2. Inforamation Sharing

2-5. Internet-based information sharing
2-5-1. ADRC's Website
As shown in Fig. 2-5-1-1, ADRC's website (URL
http://www.adrc.or.jp/) consists of the following 13 databases
plus access to VENTEN, ADRC's internet-based GIS (URL
http://venten.www.adrc.or.jp/): Latest Disaster Information,
Multi-lingual Glossary on Natural Disasters, Training
Information

Database,

ADRC

E-Net

(ADRCExpertNetwork),

ConferenceandDisasterStudies,Internet

Exhibition, Disaster Information from Member Countries,
ADRC Highlights, Disaster Reports from Member Countries,
ADRRN (Asian Disaster Reduction and Response Network),Archives, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Database, andCenter Information.
There are also pages introducing U.N. International
StrategiesforDisasterReduction.

Moreover,GLIDEnumber.net (URL http://glidenumber.net/), a disaster
information generation and retrieval site using GLIDE(GLobal unique disaster IDEntifier number) has been in
operation since May 2004. In addition, an Affected Area
Image Information system is now in the pilot rollout phase.

AsshowndisasterbyFig.

2-5-1-2,reduction-related

data

Fig.2-5-1-1 ADRC HP Menu

thesearestored in their corresponding databases.

データベース要求ユーザー防災情報

When there is an access request from theウェブページ

Internet, the information is retrieved
from the corresponding database andsent to the user in a hypertext format

参照
インストラクション
色、レイアウトbased on instructions on display coloring
and layouts. Separate storage of theFig. 2-5-1-2 Linked Database-driven

content data in the database from the layout instruction data frees administrators ofcomplicated layout settings and allows easy layout change in batches to keep pace

2. Inforamation Sharing

with user needs and technological innovation. This way of database management
makes it possible to provide users with two ways of information access (by content orby country) as well as a directory that further facilitates access.

To help understand how to access the information stored in the databases, let us take a lookat ADRC's Latest Disaster Information database. This particular database collects anddisseminates information on ongoing natural disasters as rapidly as possible. It collects web
reports from relevant organizations such as the UN and the media, summarizes their contents,
and provides links to the original sources. As shown in Fig. 2-5-1-3, these data are managed
into two tables, classified respectively by disaster event and by report. (In response to) a
request from a user, these tables are used to extract the relevant data from the database andcreate a report according to the layout instructions.
Remote updating is performed over the Internet as shown in Fig. 2-5-1-4. Since theprevious year, it has become possible to update information via the Web pages except forsome functions. This allows delivery of more accurate information and faster updating ofinformation.
The latest disaster information is collected and recorded by full-time and part-time ADRC
staff to minimize the time lag from when a disaster occurs until the relevant information ismade available. On December 26, 2004, when a massive earthquake hit the Sumatra region inIndonesia and a huge Tsunami swpt the Indian Ocean, this ADRC site had 100,000 accessrequests per hour via the direct link on Yahoo News Portal.

Data Server
T able :T h e Late st In fo
ID D isaste r
C o u n try C o de
N am e o f D isaste r
D ate
Re su m en u m be r
c o dete xt
te xt
te xt

L IN KT able :Re po rtID Re po rt
ID D isaste r
C ate go ry
T itleC o n te n t
U RLInformation
itselfToandfromUsersn u m be r
n u m be r
te xt
te xt
te xt
te xt

Addition and Editionof Information fromall over the world

Fig. 2-5-1-3 Latest Disaster Information andWindow Layout

Fig. 2-5-1-4 Remote Updating overthe Internet

2. Inforamation Sharing

To make the ADRC website more convenient, the following features have been
incorporated:(1) an easy-to-use menu for three types of users (Professional, Academic andGeneral),(2) a dual structure consistingof image-embedded pages
and text-only pages, eitherof which can be selectedaccording to the connection
type of the user,(3) a dual structure consistingof English and Japanesepages, and(4) a platform that allows theuser to select the options

Fig. 2-5-1-5 Entry Page

given in features (1) - (3).
An entry page is provided to guide the user through these features (See Fig. 2-5-1-5).
The top page of the ADRC website uses a clickable image map1 to facilitate easy viewingof the latest disaster
information. Due tothesignificant

increase in the volumeof the data of thewebsite, a powerfulsearchengine

equippedtofasterallowaccessinformation

isintotheADRC website andother linked sites (see1

Clickable map: a function supported by Web browsers. It allows the user to jump to destinations specified by links
embedded in images. The term also refers to images with such functions. Since it is possible to bundle multiple links in asingle image, clickable maps are frequently used for map image-embedded websites or menus placed on the top or left of
web pages.

2. Inforamation Sharing

Fig. 2-5-1-6).

Access Traffic of ADRC Website

The traffic to ADRC website isincreasing. Especially, after 26

1,800,000

Dec. 2004, the access traffic

1,600,000

increased by 3-4 times compared

1,400,000
1,200,000

to the previous month. (See Fig.

1,000,000

2-5-1-7).

800,000
600,000

200,000

Reduction Center” in JapaneseFig. 2-5-1-6

ADRC topRequest
pageand English have increased
approx. by 245% to 6,240, and by 92% to110,000, respectively.

Fig. 2-5-1-7 Access Traffic

2003/10Disaster

2003/9“Asian2003/8

phrase2003/7the2003/6

the number of hits returned for2003/50
2003/4

Internet search engine operator,400,000

2003/3

According to Google, an2. Inforamation Sharing

2-5-2. Latest Disaster Information Database
Whenanaturaldisasteroccurs,

information on the extent of the damage,the situation of the affected area, andemergency response & relief is collectedand disseminated by the mass media, local
and central governments, internationalorganizations, NGOs, etc. However, mostof

theinformation

isprovided

individually and it takes time to get all thenecessary information.

The ADRC developed a database andstarted to publish the latest disasterFig. 2-5-2-1 Latest disaster info. page

information webpage in order to contribute as a clearinghouse of disaster information fromvarious sources in September 1998. Summarized information with direct links to the original
information sources has been provided on the pages for rapid search and retrieval ofinformation.

In particular, the database provides a brief summary of disasters (dates, locations, andoverviews), brief outlines of damage situations, link information categorized byreports/articles, geographic data, emergency relief information, urgent reports from supporting
members of the ADRC, and graphic information. In addition, the database provides a newfunction using the“VENTEN”- Internet-based GIS for disaster management which allows
users to jump to the map information of the affected areas.

The database provides information of more than 800 disasters in the world as of the end ofFebruary 2005.

2. Inforamation Sharing

2-5-3. Multilanguage Glossary on Disaster Reduction
Amultilanguage

glossaryondisaster reduction (Japanese, English,Spanish, French and Chinese) wascompiled through the activities of theUnited Nation's IDNDR launched in1990. To make the glossary available
for a wider range of individuals, theADRC has been providing onlinetranslation services in languages otherthan Chinese.
With the addition of the Korean

Fig. 2-5-3-1
Disaster

Multilanguage Glossary on Naturallanguage to the existing 5-language
glossary, the Korean and Chinese glossary
databases was completed in 2002.

Thus, a 6-language glossary is now
available on the ADRC website. Allthe Korean terms in the database werechecked by Dr. Dugkeun Park, a senior
analyst of the National Institute forDisaster Prevention of the Ministry ofGovernment Administration and Home
Affairs, the counterpart organization ofSouth Korea, an ADRC membercountry.
The glossary contains about 3,200
terms - mainly disaster-related terms
that are hard to find in ordinary
dictionaries - and has been facilitating
sharing of information related todisaster reduction and management,such as numerical data, technicalmaterials and study reports.

Fig. 2-5-3-2 Translation into 5 languages

2. Inforamation Sharing

2-5-4. ADRC Newsletter: “ADRC Highlights”
The ADRC has been using the Internet and e-mail to share information with its counterparts inmember countries, and with other interested parties. As one of its mainstay tools for information
dissemination, the ADRC has been issuing the twice-a-monthly newsletter “ADRC Highlights” sinceJune 1, 1999. This newsletter is made publicly available on the Web. It is also e-mailed in English
and Japanese to ADRC's counterparts, participants in the past ADRC annual meetings, ADRC
personnel at home and abroad, visitors to the ADRC, and participants in international conferences theADRC has taken part in. The numbers of subscribers in Japanese, English and Russian haveincreased to 504, 1640 and 74, respectively.
The contents include articles on the latest ADRC activities, reports on international
conferences, and other events which ADRC staff attended and gave presentations in, as well as
national reports by ADRC visiting researchers from member countries. At international conferences
and other events, ADRC staff have frequently been asked questions related to the contents of thenewsletter. The ADRC also receives responses to the newsletter immediately after it is e-mailed. The
newsletter is considered an effective tool for information sharing.

Table 2-5-4 Headlines from ADRC Highlights (FY 2004)
Vol.

Issue

Main FeatureDateWorld90
4/1CongressonOther Topics
NaturalDisaster Mitigation was held at held at UNU, Tokyo on March 23
New Delhi, India, 19-22

91
4/16

Public Forum " Catastrophic Floods” wasRecent

NaturalDisasters

inAsia:February, 2004

Earthquake in Turkey

U.S.A. joins ADRC as Advisor

31st session of WMO/ESCAP Panel onCountry.

Tropical Cyclones was held in Colombo, SriLanka, March 2004.

ADRC Staff Profiles No. 17-Mr. Takuzo

Ishii, Senior Researcher
ADRC Cooperative Project 2003

92
5/1

(Singapore)-International

Urban JFY2003

ISDR

TaskSearch & Rescue Course

93
5/16

JICA Seminar on Disaster Management

9thInter-AgencyTheFirst

MeetingofthePreparatory

Force Meeting held in Geneva on Committee for the World Conference on4-5 May 2004

Disaster Reduction held on 6-7 May 2004

2. Inforamation Sharing

Vol.

Issue

Main Feature

Date
ADRC

94

6/1

Cooperative

FY2003:Earthquake
Management

Other Topics
Project

DisasterSeminar

Mongolia

in

ADRC Dispatched Research Team

95

6/16

to Bangladesh.

ADRC

96

7/1

DisasterSeminars

Turkey.

Rahmonov Suhrobsho from Tajikistan

Recent Natural Disasters in Asia: Storm inMyanmar

ADRC Visiting Researcher's Report

GLIDE Technical Meeting was held atGeneva on 3 May, 2004.

develops

Administrator

ADRC Visiting Researcher’s Report: Mr.

for

ADRC Staff Profiles No.18-Mr. AkihiroTeranishi, Senior Researcher

The third Regional Consultative Meeting
was held at Makati, Philippines.

UnitedNationsReduction
ADRC

hasDirector.

97aNew

ExecutiveAwardforDisaster

ADRC Presents GLIDE at GDIN2004
DisasterManagement

Systemin

Nepal-Contributed Article by ADRC former

7/16

VR Mr. Lekh Nath Pokharel

ADRC will hold Public Forum "Recovery
from Catastrophic Disasters"on August 24.
Executive

Promoting GLIDE for Effective Disaster

ADRC New Visiting Researcher'sConsultative Meeting of Asian NGOs forGreetings

98

8/1

Director

KitamotooffromADRC,Masayuki Information Sharing

Report-Ms. Yuan Yi from China

99

the Asian Disaster Reduction and Relief
NetworkMalaysia.

8/16(ADRRN)

washeldinKL,

Public Forum "Recovery from CatastrophicDisasters" on August 24 is around thecorner.
Public100

9/1

Forum"Recovery

from 11th TIEMS Conference held in Melbourne,

Catastrophic Disasters" held at Australia on 18-21 May 2004
UNU, Tokyo on August 24101102

9/16

10/1

ADRC New Visiting Researcher's

ADRC Cooperated Training Course onfrom Laos

Recent Natural Disasters in Asia:Floods inReport-Ms. Bouasy Thammasack

Flood Hazard Mapping in Viet NamChinaNational Workshop on Disaster13th World Conference on Earthquake

Tajikistan.

Announcement-International

Risk Management was held inEngineering held in Vancouver, Canadaartcontestfor young people aged 16 and under2. Inforamation Sharing

Vol.

Issue

Main Feature

Date

Other Topics

ADRC Dispatched Lecturers to Disaster Management Training Course for

103

10/16

Disaster Management Seminar in Central Asia and the Caucasus
Turkey.

104

11/1

ADRC received "Kalasag Award"

The Workshop of ESCAP/WMO Typhoon

Philippines.

ADRC conducted a field survey on thefromGovernmentoftheCommittee held in Seoul, Rep. of Korea

Toyooka Flood, Hyogo in western Japan.
Recent ISDR Activities

105

ADRC

Dispatched

ADRC

Visiting

Niigata.

11/16

ResearchResearcher'sTeamtoReport-Mr.

Shyam Sunder from India

106

12/1

International Symposium "Living

Statusfuture generations-" to be heldRecent Natural Disasters in Asia:Floods inwith Risk-Disaster reduction foron 17 January 2005 in Kobe

PublicForum:

SharingofExperiences for Safer Asia “TDRM

and its Good Practices” to beheld on 19 January 2005 in Kobe

107

12/16

ofRecovery

Following

Bam-Earthquake in Iranthethe Philippines

International Symposium “Living with Risk”
is around the corner

ADRC

DispatchedaInternational Seminar in IranLecturer

toVisitors to ADRC- Mr. Yoshitaka Murata,
theMinisterofStateManagement, Gov. of JapanforDisaster

Recent Natural Disasters in Asia: Floods inthe Philippines

108

1/1&16

RecentNaturalDisasters

inAsia:Tsunami Disaster in Indian Affected Countries.
OceanTheWorldConferenceon

Disaster Reduction Drew to a109

2/1

ADRC Dispatched Survey Teams to theSuccessful Close

Public Forum: Sharing of Experiences for
Safer Asia “TDRM and its Good Practices”
was held on 19 January 2005 in Kobe.

International Symposium "Living with Risk–

disaster reduction for future generations–"
was held on 17 January 2005 in Kobe.
Joined JICA Field Survey Team to110

2/16

the Maldives

JICA111

3/1

Seminar

TDRM’s Good Practices are on the web.

UnitedNationsReduction
onManagement JFY2004

DisasterAwardforDisaster

ADRC Visiting Researcher’s Report: Mr.

Ross Sovann from Cambodia

2. Inforamation Sharing

Vol.

Issue

Main Feature

Date
UNESCOInternational

Other Topics
Meeting

ADRC Visiting Researcher’s Report: Mr. B.

for Tsunami was held in Paris on B. Malla from Nepal

112

3/16

3-8 March, 2005.

ADRC

CooperativeProject2004(Singapore)-International Urban Search &Rescue Course