Disaster Mitigation
in Asia

31 Dec 2008
Issue No. 63

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.  Indonesia has just been recently added as a PROMISE country.  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 main activities from July to September 2008 are: the 2008 Working Group Meeting, finishing the small-scale mitigation projects for each city, the town watching and hazard assessment in Jakarta, and writing the final report.

In this Issue:

• Program Activities for December 2008 and January 2009

• From the Region

• Calls for Submission

• Conferences and Courses

• Useful Resources

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES for December 2008 and January 2009:

• INDONESIA – PROMISE-Indonesia began the work to develop an early warning system for the project kelurahan, based on: (1) the hazard and vulnerability assessments made by project partners, and (2) the participatory risk assessment developed during a Town Watching workshop on August 16.  The flood drill at Ciliwung river to test the flood end-to-end Early Warning System being established by PROMISE-ID is now scheduled for January 20.  The drill was rescheduled from December due to the extensive preparations required by its diverse stakeholders who include the governors of Jakarta and West Java provinces, and for the coordination of warning systems from the national Department of Public Works and from the Geophysics and Meteorology Agency (BMG).  In addition, PROMISE-ID conducted flood referencing along Ciliwung, completed the SOPs for the flood EWS, and trained first responders in shelter management, health care, and rescue.  Table-top simulations leading to the drill were conducted on December 6 and 20 for Persons-in-Charge, with a final table-top simulation scheduled for January 2.  Other activities for January include flood referencing, training of more first responders.

• PHILIPPINES – The PROMISE–Philippines team conducted the 3^rd CBDRM Training of Trainers (ToT) on November 5 to 6 as a refresher course for Dagupan City’s existing trainers.  Participants also came from the remaining 23 barangays of Dagupan that were not within the scope of PROMISE-RP.  PROMISE-RP was granted an extension to fully implement its planned activities.  The month of December was spent on planning and preparing for the CBDRM training for representatives of the same 23 barangays.  Dagupan City Mayor Al Fernandez attended the 3^rd Ministerial Meeting for the Global Platform for HFA Monitoring on December 2 to 4 in Malaysia.  At the meeting, he presented a short video of the PROMISE-RP experience, and highlighted good governance in DRR.  The Training Learning Circle-Philippines headed by the Center for Disaster Preparedness (CDP) held a forum on December 8 on the monitoring of the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action; the experience under PROMISE was presented during the event.  On December 17, representatives of met with Prof. Gilliard of the University of the Philippines to explore the possibility of training Dagupan City government’s Technical Working Group and representatives of the high-risk barangays on making a 3d hazard, vulnerability and resource map.  Activities for the next month include planning for the first quarter and setting meetings with the Department of Education, Culture and Sports for promoting disaster risk awareness through public schools.

• SRI LANKA –  PROMISE-Sri Lanka was granted a set of short-term action projects as supplementary activities to the original project.  These action projects are: (1) setting up the Kalutara emergency response system; (2) training and capacity building; (3) drainage projects for the Kalutara UC area; (4) setting up a resource center for DRR activities in Kalutara ULA; and (5) setting up disaster management cells in selected schools.  The country project partner is now the National Building Research Organization.  Preparatory work was done for each action project, and implementation will begin in January.

 A. From the Region

(1) Australian-Indonesian Disaster Facility

The Australian and Indonesian governments will jointly establish a US$42 million disaster reduction facility in Jakarta.  The facility should be operational by April 2009 and will support the region's efforts to reduce the impact of disasters and improve nations’ self-management capabilities.  To read more, please go to: http://www.asmmag.com/news/australian-indonesian-disaster-facility. 

(2) ADPC receives World Center of Excellence award at the First World Landslide forum

The forum, held from the 18-21 November 2008 at the United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan was a global cooperation platform to contribute for landslide and other related earth system risk reduction.  The forum was established to promote the reduction of landslide risk.  It is a result of the 2006 Tokyo Round Table Discussion “Strengthening Research and Learning on Earth System Risk Analysis and Sustainable Disaster Management within UN-ISDR as Regards Landslides”.  ADPC received the World Center of Excellence award for promoting knowledge sharing, innovations and institutions with South-South focus network on Landslide Risk Reduction in Asia.  To read more, please go to: http://www.iclhq.org/WLFweb/WLF.htm.

B. Calls for Submission

(3) Call for Participation: Evacuation Decision Making Survey, Georgetown University

Georgetown University researchers are asking emergency managers to complete an online questionnaire about evacuation decision making.  Responses will be used for research sponsored by the National Science Foundation.  No deadline is set.  The brief questionnaire is available at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=VgVNTKEs6RnpwerilJciDYA3d3d.  The survey takes less than five minutes to complete and participants who share their e-mail address are entered into a drawing to win a Georgetown University sweatshirt.  E-mails will be discarded after the drawing and are not connected to survey responses.  For emails, contact Professor Robin Dillon at RLD9@Georgetown.edu.

C. Conferences and Courses

(4) 8^th Regional Training Course on Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction for Cities – Bangkok, Thailand: 26 January – 6 February 2008

Organizer: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC).  The course is designed to impart greater understanding of the causes and effects of earthquake and collateral hazards, primarily focusing on mitigating such impacts in order to reduce damage and loss of lives with sustained development.  The designed course is a blend of principles, concepts, case studies and hands-on experience of seismic risk reduction strategies.  Please contact: Mr. Falak Nawaz, ADPC, +66 2 516 5900 to 10, Ext 330, email: falak@adpc.net, tedadpc@adpc.net.  Further information and the application form are available at the following link: http://www.adpc.net/v2007/TRG/TRAINING%20COURSES/Special%20Courses/2009/EVRC-8/Default-EVRC-8.asp. 

(5) 6^th International Course on Hospital Emergency Preparedness and Response – Bangkok, Thailand: 16 – 20 February 2009

Organizer: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC).  The course is designed to assist health personnel, both administrative and medical, to prepare health care facilities and personnel to respond effectively to internal or community emergencies that involve large numbers of casualties.  This will enable hospitals and health facilities in general to develop well designed facility-specific plans to increase their ability to respond to emergencies.  This training course is intended for hospital staff, health care facility managers and administrators, who are responsible for hospital emergency planning, or and any emergencies involving mass casualties that require the major resources of a hospital.  Please contact: Mr. Frederic John Abo, fjbabo@adpc.net.  Further information and the application form are available at the following link: http://www.adpc.net/v2007/Programs/PHE/PROGRAMS/HEPR6/Default-HEPR.asp.

D. Useful Resources

(6) Safer Cities 23: Urban Flood Risk Mitigation in Kalutara City, Sri Lanka, M. Jayamanne, 2008

This case study based on Kalutara UC area in Sri Lanka illustrates the significance of actions by various stakeholders including community members. The case study presents different types of interventions for promoting flood preparedness actions in a secondary city in Sri Lanka.  To download, please go to: http://www.adpc.net/v2007/Programs/UDRM/PROMISE/INFORMATION%20RESOURCES/Safer%20Cities/Downloads/SaferCities23.pdf.  

(7) Safer Cities 25: Reducing Vulnerabilities to Climate Change Impact and Strengthening Hydro-Meteorological Disaster Risk Mitigation in Secondary Cities in Asia, W. Jayamanne, 2008

The case study is about the Program for Hydro-Meteorological Disaster Mitigation in Secondary Cities in Asia (PROMISE), implemented since October 2005 by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) with funding support from the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  It has four program components: (1) City Demonstration Projects in six (6) secondary cities in six countries – i.e. Bangladesh (Chittagong), Philippines (Dagupan), Pakistan (Hyderabad), Sri Lanka (Kalutara), Vietnam (Da Nang) and Indonesia (Jakarta); (2) Regional and National Capacity Building; (3) Advocacy for mainstreaming risk management in urban governance; and (4) Regional Networking and Information Dissemination.  The study describes the need to reduce the vulnerabilities to climate change and to minimize the destructive impacts of the hydro-meteorological hazards on vulnerable urban communities and economic infrastructure through enhanced preparedness and mitigation.  To download, please go to: http://www.adpc.net/v2007/Programs/UDRM/PROMISE/INFORMATION%20RESOURCES/Safer%20Cities/Downloads/SaferCities25.pdf. 

(8) Natural Hazards Research Digest, December 2008

Research Digest is a quarterly online publication that compiles recent research into an easily accessible format for the hazards and disasters community.  It provides complete references and abstracts (when available) for current research in the field. The issues are compiled and edited by library and research staff, categorized into 24 different topic areas, and include more than 35 peer reviewed publications.  To download the December 2008 issue, please go to: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/rd/rd_dec2008.pdf. 

(9) Online Resources Series on Natural Hazards

This new section is a focus on online resources on the hazards that are of special interest for urban disaster management.  The hazards that will be featured are (in order): tropical cyclones (a.k.a. cyclone, typhoon and hurricane), drought, flood, landslide, earthquake and technological hazards.  Here is a list of online resources on floods:

• EM-Dat flood disaster profile database access page: http://www.emdat.be/Database/DisasterProfile/profile_disasters.php?disgroup=natural&period=1900%242008&dis_type=Flood&Submit=Display+Disaster+Profile

• SAARC brief on flood: http://saarc-sdmc.nic.in/flood.asp

• European Flood Alert System homepage: http://efas.jrc.ec.europa.eu/

• ADPC, Asian Disaster Management News, issue focus: Flood Preparedness Planning.  July to September 2006: http://www.adpc.net/v2007/IKM/ASIAN%20DISASTER%20MANAGEMENT%20NEWS/2006/Jul-Sep06.pdf

• ADPC, Asian Disaster Management News, issue focus: Flood Forecasting and Warning in Bangladesh.  April to June 2002: http://www.adpc.net/IRC06/Newsletter/2002/04-06/default.html

• ADPC, Integrated Flood Risk Management in Asia, 2005: http://www.adpc.net/v2007/Programs/UDRM/PROMISE/INFORMATION%20RESOURCES/PRIMERS/FloodPrimerV2.pdf

• ADPC, Social aspects and stakeholders involvement in integrated flood management, August 2006: http://www.adpc.net/v2007/Resource/downloads/socialaspect13oct_2.pdf

• AUDMP Working Paper #3.  “Lessons Learned from Community Based Flood Mitigation and Preparedness Project in Cambodia,” August 2001: http://www.adpc.net/AUDMP/library/work_papers/kh1.pdf

• AUDMP, Handbook on Design and Construction of Housing for Flood-Prone Rural Areas of Bangladesh, January 2005: http://www.adpc.net/AUDMP/library/housinghandbook/handbook_complete-b.pdf

• Safer Cities 2: Coping with Flood in Cambodian Communities.  June 2002: http://www.adpc.net/AUDMP/library/safer_cities/2.pdf

• Safer Cities 3: Mitigating Flood Risk in Cambodian Communities.  July 2002: http://www.adpc.net/AUDMP/library/safer_cities/3.pdf

• Safer Cities 7: Can small be beautiful?  Community based flood mitigation in Bangladesh.  February 2004: http://www.adpc.net/AUDMP/library/safer_cities/7.pdf

• Safer Cities 8: Channels of communications - A challenge, Public awareness in flood preparedness in Bangladesh.  March 2004: http://www.adpc.net/AUDMP/library/safer_cities/8.pdf

• Safer Cities 12: Demonstration Housing Construction for Landslide and Flood Prone Areas: A case study from Ratnapura.  Sri Lanka, January 2005: http://www.adpc.net/AUDMP/library/safer_cities/12.pdf

• Safer Cities 16: Cooperation between Local Authority and Communities Reduces Flood Disaster Risk in Dagupan City, Philippines.  April 2007: http://www.adpc.net/v2007/Programs/UDRM/PROMISE/INFORMATION%20RESOURCES/Safer%20Cities/Downloads/SaferCities16.pdf

• Safer Cities 20: Community Based Early Warning System and Evacuation: Planning, Development and Testing.  March 2008: http://www.adpc.net/v2007/Programs/UDRM/PROMISE/INFORMATION%20RESOURCES/Safer%20Cities/Downloads/SaferCities20.pdf

• Safer Cities 21: Community Empowerment and Disaster Risk Reduction in Chittagong City.  June 2008: http://www.adpc.net/v2007/Programs/UDRM/PROMISE/INFORMATION%20RESOURCES/Safer%20Cities/Downloads/SaferCities21.pdf

• Safer Cities 22: Flood Disaster Mitigation and River Rehabilitation by Marikina City, Philippines.  August 2008: http://www.adpc.net/v2007/Programs/UDRM/PROMISE/INFORMATION%20RESOURCES/Safer%20Cities/Downloads/SaferCities22.pdf

• Safer Cities 23: Urban Flood Risk Mitigation in Kalutara City, Sri Lanka.  November 2008: http://www.adpc.net/v2007/Programs/UDRM/PROMISE/INFORMATION%20RESOURCES/Safer%20Cities/Downloads/SaferCities23.pdf

• Safer Cities 25: Reducing Vulnerabilities to Climate Change Impact and Strengthening Hydro-Meteorological Disaster Risk Mitigation in Secondary Cities in Asia.  December 2008: http://www.adpc.net/v2007/Programs/UDRM/PROMISE/INFORMATION%20RESOURCES/Safer%20Cities/Downloads/SaferCities25.pdf

• International seminar proceedings long lead flood forecast technology for disaster management, September 2008: http://www.adpc.net/v2007/IKM/ONLINE%20DOCUMENTS/downloads/2008/Sep/Proceedings_International_
  Seminar_long_lead_flood_forecasting_w_cover.pdf

• IEC material on flood preparedness (in Thai, no date): http://www.adpc.net/v2007/IKM/ONLINE%20DOCUMENTS/downloads/flood_th.pdf

• ADRC, “Successful Flood Prevention Measures in Myanmar,” 2008: http://www.adrc.or.jp/publications/TDRM2005/TDRM_Good_Practices/PDF/PDF-2008e/5.Myanmar.pdf

• WMO – Associated Program on Flood Management publications: http://www.apfm.info/publications.htm