4-2. Seminars and Training Courses
4-2-1. JICA Training Course “Dissemination andEstablishment of Disaster Prevention Culture forAsian Countries”
From 17 January to 18 February 2011, the ADRC, in collaboration with JICA, conducted aJICA training course on the Dissemination and Establishment of a Disaster Prevention Culture
for Asian Countries for government officials in Asian countries. Six government officials incharge of disaster risk reduction, representing the countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Fiji,Bangladesh, Thailand and Viet Nam, took part in the training. The primary objective of thetraining was to establish concrete disaster reduction measures tailored to each participant’scountry, utilizing knowledge and methods gained through the training.
During the training, participants learned the roles and activities of the various relevantorganizations such as local authorities, academic organizations, the Japan Meteorological
Agency, mass media, and NPOs, while attending lectures and occasionally visiting related
facilities and organizations. The training included the following specific activities: (1) town
watching and hazard map creation activity, in which the trainees explored a certain area ofdowntown, identified risks, and came up with solutions, (2) a visit to Unzen Hugendake
Volcano to learn about volcanic disaster mitigation measures, and (3) lectures on theformation of action plans, during which the trainees developed their own action plans. The
trainees are expected not only to carry out their action plans but also to apply the knowledge
and methods they learned during their training so as to disseminate and establish thesignificance of disaster risk reduction measures.

Fig.4-2-1-1 Visit to NHK

Fig.4-2-1-2 Town-watching activity

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4. Human Resource Development

4-2-2. JICA Training Course “Comprehensive Disaster RiskManagement”
From 17 January to 25 February 2011, the ADRC, in collaboration with JICA,
conducted a JICA training course on the Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management
Course for government officials in 12 countries. Eighteen government officials in chargeof disaster risk reduction took part in the training. This course aimed to help participants
formulate and further develop disaster management plans in their own countries based on
the concept of total disaster risk management, by enhancing their understanding of thedisaster management systems adopted by the central and local governments of Japan.
During the training, participants attended a series of lectures on such topics as theJapanese disaster management system at the central and local levels, Japanese measuresagainst flooding, sediment disasters, and earthquakes, school disaster risk reduction,community-based disaster risk management, the role of the media in disaster risk
reduction, lifelines and natural disasters, and business continuity planning. In addition,
they were able to establish friendly relations with officials, community members, andstudents over the course of their program.
These experiences provided an invaluable opportunity for the participants tounderstand how Japanese government agencies, NGOs, and private sector institutions arepromoting disaster risk reduction in Japan. The trainees were excited to utilize what theylearned in Japan to contribute to efforts aimed at promoting disaster risk reduction in theirrespective countries.

Fig.4-2-2-1 Lecture at Osaka Gas

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4-2-3. JICA Disaster Management Training Course forCentral Asia and the Caucasus
The ADRC, in collaboration with JICA, conducted a training course on its sixth Russian

language training course on disaster management for Central Asia and the Caucasus
region from 5 July to 6 August 2010. These areas are prone to natural disasters such as
floods, droughts, landslides, and earthquakes, and the damage caused by such events
tends to spread into neighboring countries. These countries also share common disasterrisk reduction challenges, such as flooding triggered by the melting of mountain glaciers.
Eight central and local government officials in charge of disaster management camefrom Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan to participate in thistraining. They visited relevant organizations and facilities, and learned about the roles
that need to be played by the central and local governments, lifeline companies, research
institutes, meteorological agencies, the media, hospitals, and NPOs. They also learned
about GIS technologies, international disaster reduction cooperation, and disasterprevention education. Participants visited sites in the Shikoku Mountains, where landslidecountermeasures and erosion control measures have been implemented, and the Hyogo
Prefectural Emergency Management and Training Center.
This training course incorporated a “Town Watching” activity, the method ofidentifying underlying risks in a community through the creation of hazard maps. Theirhands-on participation in this activity enabled the trainees to better understand theeffectiveness of this method in raising public awareness of disaster risk reduction.
Since 2007, our trainings have included a workshop for developing action plans using
the Project Cycle Management (PCM) method. Over the course of four days, trainees
learned the basics of PCM as well as how to put what they had learned into practice. The
trainees were able to achieve the objectives of the workshop, and are expected to become
leaders who can apply what they learned here to various disaster reduction projects intheir own countries.

Fig.4-2-3-1 A visit to Cabinet Office to learn Japan’s
Disaster Risk Management System

Fig.4-2-3-2 Participation in the Community-based
hazard mapping program34

4. Human Resource Development

4-2-4. JICA Training /Earthquake Disaster Management
Course for China
The ADRC, in collaboration with JICA, conducted a training course on "Earthquake

Disaster Management for China" from 30th August to 17th September 2010. The objectiveof the program was to help participants understand Japanese disaster management
processes that are utilized before, during, and after an earthquake. This program wasdesigned for acquiring enough skills to conduct making effective urban disasterprevention plan as well as recognizing an overview of disaster prevention methods inJapan.
In this year, this training course focused not only the technology ofearthquake-resistant construction, but also regional disaster prevention plan. According tothis arrangement, trainees could learn multi-level disaster prevention plan (National,Prefectural, and Municipal). In addition, they were most interested in learning at
Three-Dimensional Full-Scale Earthquake Testing Facility (E-Defense).
In order to further understanding lectures and field visits, follow-up meetings were
held every evening. At the meeting, ADRC made additional explanation for the trainees’
questions.

Fig.4-2-4-2 Damaged water pipes(Kobe city)

Fig.4-2-4-1 Earthquake- resistance School
promotion (by Ministry of Education, Culture,Sports, Science and Technology)

At the beginning of the training course, the participants learned general informationabout Japanese history, culture, and customs in order to understand earthquake disasterprevention roles, acts, methods, and regulations from many perspectives. Each trainee
then learned about national level and regional level disaster prevention plan ofgovernments and disaster prevention measures ofutilities, mass media, research

institutes, and private sectors.
The participants then made visits to enlightening facilities such as the Disaster35

Reduction Museum in Kobe and research facilities such as E-Defense in Miki city,
Hyogo Prefecture. They also attended lectures on the damage estimation methods andvisited local municipalities

where massive disasters struck in the past to learn howeach region was able to reconstruct from the past disaster.
At the end of the training course, the participants attended a workshop for developing
action plans, and presented proposals for disaster countermeasures tailored to theparticular characteristics of their own regions. At the workshop, they also evaluated theiraction plans with each other.
It is highly hoped that the participants of this course will take advantage of what they
have learned by playing a leading role in the development of their own regions in China
to disseminate earthquake-resistant construction technology and knowledge.

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