JUNE 2006    ISSUE 21

Training Activities in Pakistan, (5-30 June)
ADPC's Training Resources group (TRG) announces the following activities in Pakistan. TRG will deliver two Disaster Management Courses and will conduct the first Project Proposal Writing workshop. The courses are in partnership with Sindh Agricultural and Forestry Workers Coordinating Organization (SAFWCO) and Capital Development Authority (CDA) Islamabad.
The details of the courses are as follows:
Disaster Management: 5-7 June, Hyderabad/ 19-30 June, Islamabad
Project Proposal Writing Workshop: 8-10 June, Hyderabad

Mission to Dhaka, Bangladesh (8 to 13 June 2006)
N.M.S.I. Arambepola, Director of ADPC's Urban Disaster Risk Management (UDRM) team is leading a senior level delegation to Dhaka, Bangladesh.

UDRM's Project Manager will attend as ADPC's representative at the Strengthening Household Abilities for Responding to Development Opportunities (SHOUHARDO) Partners Workshop on Urban Programming on 8 June in Savar, Dhaka. It will address the issue of food security by responding to people's vulnerabilities. The workshop itself is designed to develop a common understanding among partners on poverty and vulnerability, and on the strategy adopted by SHOUHARDO. CARE Bangladesh is ADPC's partner in this project. Mr. Arambepola with a Program Coordinator from UDRM will join the mission from 11-13 June to provide technical assistance to CARE Bangladesh in reviewing local consultants' proposals for vulnerability assessment. They will also visit the program office of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) to follow up on ADPC's Expression of Interest to collaborate with CDMP, and to follow up on a proposal to provide training on damage and loss estimation.

ADPC conducts national workshop on Risk Communication, Maldives, (9-12 June)
A senior level delegation from ADPC, led by A.R. Subbiah, Director of the Climate Risk Management (CRM) team is in a mission to Male, Maldives to facilitate a national workshop on risk communication. With the broad goal of improving community response to warning, this workshop is being organized by the Department of Meteorology (DOM), in collaboration with ADPC and Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union, with funding support from the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR). It will bring together stakeholders involved in communicating disaster risks. The workshop will work towards 1) describing the status of communicating risks for enhancing disaster prevention, mitigation, and preparedness; 2) identifying constraints and needs of institutions involved in communicating risks and recommend a set of actions, including a risk communication strategy; and 3) pilot one priority activity in two high-risk atolls.

Regional workshop on Tsunami Early Warning System, Bangkok (14-16 June)
A.R. Subbiah, Director of the Climate Risk Management (CRM) team and A. J. Rego, Director of the Disaster Management Systems team from ADPC will attend the Regional Workshop on Mitigation, Preparedness and Development for Tsunami Early Warning Systems (TEWS) in the Indian Ocean Region. The workshop, which will be held in Bangkok, is being organized by the UNISDR and UNESCAP, in cooperation with Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). It aims to formulate strategies to strengthen the roles of disaster risk reduction and planning in the development of tsunami early warning systems. ADPC is invited to the workshop because of other organizations' interest in its ongoing efforts towards the development of EWS.

ADPC Board of Trustees Meeting, Bangkok (16 June)
ADPC will hold its bi-annual Board of Trustees meeting in Bangkok to discuss ADPC activities, strategy and to present members of the Board with a complete briefing on ADPC's progress and future activities related to the implementation of the Tsunami & Multi-hazard Early Warning System for Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. The meeting is likely to be the last meeting of ADPC's current Board before the new ADPC Charter comes into effect in late 2006, whereupon the new Board will be composed starting with the nine founding member governments who are signatories to the ADPC Charter (Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand).

ADPC presents paper at the Euro Southeast Asia 2006, Singapore (18-20 June)
A.R. Subbiah, Director of the Climate Risk Management (CRM) team will represent ADPC at the Euro Southeast Asia 2006 Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Forum in Singapore. His presentation will be on the Regional Multi-hazard Early Warning System for a session on ICT and Natural Disasters. The forum will bring together top decision-makers, researchers, scientific policymakers, business leaders and regulators in the field of ICT.

ADPC presents paper at the World Conference on Disaster Management, Toronto (18-21 June)
Mr. S.H.M. Fakhruddin from ADPC's Climate Risk Management team will attend the 16th World Conference on Disaster Management in Toronto, Canada to present papers on (1) Tsunami Alert Rapid Notification System (TARNS)-Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS) and (2) Community-based multi hazard early warning and dissemination systems development.

ADPC conducts national workshop on Risk Communication, Sri Lanka, (21-23 June)
A senior level delegation from ADPC, led by A.R. Subbiah, Director of the Climate Risk Management (CRM) team will be in Colombo, Sri Lanka to facilitate a national workshop on risk communication. With the broad goal of improving community response to warning, this workshop is being organized by the Department of Meteorology in collaboration with ADPC, with funding support from the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR). It will bring together stakeholders involved in communicating disaster risks. The workshop will work towards 1) describing the status of communicating risks for enhancing disaster prevention, mitigation, and preparedness and 2) identifying constraints and needs of institutions involved in communicating risks and recommend a set of actions, including a risk communication strategy.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ADPC conducts the 3rd Disaster Risk Management Course for AIT
15 June - 15 July

Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed's entry from ADPC is one of the 20 best photos at the IDRC's Expose Urban Solutions Photo Contest 2006