Disaster Mitigation
in Asia

30 September 2010
Issue No. 84

This newsletter is published through the Program for Hydro-meteorological Disaster Mitigation in Secondary Cities in Asia (PROMISE), funded by USAID/OFDA, commenced from October 2005.  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. Components of the program consist of capacity building in hydro-meteorological disaster risk reduction, risk management advocacy, networking and dissemination initiatives, and city demonstration projects in selected countries. Six cities highly vulnerable to hydro-meteorological disasters were selected for implementing demonstration projects on disaster mitigation by urban communities from 2006 to 2009 – Chittagong (Bangladesh), Hyderabad (Pakistan), Jakarta (Indonesia), Dagupan (Philippines), Kalutara (Sri Lanka), and Da Nang (Viet Nam). The program is now being implemented in Jamalpur (Bangladesh), Pasig (the Philippines), and Matara (Sri Lanka).

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES for September to October 2010:

• BANGLADESH – The ward-level flood mitigation action plans under the PROMISE Bangladesh project in Jamalpur Pouroshava were compiled into an action plan for Jamalpur. This plan was presented in a workshop on September 2 at Jamalpur Municipality Hall, to stakeholders that included the pouroshava’s Technical Working Group, ward representatives and other members of the communities. The action plan was validated by those present, and discussions during the workshop developed several recommendations to include a DRR section within the municipality development plan, such as: activation of the Pourashava Disaster Management Committee (PDMC) in line with DRR activities; allocation of a DRR fund for the PDMC from the municipality’s annual development budget; fund-raising for DRR issues; and DRR mainstreaming through the involvement of students and educational institutional authorities, public service agencies, and NGOs. The PROMISE BD project is now concluded, and the month of October is devoted to developing a case study, risk assessment report, and final report.

• PHILIPPINES – On September 16, the PROMISE RP team organized a disaster risk reduction (DRR) Orientation and training for the Metro Manila regional office of the Department of Education Culture and Sports (DECS). Three participants from each of the 16 divisions of Metro Manila came to the training. The facilitators were Ms. Mayfourth Luneta of the Center for Disaster Preparedness (CDP), the PROMISE implementing partner for the Philippines, Mrs. Candy De Juan of DECS-Pasig City, and DECS-NCR point person Ms. Genia Santos.
  Pasig City CBDRRM TWG and CDP followed up on the DRR Plans and Contingency plans of the pilot communities. On September 29, 2010 the TWG and the Barangay Captains had a meeting regarding the status of the plans, and only two communities were able to submit their draft while the rest were still finalizing their data and/or plans plans (a barangay is the smallest political and administrative unit in the country). It was then agreed upon that the Barangay Affairs Office will receive the funds for the early warning system and will release it to the barangays once their respective plans are approved.
  Volunteer rescuers from PROMISE RP pilot sites were able to participate in a rescue orientation organized by Pasig City Rescue, the city’s rescue unit. The training need to enhance skills of local rescuers was recognized from the city’s experience with swift water during Typhoon Ketsana in 2009 that occurred especially in the river and floodway. A Swift Water Rescue Orientation was held on October 1 for one rescuer from 22 barangays at medium- or low-risk to flood disasters, while the eight high-risk barangays under PROMISE Pasig were allowed to send two each. Mr. Rommel Antinero from the Pasig City Rescue was the resource person of the training. The training content included the following skills: how to conduct a swift water rescue; use of different gadgets for swift water rescue (like throw bags); and tips on how to handle the rescue. The training included a video presentation on SWR. At the end of the training, the eight barangays under PROMISE were each given a throw bag with 30 meters of rope for use in swift water emergencies; the bag was funded by the program.
  CDP was given a Recognition Award for supporting the City’s Environmental Advocacy during ceremonies for the 4th Year Anniversary of Pasig Green City last September 13.

• SRI LANKA – PROMISE SL organized training on First Aid and emergency response for a second batch of 30 residents of vulnerable communities within Matara City. The training ran in end September, conducted by the St. John’s Ambulance group. PROMISE SL is now concluded, and the month of October will be devoted to writing a case study, the report on the risk assessment, and the final report for the project.

A. From the Region

(1) Disaster Risk Reduction Project Portal for Asia and the Pacific

The ISDR Asia Partnership (IAP) initiative on ‘Regional Stocktaking and Mapping of DRR interventions in Asia and Pacific’ developed the portal with support from the Asian Development Bank. The primary objective of the initiative is to develop a system which would help in exchange of information on implementation of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) projects in the region; ‘Who is doing what and where’ and thus help in identifying gaps, increasing coherence and planning at the regional level. The portal can be viewed at: http://www.drrprojects.net/drrp/drrpp/home. 

(2) Online dialogue: Accelerating Implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action in Asia and the Pacific, September 27 to October 8

ADPC is organizing this online forum to obtain valuable and strategic feedback from practitioners working in the area of disaster risk reduction, climate change, sustainable development and other related subjects are encouraged to participate and contribute to the dialogue by sharing their experiences, lessons learned and challenges encountered. The dialogue will be part of the build up to the 4^th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) in Incheon, Korea in October, and the discussions will be summarized and published in Asian Disaster Management News. This round of the dialogue has two topics:

1. Regional Action for Disaster Risk Reduction - Experiences of the three previous Asian Ministerial Conferences, Declarations, regional action plan, regional programs, and regional stock taking and mapping

2. Visioning at what do we want to see coming out of the 4^th AMCDRR - What should we do at the community, sub-national, national and regional level to accelerate HFA implementation?

(3) Typhoon unleashes heavy rains and landslides in North Korea
(based on a report by Alertnet)

Dozens of people have died in North Korea after heavy rains and landslides caused by a typhoon which hit the Korean peninsula earlier this month, state media report. More than 8,300 homes were destroyed, over 30,000 hectares of farmland inundated, and about 65 km of railway tracks were washed away. South Korea this week responded to Pyongyang's requests for emergency flood aid, the latest in a series of conciliatory gestures between the rivals after a period of heightened tension following the sinking of a South Korean navy ship in March. Heavy rains over the past two months have caused severe flooding and hit food production. 

(4) Bangladesh floods
(based on a report by IRIN)

Late monsoon rains in mid September caused riverine flooding, eroded riverbanks, inundated about 80 villages, and forced more that 140,000 people to evacuate from their homes in 10 districts. Floodwaters have destroyed about 40,000 hectares of farmland in the districts of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvi Bazar and Hobiganj. In west-central Sirajganj District alone, the high water flow washed away a large segment of a flood protection levee on the western bank of the Brahmaputra, and forced nearly 35,000 people in 60 villages to leave their homes. In Sherpur District, nearly 60,000 people were either stranded in their homes or forced to flee to higher ground. 

(5) Report on Sustaining Food Security in Asia

The International Rice Research Institute and The Asia Society released a Task Force report on Food Security and Sustainability in Asia. It presents steps that governments, businesses, NGOs and regional and international organizations can take. It also underscores the need to develop an international consensus on the production of biofuels from food crops that takes into account its impacts on food security, climate change, energy security, and environmental sustainability. The report can be downloaded from:  http://asiasociety.org/files/pdf/FoodSecurityTF_online.pdf. 

B. Calls for Submission

(6) Call for Participation: 3rd South South International Citizenry Based Development Academy

The primary aim of the South-South Citizenry- Based Development Academy is to provide capacity development support to citizenry based development oriented disaster risk reduction initiatives in the Asia and Pacific region, as well as inter regionally.  The theme for this academy is "Harmonization of Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation at the Local and Community Level: Building Resilience of Communities in the Bicol Region".  The sub-themes include: Gender, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation; Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation and Livelihood and Food; Security; Children and Youth Participation in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change;  Adaptation;  Partnerships Supported at the Provincial Level; and Partnerships Supported at the Municipal Level.  This year’s academy will be held on 22-26 November 2010 at the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA), Pili, Camarines Sur, Philippines.  For the brochure and enquiries, please contact: 1) for Philippine-based participation: Dr. Cely Binoya, CBSUA, celybinoya@yahoo.com, Malu Cagay, Center for Disaster Preparedness (CDP),  mfcagay@yahoo.com, or Lorna Victoria, CDP, oyvictoria@yahoo.com; 2) for International participation :  Zenaida Delica-Willison, UNDP, zenaida.willison@undp.org. 

(7) Call for Abstracts: Spatial Thinking and Geographic Information Sciences

Organizer: University of Tokyo.  Abstracts will now be received for the international conference "Spatial Thinking and Geographic Information Sciences" that will take place at the Hongo Campus of the University of Tokyo from 14 to 16 September, 2011.  Contributions dealing with (but not limited to) the following fields are encouraged: Geospatial predictability and decision making; Spatial thinking and GIS; Spatial and spatiotemporal data analysis and visualization; Web and mobile services, geospatial systems and applications; GIScience Education and Training; Political and social system and spatial thinking; Spatial thinking for planning; Public management and spatial thinking; Environmental psychology; and Spatial thinking models.  The highest quality papers will be published in a special issue of Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design.  Conference homepage: http://curricula.csis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/stgis2011/index.html.

C. Conferences and Courses

(8) Asia-Oceania Resilience (AOR 2010) – Singapore, 5-6 October 2010
Organizer: International Association of Emergency Managers.  Asia-Oceania Resilience (AOR 2010) will bring together private and public sector professionals in security, emergency management, crisis management, business continuity management, risk management and disaster relief, focusing on Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Conference topics are on mitigation, preparation, response and recovery.  Visit the conference website: http://www.iaem.com.sg/Asia-Oceania-Resilience-2010.htm. 

(9) The 10^th International Training Course on Flood Disaster Risk Management from 11-22 October 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand
Organizer: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC).  FDRM course offers an integrated approach to the development of flood risk reduction strategies under the challenging circumstance of climate change, which enables a holistic view of flood situation and the needed prepared measures. It is specifically designed to meet the need of disaster management professionals, researchers, policy makers, planners, academicians, administrators and disaster management and career seekers.  For inquiries, please send email to: tedadpc@adpc.net.

(10) Call for Participation: World Disaster Reduction Campaign on Making Cities Resilient in Thailand – Bangkok, Thailand: 13 October 2010
To commemorate the 2010 International Day for Disaster Reduction, the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center are launching the World Disaster Reduction Campaign on Making Cities Resilient in Thailand on Wednesday, at United Nations Conference Centre.  The campaign will highlight the good practice and successes of cities in Thailand.  Thai city governments are invited to sign up for the campaign, and the public is encouraged to nominate a city as a champion for urban resilience.  The launch will include an awarding ceremony for model cities of urban resilience.  For more information, contact Dr. Jerry Velasquez of ISDR Asia Pacific velasquezg@un.org or Dr. Peeranan Towashiraporn peeranan@adpc.net. 

(11) The 6th Regional Training Course on GIS for Disaster Risk Assessment, Level-II from 1-12 November 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand
Organizer: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), and Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente.  GIS4DRA Level-II is an advance course attempts to provide knowledge and skills in multi-hazard risk assessment and loss estimation to the professionals with GIS and Remote Sensing (RS) background as well as in multi-criteria analysis for decision making. This course designed to the professionals who are interested in multi-hazard risk assessment using these tools and will be suitable for practitioners working in government organization, municipalities, NGOs, international organizations and academic institutions.  For inquiries, please send email to: tedadpc@adpc.net. 

(12) Special Conference Session: 'Disaster Risk Management' – Hanoi, Vietnam, 2 November 2010
Session organizers: Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), and Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente.  A special session on 'Disaster Risk Management' at the 31^st Asian Conference on Remote Sensing (ACRS) will take place on 2 November 2010.  The session will feature disaster-related topics.  For more details on the conference, go to: http://www.acrs2010.com.vn. 

D. Useful Resources

(13) Tsunami Guidelines, Indian National Disaster Management Authority, 2010

http://ndma.gov.in/ndma/guidelines/NDMA%20Guidelines-%20Management%20of%20Tsunamis.pdf

(14) Indonesian Low-Carbon Growth Studies, Indonesian National Climate Change Council (DNPI), 2010

http://www.dnpi.go.id/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=4&Itemid=4 

(15) Tools, Toolkits and Frameworks for Air Quality Management

http://cleanairinitiative.org/portal/whatwedo/projects/NCN?page=4

(16) World Disasters Report 2010: Focus on Urban Risk, IFRC

http://www.ifrc.org/publicat/wdr2010/index.asp?navid=09_03