Disaster Mitigation
in Asia

31 March 2006
Issue No. 33

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

The Program for Hydro-meteorological Disaster Mitigation in Secondary Cities in Asia (PROMISE), funded by USAID/OFDA, commenced from October 2005. Through consultations with a number of ADPC partners, five project countries have been selected – Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam – for implementing demonstration projects in each country in a highly vulnerable city with recent history of hydro-meteorological disasters. Other components of the program consist of capacity building, risk management advocacy, networking and dissemination initiatives in the selected countries. The objective of the program is to contribute towards reduction of vulnerability of urban communities through enhanced preparedness and mitigation of hydro-meteorological disasters in South and Southeast Asia. The processes of finalizing project proposals, and formulating strategies for project implementation are ongoing and city demonstration projects are expected to commence during February-March 2006.

PROMISE Activities for March and April 2006:

• A Curriculum Development Workshop on the proposed course on Governance and Risk Management was organized on 2-3 March 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand. Selected experts from various countries of the region participated and developed a draft of the curriculum of the course scheduled for September 2006. UNDP-South-South program and UNIFEM has provided reource inputs and they are in agreement to collaborate in course delivery.
• BANGLADESH - A Project Orientation Workshop of the PROMISE-Bangladesh project was organized by the local partner organization BDPC for around 100 participants from NGOs and city government officials of Chittagong Municipality. The workshop was presided over by the Chief Executive Officer of the Chittagong City Corporation. Ten (10) most vulnerable electoral wards prone to cyclones, riverine floods, high-tide and landslides were identified during the workshop for the PROMISE project.
• PAKISTAN - Institutional and financial assessment of the PROMISE-Pakistan local partner organization AKPBSP and review of project locations will be conducted in April 2006
• PHILIPPINES - The formal launching of the PROMISE-Philippines Project and the Project Orientation Workshop was organized by the local partner organization CDP on 7 March 2006 in Dagupan City. The MoU  between Dagupan City and the Center for Disaster Preparedness (CDP) was signed with the representatives from USAID, League of Cities Philippines (LCP) and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) as witnesses. During the workshop, the Technical Working Group (TWG) identified eight (8) communities most vulnerable to flooding. The five-day training course on Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) and Participatory Risk Assessment (PRA) with field practicum were also organized from 27-31 March 2006 attended by 24 participants from the city level and 16 participants from the community level.
• SRI-LANKA - A training course on "Community Based Urban Disaster Risk Mitigation" was conducted on 13-17 March 2006 in Kalutara, Sri Lanka. The training was organized primarily for the staff members of Sarvodaya, the local partner organization for PROMISE-Sri Lanka, and other stakeholders. Hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment will be the primary focus of the Sarvodaya partner in Kalutara City project demonstration area for the month of April. Briefing on PROMISE project activities for the newly elected town council officials in Kalutara Town Council is also planned for this month. Development of methodology for modeling flood scenario of the Kaluganaga catchment will be conducted in collaboration with the National Building Research Organization. Focus discussions on national level training activities targeted for training of local government officials will also be carried out in partnership with SLILG.
• VIETNAM - A Participatory Vulnerability Assessment (PGA) and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) will be conducted in the project demonstration area in Danang City, Vietnam in order to decide on the nature of project activities to be implemented under PROMISE-Vietnam. The Vietnamese counterpart will also be conducting the baseline survey at the community level. An inception workshop to disseminate the results of PVA, FGD and baseline survey will be organized within the 2nd quarter.

A. FROM THE REGION

(1) Third International Conference on Early Warning (ISDR)

29 March 2006, Bonn, Germany  - More than 1200 participants from 140 countries had gathered in Bonn for the Third International Conference on Early Warning to discuss the  importance of early warning systems in reducing disasters. The conference was hosted by the Government of Germany under the auspices of the United nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. Among the conference's concrete expected outcome is the establishment of a checklist of practical actions that will help countries and communities in developing effective people-centered early warning systems; a compendium of some 100 early warning projects for possible funding and implementation in all parts of the world; and the establishment of long-term mechanisms to disseminate information about activities and gaps in early warning around the world.

For more information, please see ISDR website < http://www.unisdr.org/ >

(2) USAID and National Disaster Warning Center to establish rapid tsunami alert system in Thailand

24 March 2006, Nonthaburi, Thailand - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with the Thai National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) to strengthen tsunami warning system capabilities in Thailand. Under this partnership, the U.S. Government and NDWC will launch a joint program to develop a Tsunami Alert Rapid Notification System (TARNS) for Thailand. The signing ceremony took place at NDWC headquarters near Bangkok.

Follow link for further details  http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-6NAA3L?OpenDocument

(3) 4th World Water Forum, Mexico City, 16-22 March 2006

On 16-22 March 2006, experts from all over the world gathered in Mexico City to discuss the 4th World Water Forum's main theme: "Local Actions for a Global Challenge" giving focus on ways to improve the handling of water-related challenges, such as flooding and drought, at a local level where they generally have their greatest impacts. The forum participants were seeking to develop practical, financial and political means to support local actions, which if extended on a regional and global scale, would help meet water-related targets set by the UN Millennium Development Goals.

Please see WMO website for press release  http://www.wmo.ch/news/news.html

(4) 62nd UNESCAP Commission Session, 6-12 April 2006, Jakarta, Indonesia

Bangkok (United Nations Information Services)  - The Government of Indonesia will be hosting the 62nd UNESCAP Commission Session which will take place on 6-12 April 2006 at the Jakarta Convention Centre. This year's theme topic is " Enhancing Regional Cooperation in Infrastructure Development, including that related to Disaster Management." Heads of Government and State, Ministers and senior officials from 62 member and associate member countries and territories of UNESCAP are expected to participate. A special feature of this year's Session is the Pacific Leader's United Nations ESCAP Special Session (PLUS). A first in UNESCAP history, PLUS will provide a unique Asian and Pacific intergovernmental platform for Pacific leaders to articulate their concerns and engage in interactive dialogue with other delegations from UNESCAP members on strengthening Pacific island developing countries and territories through regional cooperation.

Please see website for details  http://www.unescap.org/unis/press/2006/mar/g_cs62_2.asp

B. CALLS FOR SUBMISSION

(5) Call for Papers: DEBRIS FLOW 2006

On 7-9 June 2006, the Wessex Institute of Technology, UK and Technological Education Institute of Kavala, Greece will be organizing the First International Conference on Monitoring, Simulation, Prevention and Remediation of Dense and Debris Flows. The meeting will study fundamental mechanical principles as well as rheological properties, and phenomenological aspects of debris flows. Particular focus will be given to modeling techniques and case studies. The conference will also address the problem of debris flows disaster mitigation using structural and non-structural measures.

Papers are invited on the topics outlined and others falling within the scope of meeting. Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be submitted as soon as possible. Submission of abstracts electronically is strongly encourage. Abstracts should clearly state the purpose, results and conclusions of the work to be described in the final paper. Topics for submission include the following:

Mass wasting and solid transport

• Slope failure and landslides

• Sediment, slurry and granular flows

• Solid transport within a streamflow

• Hyper-concentrated flows

• Debris-flow phenomenology and rheology

• Debris-flow triggering and mobilisation mechanisms

• Debris flow modelling

• Debris flow disaster mitigation (structural and non-structural measures)

• Case studies

• Computer models

• Rock falling problems

• Mechanics of solid-liquid-flows

All papers presented at Debris Flow 2006 will be published by WIT Press in a volume of WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment (ISSN 1743-3541). Please see website for other requirements < http://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2006/debris06/ >

(6) Call for Manuscripts for Disaster Management Handbook

Disaster management and emergency services professional, elected officials, and practitioners as well as academics in various relevant disciplines are invited and encouraged to contribute original, unpublished, manuscript for the Disaster Management Handbook.  This handbook will be a comprehensive reference work and textbook to share experiences and understanding, through a case-based approach including first-hand and theoretical analysis, on the interrelated issues of preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation in dealing with disasters. Both manmade disasters and those resulting from nature, worldwide, will be included.

The volume will serve as vehicle to share real-world experiences, concepts, and understanding about disasters in order to learn from practices so as to craft constructive workable public policy that will contribute to the prevention of needless loss of life and minimize economic devastation from such catastrophics events. The book will be used as textbook in undergraduate and graduate courses including among others: community planning; emergency management; business and public administration; sociology; and economic development. It will also serve as a valuable compendium and library reference for professional practitioners in the field, business and government leaders, and legislators who deal with the applied practice of disaster response and prevention every day.

For information and manuscript requirements, please contact Jack Pinkowski, Nova Southeastern University  jackpink@nova,edu>. Details of the handbook can be located at < http://www.nova.edu/%7Ejackpink/cfm.htm

(7) US IOTWS Small Grants Program (SGP)

The United States government’s Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (US TWS) was launched by USAID in response to the December 2004 tsunami disaster.

The SGP provides strategic support for partners in the region to conduct activities that support or enhance development of tsunami warning system components at national and local levels. The goal of SGP is to reinforce and encourage regional cooperation, sharing experiences and lessons learned between Indian Ocean countries, the U.S., and the international community, and promoting country-specific, community-based contributions to the IOTWS. The U.S. IOTWS program will provide grants through the SGP up to US$25,000 with a more limited number up to US$100,000. The SGP will invest in capacity building and technical assistance, including training exercises at the local and community level. Projects funded by the SGP would contribute to the end-to-end multi-hazard warning system in the following categories: National Warning Center and Disaster Management Capacity Building; Last-mile Warning Communication; Local Preparedness: Coastal Community Resilience and Hazard Analysis Capabilities

The SGP will be available only for the projects implemented in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and the Maldives-the countries most severely affected by the December 2004 disaster. Applications for Small Grants from Asian, U.S., or international non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, associations, and universities, with primary emphasis on country-specific and community-level institutions will be considered.

The IOTWS Program Integrator (PI) will be accepting and reviewing proposal abstracts from January to May 2006. The PI will accept Word and PDF files containing the following information.

Project Title, Organization and Point of Contact
Project Objectives
Expected Products/Outcomes
Relationship with ongoing projects & targeted beneficiaries
Strategy for Sustainable Implementation and Activities
General Budget

For further information, please contact Ms. Kathryn Hoeflich, Small Grants Program Coordinator, US IOTWS Program Integrator (contractor) at < khoeflich@irgltd.com >

(8) Call for Nominations: 2006 Mary Fran Myers Award

Nomination for the 2006 Mary Fran Myers Award is now open. The intent of this award is to recognize people whose program-related activities, advocacy efforts, or research has had a lasting, positive impact on reducing hazard vulnerability for women and girls. The award committee is especially interested in soliciting nominations from countries outside the United States. People whose work adds to the body of knowledge on gender and disasters, is significant for the theory and/or practice of gender and disasters, or has furthered opportunities for women to succeed in the hazards field are eligible to receive the award.

The Mary Fran Myers Award was established in 2002 by the Gender and Disaster Network (GDN) and is co-administered by GDN and the Natural Hazards Center.

Direct questions and submit materials (e-mail attachments only) by May 15, 2006, to Madhavi Malalgoda Ariyabandu at mariyabandu@yahoo.com. Nominations are due by May 15, 2006. For more information, visit  http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/mfmaward/

(9) 6th Asian Seismological Commission (ASC) VI General Assembly and Symposium on Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation, 7-10 November 2006, Bangkok, Thailand

“Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation” is this year's 6th ASC conference theme. The events are being organized by the Asian Seismological Commission (ASC), IASPEI with the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD), National Earthquake Committee of Thailand (NECT), Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC). Apart from the conference, symposium sessions on different scientific themes will also take place. The ASC organizing committee is inviting scientists, seismologists, geophysicists, geologists, and earthquake engineers as well as experts from concerned institutions, agencies, and organizations to contribute and submit abstracts on (S1) Subduction Zone, Seismology and Tsunami; (S2) Strong Motion Seismology; (S3) Earthquake Forecast; (S4) Management/Reduction of Risk;  (S5) Observational Seismology and a Special Session on the 8 October, 2005 Kashmir (Pakistan) Earthquake.

The deadline for submission is on 30 April 2006. Please visit 6th ASC General Assembly website for details http://asc1996.netfirms.com/asc2006/symposium.htm or send an email to the ASC Secretariat at <asc2006_loc@tmd.go.th> or <asc2006_loc@yahoo.co.th>

C.   CONFERENCES AND COURSES

(10) 100th Anniversary Earthquake Conference,18-22 April 2006, San Francisco, California

The theme for this year's conference is "Managing Risk in  Earthquake Country". The conference is being organized in commemoration of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.  The 100th  Anniversary Earthquake Conference will also include EERI's 8th U.S. National  Conference on Earthquake Engineering (8NCEE) and 58th Annual  Meeting, SSA's Centennial Annual Meeting and the OES Disaster Resistant California Conference.

Conference details can be viewed at  <http://www.1906eqconf.org>

(11) Public Health in Complex Emergency , 8-20 May 2006, Bangkok, Thailand

The Public Health in Complex Emergencies training program (PHCE) is a two-week residential course that focuses on critical public health issues faced by NGOs and Ministry of Health personnel working in complex emergencies. IRC and World Education, Inc. have assisted regional partners at American University of Beirut, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) in Bangkok and Makerere University Institute of Public Health in Kampala to implement this important training program. The goal of the course is to enhance the capacity of humanitarian assistance workers and their organizations to respond to the health needs of refugees and internally displaced persons affected by these emergencies.

Please visit website < http://www.adpc.net/phe/phce_wshop.html >  or  email Ms. Janette Lauza-Ugsang, PHE Project Manager at < janette@adpc.net >

(12) African Aid Relief and Disaster Management 2006, 9-11 May 2006, Gallagher Estate, Midrand, Johannesburg

The conference aims to continue to educate and update  suppliers on UN, Aid Agency and NGO procurement procedures, policies and specifications. Typically this conference includes VIP networking lunches for UN procurement officers, delegates, speakers and exhibitors, cocktail parties and private meeting areas with a computerized buyer/seller matching system. 

To register, please go to < http://www.fairconsultants.com/aid06opener.htm>

(13) NATO Science Program Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) “Management Of Urban Earthquake Risk In Central Asian And Caucasus Countries”, Istanbul, Turkey, 14-19 May 2006

The ARW has the main objective of providing a forum to discuss and elaborate on the innovative and applicable means of disaster risk management and reduction in cities, focusing particularly on large cities in the Caucasus and Central Asian countries. The ARW aims to address the practical constraints and opportunities of a risk mitigation planning process to institutionalize sound disaster risk management practices in cities. 

Further information about the meeting and the participation can be found at < http://www.koeri.boun.edu.tr/depremmuh/natoconference/nato.htm >

(14) 5th University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Conference on Public Health and Disasters 21-24 May 2006, Long Beach, California

This conference is designed for public health professionals as well as individuals and organizations from both the public and private sectors involved in emergency public health preparedness and response. The diverse topics will be relevant to public health and medical practitioners, emergency medical services professionals, researchers, and managers involved in the wide range of emergency public health issues resulting from natural and human-induced disasters.

For further conference information, please see < http://www.cphd.ucla.edu/conferenceframe.htm >

(15) Third Tsunami Symposium, The Tsunami Society,  23-25 May 2006, Honolulu, Hawaii

The Third Tsunami Symposium will be held at the University of Hawaii East-West Conference Center on 23-25 May 2006. The Symposium will have sessions on Numerical Modeling, Tsunami Preparedness, Tsunami Instrumentation, Experimental Modeling, Landslide Generated Tsunamis, Hawaii and Doak Cox, December 26 Asian Tsunami, Risk Analyis and General Session. 

For additional information, contact the Tsunami Society President and Symposium Chairman, Dr. Barbara Keating at Keating@soest.hawaii.edu or  Program Chairman, Dr. Charles Mader at MCCOHI@aol.com<>

Please see website for further conference details < http://www.wcdm.org >

(16) 13th Annual Conference 2006, The International Emergency Management Society (TIEMS) , 23-26 May 2006, Seoul, South Korea

"Advances in global emergency management" is this year's TIEMS conference theme. The conference will be hosted by the Korean National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Korean TIEMS Chapter. The conference hopes to attract 500-1000 participants in the field of Emergency Management and to encourage benegeical discussion to shape the future of emergency management.  

Visit website for further conference information < http://www.tiems.org/index.php >

(17) 16th World Conference on Disaster Management,  18-21 June 2006, Toronto, Canada

The theme of the 2006 conference is "The Changing Face of Disaster Management - A Global Perspective." The conference is being organized by the Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness (CCEP) in partnership with the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and  Disaster Recovery Institute (DRI). The purpose of this conference is to listen and learn, plan and prepare, and educate and exchange views on the lessons to be learned from all disciplines of disaster and emergency management.

Please see website for further conference details < http://www.wcdm.org/ >

(18) The Third Session of the World Urban Forum , 19-23 June 2006, Vancouver, Canada

The Government of Canada will be partnering with the UN-HABITAT to host this historic biennial meeting. "Our Future: Sustainable Cities-Turning Ideas into Action" is the theme meeting for this event. This gathering aims to identify solutions to the critical problems facing the cities around the globe. The program elements include dialogues, plenary sessions and keynote addresses, debates, round table discussion and networking and training events.

For further information and general queries, please send your email to wuf@unhabitat.org or visit < http://www.wuf3-fum3.ca/newsletter/newsletter.htm >

(19) Risk Analysis 2006: Fifth International Conference on Computer Simulation in Risk Analysis and Hazard Mitigation , 19-21 June 2006, Malta

Risk Analysis 2006 is the fifth in the popular conference series on " Computer Simulation in Risk Analysis and Hazard Mitigation". The conference is concerned with covering all aspects of risk analysis and hazard mitigation, ranging from specific assessment of risk mitigation associated with both natural and anthropogenic hazards. Engineers and managers involved in the development of simulated risk analysis as well as researchers in academia and industry are encouraged to attend. This meeting will act as an interdisciplinary forum for discussion of problems of common interest. Risk 2006 will include a special session on MultiRISK. This session aims to address multiple hazards and consequent risks which endanger a local community or region by a combination of various processes. Presentations are encouraged addressing new conceptual approaches as well as case studies for problem-solutions.

For further information,  please see < http://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2006/risk06/ >

(20)  United Nations/ESA/Zambia Regional Workshop on the Applications of Global Navigation Satellite System Technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa, 26-30 June 2006, Lusaka, Zambia

This Regional Workshop which will take place in Lusaka, Zambia will focus on the applications of global navigation satellite system technologies that benefit the social and economic growth of the Sub-Saharan African countries, aims at action planning for implementing specific applications for the region. The Office for the Outer Space Affairs of the United Nations and the Government of the Republic of Zambia are responsible for organizing the workshop. Sponsorship of the Workshop is still open to interested entities.

Please see website for detailed workshop information < http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/SAP/gnss/index.html >  or contact Ms. Ayoni Oyeneyin, UN Office for Outer Space Affairs at < ayoni.oyeneyin@unvienna.org> for nomination and funding, Ms. Sharafat Gadimova, UNOOSA for the workshop agenda and programme and Ms. Beatrice Mwape, the Central Board of Health (workshop focal point) at < bmwape@cboh.org.zm>  or < bmwape2002@yahoo.com>

(21) Conference on Geoinformation for Development (gi4dev), Bridging the divide through partnerships, 7 July 2006, Salzburg, Austria

gi4dev is one thematic focus of the annual AGIT Symposium, Every year the AGIT Symposium attracts more than 1,000 participants from all field within Applied Geoinformatics. The conference addresses people working the the overlapping fields of geoinformation, development co-operation and technology transfer.  Practitioners and scientists are invited to participate, to share experiences and to strengthen exchange and networks. The conference will cover topics on (1) Geoinformation for development - what are the pressing issues? (2) Methodologies and tools and (3) Institutional requirements.

Visit website for further conference information < http://www.agit.at/en/gi4dev/index.asp >

(22) Regional Training Course on Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM), 17-28 July 2006, Bangkok, Thailand

Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) provides an opportunity for participants to acquire skills and obtain knowledge on “how to” design and implement programs to reduce disaster risks and vulnerability and build community capacity to promote a ‘culture of safety.’ Through exercises and simulations they will practice risk assessment and risk management planning. The participants will also have a chance to learn about globally acknowledged programs and projects on community based disaster risk management from leaders of these initiatives. In particular the cases will include examples from the South Asia, South East Asia and Pacific regions. The course is being organized by the Training Resource Group (TRG) of ADPC.

For more information on the course, please contact the Training Resource Group Leader at: < tedadpc@adpc.net >

(23) The 7th International Symposium on GIS and Computer Cartography for Coastal Zone Management, 12-16 July 2006, Wollongong and Sydney New South Wales, Australia

CoastGIS 2006 is the seventh in a series of international conferences on research and the application of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to the marine and coastal zone. The idea for a series of symposia entitled CoastGIS was born from the collaboration of the International Cartographic Association’s Commission on Marine Cartography and the International Geographical Union’s Commission on Coastal Systems. The Local Organising Committee of CoastGIS’06 has been offered a small bursary to be used to assist bona fide research students from developing countries to attend CoastGIS’06.

Emailed submissions can be sent to Ron Furness at< rfurness@ozemail.com.au> and must reach him by midnight on 30th April 2006. Applicants should seek a return email delivery receipt to ensure their application is received by the due date. Symposium information can be viewed at <http://www.uow.edu.au/science/eesc/conferences/coastgis06.html >

(24) 2nd Symposium on Disaster Mitigation: EXPO Disaster 2006: Panama World Showcase for the Risk Management Industry, 3-6 August 2006, Panama

The 2nd Symposium on Disaster Mitigation will cover sessions on (1) Disaster mitigation techniques for urban cities (2) Disaster economics (3) Reconstruction after disaster (4) New building codes (5) Dissertation of FEMA official as to effects of hurricane Katrina (6) Disaster mitigation techniques at the workplace (7) Pro-active risk management vs Re-active risk management and (8) New technology. The symposium will be conducted under the core concept of EXPO 2006: Panama World Showcase for the Risk Management Industry.

Visit website for further information < http://ipmd.tripod.com/english/symposium.html >

(25) International Disaster Reduction Conference (IDRC), 27 August –1 September 2006, Davos, Switzerland

The conference will address different kinds of risks (e.g. risks due to natural hazards, technical risks, biological and chemical risks, but also pandemics, terrorism, climate change, endemic risks, etc.). A truly integrated and participative approach is planned to ensure that the valuable lessons learned about risk reduction from a wide spectrum of fields are applied correctly for the benefit of communities, countries and regions. The he IDRC Davos 2006 will be a valuable forum and strategic platform for the world’s risk management community. The program will include topical plenary sessions and panel debates, scientific and policy-oriented thematic sessions, special regional sessions for Africa, Asia, North and Latin America and Europe and side events organized by different international and national organizations, exhibits, and special recognition of international pioneers in risk reduction.

For further conference information, please visit < http://www.davos2006.ch/IDRC_extfirstann.pdf >

(26) First European Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (1ECEES), 3-8 September 2006 Geneva, Switzerland

The First European Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (1ECEES) 2006 is a joint event of the 13th European Conference on Earthquake Engineering (EAEE) and 30th General Assembly of the European Seismological Commission (ESC). This conference will provide excellent opportunities for exchanges between seismologists and earthquake engineers. A comprehensive grant program, financed by the Swiss Government, will support the participation of students and young researchers from economically weak countries.

For more information about the conference, please see < http://www.ecees.org/ >

(27) Refresher Course on Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction in Cities (EVRC) focusing on the use of spatial geodata, 24 October - 6 November 2006, Bangkok, Thailand

The refresher course focuses on earthquake vulnerability reduction and the role of geo-information and earth science within this process. The course centers on the contribution of earth science spatial information in the process of earthquake risk management and it has the following objectives: (1) to communicate the current state of the art in geodynamics and seismology, earth observation, geo-engineering, geophysics, GIS modeling and decision support for earthquake risk assessment; (2) to strengthen the knowledge and skills of earth scientists from Southeast Asia in the use of spatial information for earthquake hazard assessment (3) to improve the understanding of the role and responsibilities of the various stakeholders in earthquake disaster risk management and to discuss the various methods for earthquake hazard and risk assessment and earthquake vulnerability reduction (4) to demonstrate to the participants the design and set-up of a disaster management information system (5) to strengthen connections with the ITC alumni and (6) to strengthen connections between ITC, AIT, ADPC and other partners in the region.

The course is intended for the following persons: ITC alumni in the fields of Geoinformatics, Geo-information Management, Urban Planning and Land Administration and Earth Resources and Environmental Geosciences; Representatives from government organizations and NGO's responsible for disaster management in cities prone to earthquake hazards on the Mekong region; Participants to the 6th Asian Seismological Conference; Members of the staff of participating Universities in the CASITA and BRIDGE projects. Women in related fields are encouraged to apply.  

The course is being jointly organized by the ITC-The Netherlands, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) and the Asian Institute of Technology. Interested participants may contact Dr. Mark van der Meijdi, ITC-Netherlands Course Coordinator <meijdi@itc.nl.nl> and/or  Ms. Clarence Carlos, ADPC contact person <clarence@adpc.net >.

 Visit website for details: < http://www.itc.nl/education/refresher_courses/2006/thailand.asp >

(28) 9th International Conference on Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI-9), 6-10 November 2006, Santiago Chile

The theme for the 9th International Conference of the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure is " Spatial Information: Tool for reducing poverty". This conference will provide an occasion for interaction and cooperation among disciplines that use and develop spatial technologies and databases and with policy-makers at local, regional and global levels. GSDI-9 will also provide opportunities to participate in and attend plenary sessions, technical sessions and commercial exhibits.

For more information, please visit conference website http://www.gsdi9.cl/

(29)  34th Regional Course on Disaster Management (DMC-34),  6-24 November 2005, Bangkok, Thailand

The purpose of this course is to provide comprehensive disaster management knowledge and skills to enhance the capabilities of executive managers who have key disaster management responsibilities. It is designed to enable professionals working in disaster management, development and donor agencies to effectively integrate disaster management into their development programs and policies. Participants will be encouraged to develop key skills and adopt proactive attitudes through participation in interactive 
lectures and reflection on a range of key issues raised during discussions and practical  activities. The course is being organized by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) under the Resource Training Group.

For additional course information, please see < http://www.adpc.net/training/brochure/DMC-34brochure.pdf  >

(30) Flow Regimes from International Experimental and Network Data (FRIEND) 2006 Conference, 27 November-1 December 2006, Havana, Cuba

The objective of the conference is to present the results of the UNESCO FRIEND (Flow Regimes from International Experimental and Network Data) research programme that has stimulated international cooperation to meet local and regional needs. Topics for conference include Hydrological data, Biophysical processes, Prediction and forecasting of hydrological extremes, Hurricane impacts, Large-scale hydroclimatological variability, Climate change impacts and Capacity Building.

For detailed information, please see <http://www.friend-amigo.org/conferencia2006/>. 

D.  USEFUL RESOURCES

(31) Using Climate to Predict Disease Outbreaks: A review

This document was written as a guidance for the Department for the Department of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance and Response (CSR), the Department of Protection of the Human Environment (PHE), and the Roll Back Malaria Department (RBM) on the potential of early warning systems based on climate variations to enhance global surveillance and response to epidemic-prone diseases.

To download, please visit < http://www.who.int/globalchange/publications/oeh0401/en/ >

(32) Introduction to International Disaster Management by Damon P. Coppola

The purpose of " Introduction to International Disaster Management" is to provide practitioners, educators and students with a comprehensive academic overview of the players, processes, and the special issues involved in the management of large-scale natural and technological disasters that exceed one or more nations to respond. The book provides a global perspective on risk, hazards, and disasters. It explains the various private, non-governmental, national, and international agencies that assist in the preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery to national and regional events. It also discusses special issues encountered in the management of international disasters, and gives a detailed explanation of the conflict related to "complex humanitarian emergencies". The book also serves as a reference to governmental and other agencies involved in international disaster management activities, and is the first of its kind to take a global approach to the topic of international disaster management.

The book is due out on September 2006.  To learn more about this book, please visit < http://www.books.elsevier.com >

(33) International Charter: Space and Major Disasters

This is a joint initiative to put space technology a the service of rescue authorities in the event of major disasters. The Charter aims at providing a unified system of space data acquisition and delivery to those affected by natural man-made disasters through Authorize Users. The images obtained were used by national rescue teams, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations as base maps for assessing damage to infrastructures; measuring the extent of landslides and for selecting localities where emergency aid was most needed.

To learn more about the initiative, please visit < http://www.disasterscharter.org/ >

(34) Media Kit for Community Based Disaster Risk Management

This kit has been produced for the Media Professionals who participated in the National Media Orientation Workshops in five project countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Timor Leste and Vietnam). This kit will serve as a guide for the media professionals as i) a Handout for the National Orientation Workshop for Media , ii) to raise the awareness of media about its role in disaster reduction and; iii) to enable them to perform the role in an effective manner.

The media kit is available for download at  < http://www.adpc.net/pdrsea/documents/media-kit.pdf >

(35) Disaster to Development - A case study of tsunami relief in Thailand

This case study documents the post-tsunami work of North Andaman Tsunami Relief (NATR). The report aims to give an overview of how the philosophy and guiding principles of NATR were put into action, as well as to analyze the challenges and successes of the work in this tsunami-impacted region of Thailand.

Please follow the link to download < http://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/2006/natr-tha-23dec.pdf >

(36) UNISDR Asia & the Pacific website

This new webpage by UN/ISDR provides you with relevant information related to regional activities, events and publications that are taking place in Asia & the Pacific region. This website also highlights the overall achievements and progress made by their regional partners and ISDR Asia & the Pacific in advancing disaster risk reduction through out the region, along the lines of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA).

To view, please follow this link < http://www.unisdr.org/asiapacific >

(37) Open House International (OHI)

Open House International (OHI) aims at improving the quality of built environment through encouraging greater sharing of decision making by ordinary people. It also aims at developing the necessary institutional frameworks which will support the local initiatives of parties in the housing process. It has a small but solid group of subscribers of around 400 and publishes quarterly in March, June, September and December.

To register, please see < http://www.openhouse-int.com/index.php >