Dr. Bhichit Rattakul, Senior Advisor to ADPC and
former Thai Minister of Science, Technology and
the Environment, ADPC, in partnership with the
Thai DDPM, led an Evacuation Drill in Kamala
School in Phuket, Thailand on 3 February. The
drill involved 410 school children and 20
teachers. UNDP, Tambon Administration Office,
and Community Committee officials were invited
to participate in the drill. This was part of
the ADPC End-to-End TEWS for five countries of
Southeast Asia.
On 7 February, ADPC and Geo-Informatics and
Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA),
signed a Memorandum of Understanding for
planning, development, implementation and
collaboration on training and capacity building
activities related to GIS applications for
disaster prevention, reduction and mitigation in
MRC countries; exchange of personnel to
complement each other's activities; and mutual
exchange and sharing of information, materials
and publications. GIDTDA and ADPC will work
together in preparing comprehensive hazard maps
of Asian countries.
H.E. Major General Tara Bahadur Thapa, Royal
Nepalese Ambassadorto Thailand visited ADPC on
14 February. Nepal is one of the nine founding
members of ADPC as an International
Intergovernmental Organization and is member of
the ADPC Board of Trustees (BOT).
Mr. Earl Kesseler, ADPC's Deputy Executive
Director attended the UNDP/ISDR Global Future
Search Meeting on Rethinking Capacity
Development for Disaster risk reduction: Action
2005-2015, in Chavannes-de-Bogis, Switzerland
from 13-15 February.
The AusAID Midterm Review of a Comprehensive
Disaster Risk Management in Asia Project was
carried out by Mr. Bernard Broughton, Team
Leader and Ms. Sutthana Vichitrananda, Project
Manager, AusAID, Bangkok from 14-23 February.
ADPC in partnership with TSF established an
Emergency Telecommunications Response mission
during the massive landslide in Leyte ,
Philippines . The mission from 16 February-5
March in St. Bernard Operations Center gave
efficient communication service mainly to local
and international NGOs, local, provincial
government officials, and UNDAC personnel. The
mission also assisted the worst affected zones
through its satellite communications equipments.
Hon. Minister Mr. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister
of Disaster Management and Human Rights of the
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
visited ADPC on 16 February. The Hon. Minister
was accompanied by H.E. Mr. J.D.A. Wijewardena,
Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand, Major General
Gamini Hettiarachchi, Director General of
Disaster Management Centre, and Mr. G. H. P.
Dharmaratna, Director General of Meteorology,
Sri Lanka . Sri Lanka is one of the nine
founding members of the ADPC BOT.
H.E. Mr. Lyonpo Chenkyab Dorji, Secretary
General of South Asian Association of Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) visited ADPC on 21 February.
