September 2006 Issue No 24

ADPC participates at the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), Yogyakarta, Indonesia (31 Aug-1 Sep)
ADPC, represented by the Director of the Disaster Management Systems (DMS) team, Mr. Loy Rego participated at the 7th meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). The ACDM focal points and country delegations, partners of ACDM and members of the ASEAN secretariat participated in the two-day meeting on lessons learned from the Emergency Response of ACDM members to the Jogjakarta earthquake, followed by a field visit to the earthquake affected areas of Yogjakarta. The meeting saw discussions on implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), planning for the ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise, updates on ACDM Collaborations etc. ADPC reported on its ongoing support and future proposal for collaboration in implementation of a priority sub project of the ASEAN Regional Program of Disaster Management.

MOU signed between ADPC the Government of Sri Lanka, Bangkok (4 Sep)
The Government of Sri Lanka and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Regional Cooperation on Multi-Hazard Early Warning Arrangements, Preparedness and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, including Tsunamis for South East Asia and the Indian Ocean at a ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand. The MOU was signed by Mr. P.D Amarasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights, Government of Sri Lanka and Dr. Suvit Yodmani, Executive Director of ADPC.
The ceremony, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Royal Thai Government, as host country to a regional early warning node for Tsunami and other hazards, was marked by the presence of Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister for Disaster Management and Human Rights, Sri Lanka, Ambassador Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Royal Thai Government, H.E. Mr. J.D.A. Wijewardena, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Thailand, Mr. P.D Amarasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights, Government of Sri Lanka, Mr. GHP Dharmaratne, Director General of Department of Meteorology, Government of Sri Lanka, Dr. Suvit Yodmani, Executive Director, ADPC and Mr. A.R. Subbiah, Director of ADPC's Climate Risk Management (CRM) team.


Climate Risk Management: Flood Forecast Technology for Disaster Preparedness, Bangladesh (1-10 Sep)
ADPC sent a senior technical expert from the Climate Risk Management (CRM) team on a mission to Dhaka, Bangladesh to carry out activities under the Flood Forecast Technology for Disaster Preparedness in Bangladesh, also known as Climate Forecast Applications in Bangladesh. Activities during the first mission included site profiling, signing of memorandum of agreement with the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), and finalization of the Livelihood Adaptation for Climate Change report. A follow-up mission will be carried out from 23-30 September in order to conduct research for a technical report on forecast product development and evaluation that ADPC will put together with national partners.

Conference on Geoinformation Technology, Pakistan (2-4 Sep)
ADPC represented by a manager of the Training Resources Group participated at the “Use of Geoinformation Technology in Disaster Management” conference in Islamabad. The event was organized by the National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad.

Regional Early Warning Program: ADPC to conduct Disaster Management Policy and Institutional Analysis, Thailand (4-8 Sep)
ADPC sent a technical expert from the Climate Risk Management team to conduct the second round of interviews with key agencies involved in disaster management in Thailand, including the Department of Mineral Resources, Thai Red Cross, Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning. This activity was part of the three-country institutional and policy assessment that is aimed at informing disaster management policies and supporting the operations of national disaster management organizations. The results of the study will be presented at a regional disaster management workshop, to be organized in the near future.

Regional Early Warning Program: ADPC to assist Indonesia to assess Disaster Risk Management Policy and Institutional Framework, Indonesia (11-15 Sep)
ADPC through technical experts of the Climate Risk Management team and a consultant are conducting an assessment of Indonesia’s disaster risk management policy and institutional framework. The assessment is expected to identify gaps and possible interventions through the US Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS) program. This activity follows the secondary review of existing resources on Indonesian policies and institutional arrangements, which was conducted between 3-31 July, and will be based on a design framework developed by ADPC in collaboration with a consultant for the US IOTWS program. The US IOTWS program is funded by USAID and is contracted to Tetra Tech Co. and the International Research Group, with assistance and collaboration from ADPC.

Regional Early Warning Program: ADPC to assess status of observational network and numerical weather prediction, Vietnam (17-23 Sep)
Under the Enhancing Community Resilience to Natural Disasters in Southeast Asia” project, supported directly by the Danish Government, ADPC will assess the national and provincial-level meteorological observational network and the status of numerical weather prediction system in Vietnam. Technical experts from the Climate Risk Management (CRM) team will also conduct assessments to determine ADPC’s role in improving the capacity of Vietnam to do severe weather forecasting.

PROMISE Annual Working Group Meeting, Manila, Philippines (2-4 Oct)
ADPC’s Program for Hydro-Meteorological Disaster Mitigation in Secondary Cities in Asia (PROMISE) will have its annual Working Group Meeting (WGM) in Manila. The meeting will cover the status, implementation, and monitoring of PROMISE, and will have planning workshops for the second year of the program. Representatives from the five country partners and from the five demonstration cities will present status reports on hazard and (participatory) vulnerability assessments conducted so far. Other invited guests will provide technical support to country partners. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) country representatives for the five demonstration sites will also attend the WGM. PROMISE, supported by the office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), USAID, is being implemented by ADPC’s Urban Disaster Risk Management (UDRM) team, which is organizing the WGM in the Philippines, one of the five program countries (Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam).

Regional Early Warning Program: ADPC to lead Coastal Community Resilience Pilot Assessment in Tamil Nadu, India, (Oct)
ADPC through its Climate Risk Management (CRM) team will design and coordinate community-level Coastal Community Resilience (CCR) pilot assessment in selected pilot sites in India, one of the five participating countries. The field assessment plan has been coordinated with the Government of Tamil Nadu and discussed with various agencies working in the state. This initiative aims to provide a deeper understanding of the overall baseline condition, the status of community resilience, the last mile communication gaps at the community level, and other elements of community resilience. The CCR generic framework and assessment tool that has been developed under the US Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS) program, supported by USAID will be incorporated in this exercise. Results are expected to contribute to the overall adoption and planning initiative of the Government of Tamil Nadu that intends to build sustainable community resilience against major coastal hazards, including tsunami.