Jamalpur – Bangladesh

Jamalpur has a population of 132,700 and the area of 53.28 km², where 58% of the land use is for agriculture. To the east, Jamalpur is bounded by the Brahmaputra River while Jamuna River is at the west. The city is prone to floods, cyclones, soil and river erosion and water logging. Of the city’s 12 administrative wards, wards 10, 11 and 12 are low-lying areas and densely populated by poor, landless and vulnerable communities. Contributing factors of floods and water-logging include river bank erosion, shallow water table, inadequate water retention areas, inadequate flood protection structures, poorly maintained and inadequate drainage network, and poor solid waste management. PROMISE BD will run from November 2009 to August 2010. Its activities are to identify the most vulnerable communities in Jamalpur and reduce their vulnerability through: (1) participatory risk assessment and action plan development; (2) community-based mitigation activities; (3) training of trainers on community based emergency response; and (4) advocacy for mainstreaming DRR by reviewing the Jamalpur Pouroshava Development Plan and making recommendations based on the participatory risk assessments and action plans.

Pasig City – the Philippines

Pasig is part of Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is a primarily residential and industrial city but has Ortigas Center, one of the top business districts in the metropolis with numerous high-rise office buildings, residential condominiums, commercial establishments, schools and malls. Pasig City is affected by riverine flooding from Pasig River, and local flooding from typhoons. Pasig City has an award-winning emergency preparedness program,. However, the recent Typhoon Ketsana in September 2009 made the city government realize that their preparations were not enough for floods that magnitude and their impacts. PROMISE RP will run from November 2009 to August 2010. Its activities are to identify the most vulnerable communities in Pasig and reduce their vulnerability through: (1) participatory risk assessment and action plan development; (2) mitigation and preparedness through a review of the city’s SOPs and disaster risk management plans; (3) capacity building of city emergency responders, and awareness-raising in schools; and (4) advocacy through workshops for mainstreaming DRR.

Matara – Sri Lanka

Matara is a city with a population of 76,000 in 2007, and located on the southern coast of Sri Lanka within a rapidly developing urban commercial center. Nilwala River flows through the city to the Indian Ocean. During monsoon season, the river carries flood waters from the hills to the flat lands, often causing severe damage to crops, agricultural lands, and the urban built up area. Rapid urbanization and high in-migration exacerbate the flood disaster risk almost every year despite the structural mitigation measures already taken. PROMISE SL will run from October 2009 to August 2010. The project implementing partner is The Asia Foundation (TAF), whose main focus is local governance, and has added disaster risk reduction to the areas it supports. Project components include: (1) Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment and Development of City Hazard Map; (2) Mitigation and Preparedness; (3) Training and Public Awareness; and (4) Advocacy for Mainstreaming Risk Management.

Chittagong – Bangladesh (2006 – 2008)

Chittagong is located in the southeast part of Bangladesh with total land area of 5,282.98 km². The total population of the city is about 5.2 million with population growth rate and density of 1.48% and 1,191 persons per sq. km, respectively and is growing at a high annual growth rate. As a port city, Chittagong has traditionally been a major centre for trade and commerce. The economic base in Chittagong is more solid and wider than that of Dhaka and has considerable scope for expansion if appropriate measures are taken. The coastal areas of Chittagong are highly prone to natural disasters such as cyclone and tidal surge. On the other hand, floods caused by heavy rainfall, tornado, and even water-logging are common disasters in the valleys and hilly areas within city administration. These affect the livelihoods of people, especially that of the poor and the vulnerable.

Jakarta – Indonesia (2008 – 2009)

Jakarta Metropolitan City is the capital of the Republic Indonesia, and corresponds to DKI Jakarta Province.  It is administered by a provincial government, five municipalities (Southern Jakarta, Eastern Jakarta, Central Jakarta, Western Jakarta, and Northern Jakarta) and the thousand islands Regency.  The economic growth of DKI Jakarta in 2006 contributed more than 17% to the national GDP, and 60% of the nation’s money circulation is in Jakarta.  In mid 2006, the numbers of population in DKI Jakarta Province is 8.96 million, with approximately 2,041,466 households. The population density is between 13,000 to 15,000 people/km2, reaching as high as 20,000 people/km² in some areas.  Modern-day Jakarta has 661.52 km² land area that stretches across alluvial lowland of a mean elevation is 7 m above mean sea level, and 40% of the land area is below MSL.  It is very prone to any type of perennial and five-year inundation due to excessive rainfall and flash floods along the rivers systems that pass through the mainland.  The water system of rivers, drains and canals exits in the northern coastal area that extends 35 km from West to East.  Inundation are often aggravated by the onset of swell (a long wave influenced by storms during monsoon) that could reach up to 2 to 4 m, and by inundation due to the combination of sea level rise, land subsidence, and/or high tide during full moon (locally called rob) .  The South and East consist of some lake and swamp land with a total area of 121.49 hectares in 2006, which are used as a water reserves region but also for new residential areas due to its fresher climate.  Vulnerability comes from the settlement of some of the catchment areas, and from continuing land subsidence due to a decreasing water table.

Hyderabad - Pakistan (2006 – 2008)

Hyderabad is a historical city of Sindh Province of Pakistan having established in 1843. It is the 8^th largest city in Pakistan and 2^nd largest in Sindh Province with a population of 1.6 million and a growth rate of 2.62%.The female population is 47%. Its importance lies in the fact that it is the District capital and the nearest town to the biggest metropolis, Karachi. The city has a lot of tourism potential due to its archaeological and historical sites and also due to the presence of river Indus and various lakes. Its growth potential also lies in its small-scale industries, and it is a centre for handicrafts and has good educational and health facilities. Hyderabad is one of more disaster-prone cities in Pakistan and is often plagued by floods due to torrential rains. According to the city government officials, 20% of the population lives in the low lying areas that are flood-prone. To make the situation worse, the water table in the low lying areas is at some places less than 1 meter below the surface, which limits the capacity of the soil to absorb water. Currently the city has the maximum capacity of draining out one inch of rainfall in 24 hours which is insufficient. As the result of sudden monsoon rains, the low lying areas of Hyderabad face the problem of drainage disposal and stagnant water causes damage to infrastructure, housing, etc, as well as becoming a source of water-borne diseases.

Dagupan – the Philippines (2006 – 2009)

Dagupan City has a total land area of 4,008 hectares and is a sub-regional center for trade and commerce, finance, high-level health and education services in Northern Luzon. Dagupan City is located along the seacoast on an eastern margin of the delta of Agno River and lies just a meter above sea level. Flooding in Dagupan is a common problem and the situation is further aggravated by the onset of high tide.  Tidal back flow has created secondary rivers that in turn made the islets where the eastern barangays are found. There are seven river systems that traverse Dagupan, all of which drain out to the Lingayen Gulf. Most of the rivers are presently heavily silted. The silt deposits are caused primarily by upstream riverbank erosion, and proliferation of squatters along riverbanks. The shallow river beds resulting from sediment transportation and deposition, is the cause of heavy flood in the city in the past years. Typhoons are experienced often and are responsible for heavy rains in the upper catchment and subsequent flooding in the city. During the earthquake of 16 July 1990, Dagupan suffered widespread damage and have had direct impact on the flooding situation. The dynamic lateral shifting of Pantal River in the recent past gave rise to its meandering pattern and left numerous abandoned channels and created a low-lying flood-prone terrain made up of levees and back-swamps.

 Kalutara – Sri Lanka (2006 – 2009)

Kalutara is a medium size urban coastal city in Sri Lanka with a population of over 100,000 with annual growth rate of 1.2%. Kalutara has a prominent administrative role as the district capital and has shown tremendous growth and development potential as a rapidly developing satellite town due to its proximity to the capital city Colombo, tourism and fisheries industry, as well as being the site for many export-oriented industries and related investment. The city is prone to frequent events of riverine floods, annual flash floods (the most recent was in May 2003), droughts and rain-induced landslides. The coastline of Kalutara was heavily affected by the tsunami of December 2004.

Da Nang – Viet Nam (2006 – 2008)

Da Nang, with a population of about 816,831 and population density of 599 persons per sq. km, is a dynamic city of the Key Economic Zone in central Vietnam. Da Nang is an important communications hub of the central region, with its international airport, deep-water seaports and north-south land routes and railways completely and conveniently developed. Being located on the World Heritage Route, it also has tremendous tourism development potential in addition to the potential for economic development. Da Nang is frequently subjected to flood and storm disaster events. Severe storms with strong wind often occur together with heavy rain, causing river water level rise and flooding. Drought, which occurs almost every year, is another major threat to the local agriculture.