Disaster Mitigation
in Asia

30 November 2006
Issue No. 41

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 planning and development of city interventions and of training programs to be delivered in each country by the PROMISE partners should be the main focus from October to December 2006.

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 November and December 2006:

• BANGLADESH - BDPC conducted three training workshops for Change Agent/volunteer in wards 2 (Jalalabad), 40 (North Potenga), and 41 (South Potenga). The trainings were on various disaster issues, tools and methodologies for conducting community risk assessment, community-based disaster risk reduction planning and preparedness activities, and roles and responsibilities of CAs/volunteers. After each workshop, training participants led community members to assess community risks using community-based tools. Hazard and resource maps were also generated at the communities. Baseline vulnerability surveys were conducted in wards 2 and 40. BDPC has begun identifying community projects for small-scale mitigation, and mapping key role players in promoting hydro-meteorological disaster risk reduction in Chittagong. IEC materials development is now being planned. BDPC has also drafted an MOU with the National Institute for Local Government to institutionalize the national courses on Urban Governance and Disaster Risk Reduction and expect it to be signed soon. All these activities will be carried into December.
• PAKISTAN - AKPBS,P finished the hazard mapping and vulnerability baseline survey in five union councils (2,12, 13, 14 and 16), and involved 133 volunteers. The results are being compiled and are expected to be finished in December. Ten volunteers from the union councils were selected and will be trained in search-and-rescue and medical-first-response. Community-level orientation meetings on the objectives of PROMISE-Pakistan were held for all five councils, with 97 participants for the meetings. Follow up meetings were held with the District Coordination Officer of Hyderabad and Latifabad municipal officials.
• PHILIPPINES - CDP and Dagupan City's Technical Working Group (TWG) planned a writeshop to polish the Early Warning and Evacuation Plan; the writeshop was held in the last week of November. They have collected the proposals for small-scale mitigation projects from 5 of the 8 pilot barangays of PROMISE-Philippines. The proposed projects include capability building, livelihood options, preparedness and mitigation activities and equipping the BDCC. Representatives from CDP, the TWG and the University of the Philippines met to discuss collaboration for the Disaster Information Management System. Ms. Dea Que, City Tourism Head of Dagupan, presented Dagupan City's Risk Assessment Involving Children at the Exhibit and Forum on Children's Participation and Interactive Learning Activities in Disaster Risk Reduction and the 8th Avian Influenza (AI) Roundtable Discussion for Civil Societies. Activities for next month include the production of the flood markers, implementation of the small-scale projects, and sharing of the lessons learned from PROMISE-Philippines.
• SRI LANKA - Sarvodaya is continuing the hazard and vulnerability mapping, with ten communities already finished their mapping process. The ten communities are still developing their respective emergency response plan and mitigation plan. Sarvodaya has begun the meetings for raising awareness on early warning systems, and identifying focal point people for the involved communities. The completion of the planning is expected by December.
• VIET NAM - CECI was involved in the relief distribution and recovery efforts from Typhoon Xangsane. Because of the large number of homes damaged by the typhoon, CECI held a workshop on house construction techniques resistant to natural disasters on 29 November. Participants to this workshop at city were city officials of relevant departments. The outputs of the workshop were shared with local builders and masons from Cam Le district and Ngu Hanh Son district in a follow-up two-day training on house reinforcement and reconstruction techniques. Afterwards, CECI would have some demonstration projects on house reinforcement and reconstruction supported by relief fund from CIDA and Canadian government. International and national construction consultants were invited to review building codes and regulations, share initiatives on house construction techniques resistant to typhoons, and develop models as well as manuals for community use. The revision of the manual for CBDRM is completed, and the manual has been sent to the city authority for approval. The CBDRM training is expected to commence in December.

A. FROM THE REGION

(1) Disaster Early Warning Network wins awards

(based on reports from Daily News: http://www.dailynews.lk/)

The Disaster Early Warning Network (DEWN) team of Moratuwa University won a National Science and Technology award for excellence in multidisciplinary efforts in research and development, the most prestigious ICT industry award in Sri Lanka. DEWN is a cost effective alert system that integrates GSM with CAP, the newly adopted international standard for disaster communication as a unified platform for early warning. The DEWN device was recognised by the GSM Association, and was one of three finalists from among 70 applicants for the GSM Asia Mobile Innovations award 2006.
DEWN also received the Gold award in the Research and Development Category and overall Gold Award at the recently concluded national Best Quality Software Awards, 2006 organised by the British Computer Society Sri Lanka Branch. The DEWN is a joint initiative pilot project of Dialog Telkom Limited, the Dialog-University of Moratuwa Mobile Communication Research Laboratory, and Microimage (Pvt) Limited.

(2) Flood, landslide deaths in Sri Lanka, 16 November 2006

(based on reports from Daily News, http://www.dailynews.lk/)

The National Disaster Management Centre reported 12 deaths and 7 people injured from landslides and floods in Badulla, Kandy, Kegalle and Pussellawa districts. In addition, 20 houses were destroyed and over 300 were partially damaged.
Over 1,500 people were displaced were reported as displaced by the landslides and floods caused by heavy rains. Most of those displaced are due to landslides in Ratnapura, Badulla, Kandy and Kegalle districts.

(3) Asian Seismological Commission 6th General Assembly, 7-9 November 2006

The Asian Seismological Commission recently held its 6th General Assembly and Symposium from 7-9 November 2006 at the Siam City Hotel, Bangkok. The important event had nearly 200 participants, many of them distinguished international scholars and professionals.
Asian Seismological Commission (ASC), a commission established in 1996, aims to promote the seismological study and international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Within the framework of the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior (IASPEI), ASC has been playing an increasingly active role in the regional, international exchange and cooperation since its founding, as marked by its Assemblies in Tangshan (1996), Hyderabad (1998), Tehran (2000), Kathmandu (2002), Yerevan (2004), and this Assembly in Bangkok. It held pre-Assembly training courses since 1998.
The importance of this meeting is also highlighted by the 30th anniversary of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, the 2-year anniversary of the Sumatra earthquake and the Indian Ocean tsunami, the 1-year anniversary of the disastrous Kashmir earthquake. Disasters caused by these earthquakes remind seismologists of their responsibilities for the seismic safety of the society.
The Assembly was organized by ASC. ADPC also was one of the co-organizers of the event, together with the Thai Meteorological Department, the National Earthquake Committee of Thailand, and the Engineering Institute of Thailand.
ADPC presented a paper in the plenary session titled "Earthquake Disaster Mitigation through regional Cooperation", and a paper in the risk management/reduction session titled "Options for Earthquake-Resistant Construction".
ADPC also organized the pre-Assembly training course "Regional Course on Earthquake & Tsunami Vulnerability Reduction focusing on the use of Spatial Geodata (EVRC-6)" from October 24 to November 6 in Bangkok. The course was in collaboration with ITC, AIT, UNDP (South-South Cooperation), UN University, and the local organizing committee of the 6th General Assembly of the Asian Seismological Commission (ASC) and Symposium on Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Preparedness. The course had 38 participants from 11 countries, including 20 ITC alumni. The course was also a refresher course for ITC alumni, and the pre-symposium course of the ASC. The course features state-of-the-art lectures on earthquake and tsunami vulnerability reduction, software for hazard assessment and IT applications, as well as field trips. This course's field trips were to Kanchanaburi province, and the GISTDA seismic recording station.

B. CALLS FOR SUBMISSION

(4) Summer Research Institute for U.S. Undergraduates

The Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware is offering a nine-week Summer Research Institute for undergraduate students to provide hands-on research training and mentoring on the social science aspects of disasters. Only ten students entering their junior or senior year in the fall of 2007 are selected from a wide variety of social science disciplines to participate. All transportation and lodging expenses are covered for the student participants, who also receive a stipend for the summer. The program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program and the U.S. Department of Defense. The application deadline is February 1, 2007, and students will be notified of their acceptance into the program by March 1, 2007. Program details, guidelines, and application materials can be found online at: http://www.udel.edu/DRC/REU/.

C.   CONFERENCES AND COURSES

(5) World Bank Grants: 2nd ProVention Consortium Applied Research Grants for Disaster Reduction. Bangkok, Thailand: December 6-8, 2006

Organizers: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC). ProVention Consortium-ADPC Workshop on "Innovative Initiatives in Disaster Reduction"-Applied Research by Young Professionals in South, South East & East Asia and Grantee Dialogue is being will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, 6-8 December 2006. The main purpose of the event is to provide grantees opportunity to meet and share among themselves and interested audiences the experience in conducting research work in their countries and present the applied research results. The event will also be a forum to discuss further work by grantees, provide feedback on the operation of the grants, give suggestions for improvement, and discuss possible ways in which ProVention Consortium and ADPC can assist with dissemination of results and follow up actions. Other collaborating institutions are the University of Wisconsin - Disaster Management Center (UW-DMC and Disaster Mitigation for Sustainable Livelihoods Programme (DiMP), University of Cape Town, South Africa.

(6) New offering of ITC Distance courses in geo-information science and earth observation

ITC offers several of its popular short courses in the distance education format, combining self study and extensive online support by ITC staff. Each short course is based on a module in one of ITC's degree courses. Successful completion of the short course will lead to exemption for that module in the degree course. The available courses include Principles of Remote Sensing, Principles of Geographic Information Systems and Environmental Impact Assessment. For more information, please visit: http://www.itc.nl/education/courses/distance_education.asp.

D.  USEFUL RESOURCES

SPECIAL FOCUS ON GOVERNANCE & HURRICANE KATRINA

(7) "Earthquakes and a Brave New China" by Burton and Cole

A new report for the Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre's (BUHRC) Issues in Risk Science series entitled "Earthquakes and a Brave New China" by Dr. Paul Burton and Steve Cole is now available. The report covers China's increased exposure to seismic threats due to the rapid urbanization and building construction currently underway throughout the country. The report can be found here: http://www.benfieldhrc.org/activities/issues6/pages/eq_china.htm.

(8) MRC: Annual Flood Report 2005

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) published the first flood report at the level of the Lower Mekong basin. It was prepared as part of the MRC's Flood Management and Mitigation Programme (FMMP). This report is an account of the floods of 2005. It can be a reference document for agencies responsible for disaster management and mitigation in the MRC members States, institutes involved in water resources planning, donor organisations, NGOs etc. The report is found here: http://www.mrcmekong.org/flood_report/2005/tab_of_content.htm.

(9) Asia Pacific Natural Hazards and Vulnerabilities Atlas

This website of the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) has the Asia Pacific Natural Hazards and Vulnerabilities Atlas. It provides a dynamic map viewer through which disaster spatial information may be accessed and viewed over the Internet. Available hazard data layers include forecasted windstorm paths, recent earthquake locations and magnitude, locations of active volcanoes, and recent hotspots. Available base data include hydrography and elevation. Best viewed at global level, it provides an overview of hazards and is useful for international-level action. The website for the atlas can be found here: http://www.pdc.org/atlas/html/atlas-init.jsp.

(10) The Learning Center

This center is a general resource for information on floods -- risks, causes, frequency, glossary, etc. (from the Floodplain Management Web site). The resource is found here: http://www.floodplain.org/p-basics.htm.