April 2005-Issue 7

Dear Readers,

March has been a very eventful month and we anticipate the coming months to be very busy too with number of activities, meetings and workshops as is reflected in this months updates. In March we have had the great pleasure of welcoming senior heads of organizations such as Director General of UNESCO and Ambassadors from countries like as Australia, the Netherlands and Russia. We are also happy to report that China and Sri Lanka have joined the list of founding member countries of ADPC by formally signing the ADPC Charter on April 5, 2005. 

Wishing you all warm greetings of the Songkran season!

Suvit Yodmani, Executive Director, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center

ACTIVITIES

Meeting of the ADPC Board of Trustees (Apr 5)

The fifth ADPC Board of Trustees meeting saw the full and active participation of all the board members. H.E.Prof. Dr. Krasae Chanawongse, Chair and Hon. Mdm.Corazon Alma G. De Leon, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees presided over the proceedings of the meeting. Ambassadors of China and Sri Lanka signedthe new ADPC Charter as founding members of the new ADPC on April 5, 2005 in Bangkok.

ProVention Steering Committee Meeting (12-13 Apr), Washington D.C, USA

ADPC as a member of the steering committee will participate in the ProVention Steering Committee meeting, which will focus on, the internal ProVention affairs, activities, management and governance, and three key themes of priority concern: integrating disaster risk management into development policy & planning, tools for assessing and identifying risk and reducing risk in post-disaster recovery and reconstruction.

Course Planning Meeting on “Teamwork for Integrated Emergency Management” (30 Mar-2 Apr), Bangkok, Thailand

ADPC is partnering with the Getty Conservation Institute, USA, in conducting a course on Integrated Emergency Management, under the Institute’s Museum Emergency Program (MEP) initiated by the International Council of Museum. The aim of MEP’s education strategy is the protection of cultural heritage through enhanced capacity of museum and other heritage professionals in risk assessment, emergency preparedness and response (together referred to as integrated emergency management). The first course is scheduled for August.

EVENTS

Workshop on End-to-end Multi-Hazard Warning System-Southeast Asia Assessment of Needs (28-29 Mar), Thailand

On 28-29 March 2005, ADPC, on behalf of the Royal Thai Government, organized a “Regional Meeting on End-to-end Multi-hazard Early Warning System in Southeast Asia: Assessment of Needs”, in collaboration with United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in Bangkok. The outcome of this meeting confirmed the agreement and support of all the participating countries for an organizational and functional partnership among the countries of Cambodia, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam, with the support and assistance of China and the Philippines, in the establishment of a regional multi-hazard early warning center to be implemented and operated by ADPC, as the partner to the Royal Thai Government.


Third Annual Mekong Flood Forum (7-8 Apr), Vientiane, Lao PDR

ADPC was invited to attend the third annual Mekong River Commission’s Flood Forum in Vientiane. The theme for this year’s forum is “Flood Management and Mitigation in the Mekong Basin”. ADPC will be reporting our work on the ECHO funded flood preparedness project and activities in the Mekong countries in the forum. The annual forum is intended to provide a platform for relevant stakeholders to share their experiences and information to address flood management issues.


Second International Coordination Meeting for the Development of a Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System for the Indian Ocean (14-16 Apr), Grand Baie, Mauritius 

Based on the “Communiqué” approved by the participants of the first international coordinating meeting held in Paris in March, a second meeting was called for to be held at Grand Baie, Republic of Mauritius. The meeting has a number of objectives but mainly will seek to inform the countries on the status of the interim advisory information system and how it satisfies the needs of the participating countries. Representatives from ADPC will attend the meeting and report on the country level consultation and progress made.

WORKSHOPS/TRAININGS

Practitioners’ Workshop on Disaster Risk Management Primer for Asia
(Apr 1-2)

ADPC under its UDRM Team held a workshop to review and finalize the 2 volumes of the Disaster Risk Management Primer for Asia. The two volumes reviewed were; general volume on DRM and Floods. Around 25 practitioners from several countries provided their inputs to finalizing the primer, which will soon be published.


Series of Trainings on Disaster Management (3 Apr- 5 May) Kabul, Afghanistan 

Part of a one-year project - Training and Capacity Building Project being implemented in Afghanistan in collaboration with InWent Germany and United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan, ADPC is conducting a ten days course on disaster management for senior managers at the Afghan Department of Disaster Preparedness in Kabul. The series of training will include: Emergency Response Management, Community Based Disaster Risk Management, Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction Course and Flood & Drought Risk Management.


Urban Disaster Risk Management Training, (9-11 Apr), Chiang Mai, Thailand 

ADPC is conducting three day training on Urban Disaster Risk Management for the faculty and students of the Department of Geography and Geology of the University of Chiang Mai.


Seminar and Training on Damage Assessment Methodology in Gujarat (21-29 Apr), India

ADPC in collaboration with Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) and Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM) will conduct a one day seminar on “Implementation of Proposed Damage and Loss Assessment Methodology”, which will be followed by a set of training courses on damage and loss assessment methodology, estimating losses following disasters, damage and loss assessment for buildings, agriculture and allied sectors for decision makers and implementers.


Workshop on DRM and CBDRM in Jiangxi Province, China (24-Apr), China

A workshop for senior officials of Jiangxi county on disaster risk management and CBDRM will be conducted on 24 April in Nanchang, the provincial capital. This will be followed by a series of consultations and presentations with a number of organizations including the Shanghai Civil Defense Office until the end of the month.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN MAY

• Workshop on Capacity Building Initiatives in Selected Countries of Asia and the Pacific, 1st Week Thailand 

• Public Health in Complex Emergencies Training, 9-21, Thailand

• First Regional Course on Exercise Management, 16-20, Thailand

• Fifth Regional Consultative Committee Meeting, 18-20 Vietnam

• First Regional Course on Disaster Mental Health, 23-27, Thailand