-risk locations.  Barangay Mangin, with the highest risk, evacuated its residents and distributed its own relief reaching all residents.  The city and the Dagupan Red Cross’s relief and recovery efforts to purify water, clear roads, restore water and electrical services began immediately after the typhoon passed. Dr. Leo Carbonell, Dagupan City Health Officer, and Ms. Mayfourth Luneta, PROMISE-Philippines country coordinator, presented the PROMISE-Philippines project at two networking events- Avian Influenza Network on 5 May and the Regional workshop on Climate Change on 13 May, sponsored by the European Union and the UNDP-Bangkok regional office. Strengthening Household Abilities for Responding to Development Opportunities (SHOUHARDO) updates: ADPC is contributing to SHOUHARDO project as technical consultant for urban development by mainstreaming risk mitigation. The program is implemented by CARE Bangladesh, and funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). A multi-hazard contingency planning workshop was facilitated by ADPC, CARE Bangladesh and NGOs.  The workshop was organized at the pouroshawas of Jamalpur on 21-22 May and on 25-26 May in Cox’s Bazar.  In total, 70 participants attended the workshops. The outputs of the workshop included hazard scenarios, hazard maps, community-level and ward-level action plans and small projects.