in June 1997 to discuss activities to be undertaken by the proposed center for disaster
reduction system. Once again, key personnel from the disaster reduction bureaus of 23
countries attended the meeting, whose overall goal was to promote cooperation in disaster
reduction efforts through specific actions. A proposal was made at the meeting to establish acenter in Japan to serve as the secretariat for the proposed system.
Establishment of ADRC
With momentum gathering from this series of meetings, the government of Japan discussed
the organization, budget, and other aspects of the proposed office with the other countries
involved. With the cooperation of Hyogo Prefecture, ADRC was officially established in Kobe
on 30 July 1998.

1-2. Composition
ADRC was established in Kobe, Hyogo prefecture, in 1998, with mission to enhancedisaster resilience of the member countries, to build safe communities, and to create a society
where sustainable development is possible. ADRC works to build disaster resilient
communities and to establish networks among countries through many programs including
personnel exchanges in this field.
The Center addresses this issue from a global perspective in cooperation with a variety ofUN agencies and international organizations/initiatives, such as the United Nations Office forDisaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asiaand the Pacific (UNESCAP).
At the outset, ADRC was comprised of 22 member countries, four advisor countries, and anobserver organization. Armenia joined later, in August 2000, followed by the Kyrgyz Republic
in July 2002, Pakistan in July 2005, and Yemen and Bhutan in December 2007, Azerbaijan in2009, the Maldives in 2010, the Republic of Iran in 2012, and Turkey in 2018 bringing thenumber of member countries to 31. In March 2004, the US joined as the fifth advisor country
to ADRC.
Reference: Corporate Status
20 years have passed since the establishment of ADRC in 2018. As its member countries
have increased from 22 to 31 countries, as well as ADRC and its activities have beenwell-acknowledged in the DRR field, ADRC has decided to be apart from the umbrella ofUrban Disaster Research Institute and reconfigure the domestic organizational structure. On
12 November 2019, ADRC was incorporated as Asian Disaster Reduction Center Foundationand will further accelerate its activities from the fiscal year 2020.

221. Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC)
Table 1-2-1 Counterpart List of 31 Member Countries
countryorganization

Armenia

Regional Survey for Seismic Protection (RSSP), Ministry of Emergency Situations

Azerbaijan

Ministry of Emergency Situations

Bangladesh

Ministry of Disaster Management & Relief

BhutanMinistry of Home & Cultural Affairs

Cambodia

The National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM)

China

National Disaster Reduction Center of China

India

Ministry of Home Affairs

Indonesia

National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB)IranNational Disaster Management Organization (NDMO)

Japan

Cabinet Office

Kazakhstan

Ministry of Emergency Situations

Republic of Korea

Ministry of the Interior and Safety

Kyrgyz Republic

Ministry of Emergency Situations

Laos

National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), Ministry of Labour and Social
WelfareMalaysia

National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA)

Maldives

National Disaster Management Authority

Mongolia

National Emergency Management Agency（NEMA)

MyanmarMinistry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement

Nepal

Ministry of Home Affairs

Pakistan

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)

Papua New Guinea
Philippines

Department of Provincial & Local Government Affairs
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)

RussiaMinistry of the Russian Federation for Affairs for Civil Defence, Emergencies andElimination of Consequences of Natural (EMERCOM)

Singapore

Singapore Civil Defence Force

Sri Lanka

Disaster Management Centre, Ministry of Defence

Tajikistan

Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense

Thailand

Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), Ministry of Interior

TurkeyDisaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) , Ministry of Interior

Uzbekistan

Ministry of Emergency Situations

Viet NamViet Nam Disaster Management Authority (VNDMA), Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development

Yemen

Ministry of Water & Environment

33

Fig. 1-2-1 Member Countries and Advisor Countries

1-3. Main Activities
ADRC engages in the following basic activities:
Information Sharing
Provision of disaster information through its website
Promotion of GLobal unique disaster IDEntifier (GLIDE) number system
Organization of international meetings including Asian Disaster Reduction
Conference (ACDR)
Acting as the hub for using satellite imagery information for DRR
Human Resource Development
Organization of seminars, workshops and training on disaster risk reduction
Hosting of Visiting Researchers (VRs) from member countries
Building Community Capabilities
Development and distribution of tools for encouraging community involvement
Assistance to the activities of the Asian Disaster Reduction and Response
Network (ADRRN)

44