2. Building a Network for Sharing Information on
Natural Disasters and Disaster Reduction
2-1. Formation of a Human Network
A network is needed to share information and people are a key component in network building.
Therefore, at ADRC, we are devoting a lot of energy to finding and networking the humanresources that will make it possible to share information on natural disasters and disaster
reduction in Asia.

2-1-1. ADRC International Meetings (Member County’s
Meetings)
Since it is necessary to network human resources in order to promote disaster management
cooperation in Asia, ADRC has held annual meetings of its member countries, advisor
countries and observers since our inception. The first meeting was in February 1999, the secondin December 1999 and the third in December 2000. The fourth was co-sponsored by the Indian
government and, like those before it, brought vice-ministers, bureau chiefs, department heads
and others under one roof to actively exchange thoughts and opinions. (Tables2-1-1-1, 2-1-1-2,
2-1-1-3 and 2-1-1-4)
Through these contacts, we expect information gathering to become even swifter and more
effective in the future.
Table 2‑1‑1‑1 Member Countries
Classification: ①Supervisor ②Contact person ③Attended 4th Intl. Meeting
Country

Classification

Cambodia

China

Position
President, National Survey for Seismic Protection, Government of
the Republic of Armenia①②

Dr. Serguei
Balassanian③

Simon PAPYAN①

Mr. BMM
Muzharul Haque②

Mr. A.S.M. Abdul Joint Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief,
Haque Chowdhury Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh

Armenia

Bangladesh

Representative①②③

Vice-President, National Survey for Seismic Protection,
Government of the Republic of Armenia
Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief,
Bangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka

Mr. Samy Peou

Secretary General, National Committee for Disaster Management①③

Mr. FANG
Zhiyong②③

Ms. Mei CHAI

Director Division of Disaster Reduction, Department of Disasterand Social Relief
Director Section Two Department of Foreign Affairs Ministry of
Civil Affairs

１

ADRC Annual Report No.4 (2001)

Country

Classifi
cationPosition
Special Secretary and Central Relief Commissioner, Department ofAgriculture & Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture
Director, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry ofAgriculture①

Ms. Binoo Sen②③

Mr. S. K. Swami③

Mr.Ashok
PRADHAN

Former Special Secretary and Central Relief Commissioner, Departmentof Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture③

Mr.Naved
MASOOD

Joint Secretary and Additional Central Relief Commissioner, Ministry ofAgriculture③

Mr. Anil SINHA

Head, National Centre for Disaster Management③

Dr. V.K.SHARMA Professor, National Centre for Disaster Management③

Mr. V.P.PASRIJA③

Mr. OMPRAKASHMr.
JANAKIRAMANMr.
H.B.Burhanudin

Under Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry ofAgriculture②③

Mr. Sugeng
TRIUTOMO

Deputy Assistant, Emergency Response, National Disaster Management
Coordinating Board (Bakoronas PBP)①

Mr.Takefumi
TAKAHASHI

Director-General for Disaster Management, Cabinet Office②③

Mr. Toshiyasu
Noda

Director for Disaster Preparedness, Cabinet Office③

Mr. Shigehiko
OKUYAMA

Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office③

Mr.Setsuo OHTSU Executive Assistant to the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office③

Mr. Toshiaki
KITAZATO

Councilor for Disaster Management, Cabinet Office③

Mr. Masaaki
NAKAGAWA

Deputy Director, Disaster Reduction Bureau, Cabinet Office③

Mr. Kenji
OKAZAKI

Director Building Reduction Office, Housing Bureau, Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure and Transport

India

③
①
Indonesia

Japan

Representative

Assistant Director, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry ofAgriculture
Technical Officer, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry ofAgriculture

Assistant Disaster Management, Coordinator Minister for People's
Welfare and Poverty Alleviation

CountryJapan

Kazakhstan

Classifi
cationMr.Yasushi
SHIMOYAMA

Deputy Director, Disaster Risk Management Office, Disaster Reduction
and Relief Division, River Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure andTransport③

Mr. Katsuo
SASAHARA

Deputy Director, Sabo Planning Division, Sabo Department, River
Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport③

Mr. Yasushi
Taguchi

Director, Office of Disaster Reduction Research, Research andDevelopment Bureau, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology①

Mr. Nurahmet
Bijanov
Ms. Laura
H.LUKPANOVA
Mr. Marat
ASHIMBAYEV
Mr. Phetsavang
SOUNNALATH
Mr．Vilaphong
Sisomvang
Mr. Mohamad bin
Haji Yaakub
Mr. Abdul Khadir
OthmanFirst Deputy of chairman,
Emergency Agency②③

Mr. Namjildorj
Nyamdorj

Officer, Department of Strategic Management and Planning, Ministry for
Nature and the Environment①

Director General, Fire Services Department (H.Q), Ministry of Social
Welfare, Relief and Resettlement
Director, Fire Services Department (H.Q), Ministry of Social Welfare,
Mr. U Zaw Win
Relief and Resettlement
Mr. Kumar Prasad Director General, Dept. of Narcotics control and Disaster Management,
Ministry of Home Affairs
POUDYAL
Dr. Meen Bahadur Director, Dept. of Narcotics control and Disaster Management, Ministry ofHome Affairs
Poudyal Chhetri

②

①③
Laos
②
①
②
①
Mongolia

Myanmar

②
①③
Nepal
②

Papua New
GuineaPosition③③

Malaysia

Representative

Main Expert, International Cooperation Office, Emergency Agency

Director of Institute, Kazakh State Scientific Project, Experimental
Institute Aseismic Building & Architecture
Director, National Disaster Management Office, Ministry of Labor &Social Welfare
Training Manager Department of Social Welfare, National Disaster
Management OfficeDirector, Crisis and Disaster Management Unit, National Security
Division, Prime Minister's Department
Deputy Director, Crisis and Disaster Management Unit, Division of
National Security, Prime Minister's Department
Director, Department of Strategic Management and Planning, Ministry for
Dr. H.YKHANBAINature and the Environment

Colonel Myint
Htun

①③

Mr. Leo Meninga

Secretary, Chairman of National Disaster Committee, Dept. of Provincial
and Local Government Affairs②

Mr.Kaigabu
Kamnanaya

Assistant Director (Risk Management), National Disaster Management
Office, Department of Provincial and Local Government Affairs①

Mr Melchor P
Rosales

Administrator, Office of Civil Defense, Department of National Defense②③

Col. Elma ALDEA Civil Defense Deputy Administrator, Department of National Defense

Philippines

３

ADRC Annual Report No.4 (2001)

Country

Classifi
cation
①
②

Korea

③
②③
③

RussiaRepresentative

Director-General, Disaster Reduction and Preparedness Bureau, Ministryof Government Administration and Home Affairs
Director, Disaster Reduction Planning Division, Ministry of Government
Mr. Byung Rok Lee
Administration and Home Affairs
Former Director, Disaster Reduction Planning Division, Ministry of
Mr. CHUNG Song
Government Administration and Home Affairs
Senior Analyst, National Institute for Disaster Reduction, Ministry of
Mr. PARK Dugkeun
Government Administration and Home Affairs
Assistant Deputy Director, Disaster Reduction Planning Division
Mr. HWANG
Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs
HayongMr. Jong-Pal Lee①

Mr. Yury Brajnikov Chief, Dept. Of International Cooperation, EMERCOM of Russia②

Dr. VladimirKuvshinov
Ms. Svetlana
Bandurkina③②

Mr. Khaizal Kalil③

Mr. ANG Tse Meng Head of Operations, Singapore Civil Defense Force③

Mr. Puniamoorthy
RAMASAMY
Mr. Amara
Hewamadduma

Uzbekistan

VietnamStaff Officer, Overseas Training Management, Singapore Civil Defense
Force

Director Singapore Civil Defence Force, Civil Defense Academy
Secretary, Ministry of Social Services

Mr. W.B.J.
Fernando

Director, National Disaster Management Centre, Ministry of Social
Services

Mr. W. A.
Chulananda Perera
Dr. Abdurakhim①③
Radjabov
Ms. Shakhnoza②③
KHAIDAROVA
Apai①
Chandanachulaka
Mr. Udomsak②③ USWARANGKUR
A
Mr. Sosnovsky①②③
Valentin Olegovich
Mr. DANG Quang①③
Tinh

Deputy Director, National Disaster Management Centre, Ministry ofSocial Services②③

Thailand

Senior Expert, Dept. of International Cooperation, EMERCOM of Russia

Mr. Tan Chan Seng Commissioner, Singapore Civil Defense Force, Ministry of Home Affairs①

Kyrgyzstan

Deputy Chief of Desk, Dept. of International Cooperation, EMERCOM of
Russia①③

Singapore

Sri Lanka

PositionFirst Deputy Minister, Ministry of Emergency Situation and Civil Defense
Ministry of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of the Republic of
Tajikistan
Director-General, Local Administration Dept., Ministry of Interior
Deputy Director-General, Administrative Affairs, Department of Local
Administration, Ministry of Interior
Leader, Dept. Of Emergency Situation, Cabinet Ministry
Director, Department of Dike Management and Flood Control, Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development
Deputy Director, Department of Dike Management and Flood Control,
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development②

Le Xuan Truong③

Mr. DO Huy Thinh Chief, Bac Giang Province's Committee for Flood and Storm Control③

Mr. NGUYEN
Xuan Thiep

Chief Day River Diversion Management Board, Department of Dike
Management and Flood Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development

Table 2‑1‑1‑2 Advisor Countries
Classification: ①Supervisor ②Contact person ③Attended 4th Intl. Meeting
Country

Classifi
cation①Australia

Representative
Mr. David

Templeman

Director General, Emergency Management Australia②③

Mr. Morris Bradley Director of Business Management, Emergency Management Australia③

Mr. Rob LEE①②③ Mr. Beat Kuenzi
Switzerland③

FrancePosition①②

Assistant Director Information Management & Business, Emergency
Management Australia
Senior Program Officer, Division for Humanitarian Aid and Swiss Disaster
ReliefMember of SDR, Member of the Specialized Group"Reduction/Preparedness"

Dr. Markus
Zimmermann
Mr. le Prafet Michel
Directeur，Direction de la Defense et de la Securite Civiles
SAPPIN
Colonel Philippe
Chef de la Mission des relation internationals, Direction de la Defense et
NARDINde la Securite Civile①

Mr. John Norton

Director, Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management②

Dr. Neil Britton

Manager, Sector Development Unit, Ministry of Civil Defense andEmergency Management

New Zealand

Table 2‑1‑1‑3 Observer
Classification: ①Supervisor ②Contact person ③Attended 4th Intl. Meeting
Country

ＡＤＰＣClassifi
cationRepresentative

Position①

Dr. Suvit Yodmani Executive Director, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center②

Mr. David Hollister Deputy Executive Director, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center③

Ms. Lolita Caparas
Program Manager, Regional Program, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
GarciaTable 2‑1‑1‑4 Other Organizations
Classification: ①Supervisor ②Contact person ③Attended 4th Intl. Meeting
Classifi
cationＵＮ／ＩＳＤＲ③

ＵＮ／ＩＳＤＲ③

ＵＮＯＣＨＡ New
York③

ＵＮＯＣＨＡ New
York③

ＵＮＯＣＨＡKOBEＵＮＯＣＨＡ
KOBE③③

Representative
Mr. Salvano
BRICENO

Position
Director Inter-Agency Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster
Reduction United Nations

Ms. Etsuko
TSUNOZAKIMr.Kenzo
OHSHIMA

Economic & Social Issues, Inter-Agency Secretariat of the International
Strategy for Disaster Reduction, United Nations
Under Secretary General, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs
Special Assistant to the Under-Secretary-General, Office of the
Ms. Coco Hiroko
Under-Secretary-General, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
USHIYAMA
Affairs
Regional Advisor, Asian Disaster Response Unit, United Nations Office
Ms. Feng Min Kan
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Mr.Shuichi
Information Manager, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
ODAKA
Affairs, United Nations

５

ADRC Annual Report No.4 (2001)

Classifi
cationＵＮＯＣＨＡINDIAＵＮＯＣＨＡ
INDIA
ＵＮＣＲＤ
KOBE
ＵＮＤＰ
INDIA
ＵＮＤＰ
INDIA
ＵＮＤＰ
INDIA

③
③
③
③
③
③

ＦＡＯ

③

ＵＮＣＨＳ
(Habitat)

③

ＡＤＢ

③

ＰＨＩＶＯＬＣＳ③

Representative
Dr. Rajan
GENGAJE
Ms. Arundhati
RAO
Mr. Rajib Kumar
SHAWMr. Dennis
LAZARUSMr. Prishant
GIRBANE
Mr. G.
Padmanabhan

Position
National Disaster Response Officer, UN OCHA - New Delhi
National Disaster Response Assistant, UN OCHA - New Delhi
Associate Expert, United Nations Centre for Regional Development
Disaster Management Planning Hyogo Office
Deputy Resident Representative, United Nations, Development
Programme
Project Officer, United Nations Disaster Management Team, United
Nations Development Programme
Programme Officer, United Nations Development Programme

Vulnerability Analysis Coordinator, Global Information and Early
Warning Service, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations
Regional Adviser, South Asia Urban Management Programme, Regional
Mr. Ramanath Jha
Office for Asia and the Pacific-South Asia Sub-Office, UNHABITAT
Senior Environment Specialist, Environment & Social Safeguards
Mr. Joseph
Division, Regional & Sustainable Development Department, Asian
A.WEINSTOCK
Development Bank
Dr. Maria Leonila P. Associate Scientist, Department of Science and Technology, Philippine
Bautista
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology<Positions (titles) at time of the meeting are given. >Mr. Naoki
MINAMIGUCHI

2-1-2. Outline of Fourth ADRC International Meeting
The 4th international meeting is described below.

１）Date: January 22 (Tues) - 23 (Wed), 2002
２）Place: Hotel Metropolitan Nikko, Delhe, India
Participants: Total 80 including governmental officials and experts on disaster reduction
from 22 nations and 10 organizations (Table 2-1-1-1 through 2-1-1-4) and other participants.
３）Outline
Up until last year, three annual international meetings had been held in Kobe, Japan, but thisyear's meeting was hosted by the Government of India and ADRC because of the significance it
had with the Gujarat Earthquake that had struck western India a year earlier.
A special session on the "Lessons Learned in Gujarat" was held and gave the host Indian
government, member countries and participating organizations a chance to reconfirm theimportance of disaster reduction systems, disaster reduction education and emergency response.
The Indian government also reported that the human resource network built through ADRC
international meetings and the trust shared with member countries was proved to be extremely
effective in handling emergency aid acceptance and other operations.
Sessions were also staged on "International Cooperation Projects for Building Disaster
Reduction Capacity" and "Promotion of Information Sharing in Disaster Reduction Fields".
Both sessions confirmed the importance of "total disaster risk management" and participants
agreed more cooperation should be directed at developing the proper human resources for theparticular situation in each individual country and, in support of these activities, more
information on natural disasters and disaster reduction could be shared by effectively utilizing
new technologies including satellite communications and the internet.
It was reiterated throughout all aspects of the meeting that cooperation based on efficientutilization of the human resources, hardware assets and ideas of member countries and assistingorganizations should be promoted in the Asian region in order to reduce the damage andsuffering from natural disasters in the 21st century.
４）Results
Member countries reported that ADRC's activities were very effective towards building
disaster reduction capacity and recovering from natural disasters in Asia.
There has been a worsening pattern of natural disasters seen in the Asian region as it is being
hit by frequent earthquakes, tsunami and volcanic eruptions as well as larger floods andtyphoons that are being spurred by global climatic change.
In light of the situation, the participating countries and organizations agreed the following
activities are necessary in order to ensure sustainable development in the region. These
activities will depend greatly on cooperation, for which much hope and expectations have beenplaced on ADRC.
(1)Assessment of Specific Activities
Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Indonesia reported that they were seeing steadfast resultsfrom the disaster reduction awareness activities that were implemented last year to build
disaster reduction capacity, and expressed their gratitude to ADRC for the contribution to these
efforts.
Also, as of this year, a new trial program in capacity building was imparted for member
countries with the cooperation of expert organizations from Singapore and the Philippines andemploying assets and capacities of other member countries. For example, the Philippine projectapplied the knowledge of The United Nations University, UNESCO, ADRC and the Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to enhance the disaster reduction awareness of school
administrators and elementary schools from member countries. Participants highly evaluatedthis kind of training program for the effective use of diverse assets.

７

ADRC Annual Report No.4 (2001)

Member countries and the United Nations strongly requested that member countries, advisor
countries and organizations continue to cooperate in disaster reduction capacity building
programs in the future.
(2)Visiting Researchers From Member Countires
ADRC has so far welcomed 11 persons in charge of disaster reduction from member
countries to do research in Japan. These member countries included in their reports that thisprogram contributes greatly towards developing human resources and building disaster
reduction capacity in their home lands. ADRC agreed to continue with this program and towork with member countries on capacity building and human resource development.
(3) Sharing Information on Natural Disasters and Disaster Reduction
Information sharing is absolutely indispensable towards reducing damage from natural
disasters, taking emergency action in a disaster situation, and recovering and rebuilding from adisaster. As information can make a country stronger against disaster, there is a need to gather
and share more of it.
Participants once again highly evaluated ADRC's efforts to create a platform for sharing
information made available through websites operated for member countries. They also
expressed strong hopes in further development of functional aspects that would evolve theplatform from pure information gathering to information dissemination and analysis in the
future, as well as our development as a disaster reduction portal with the capacity to operate asa powerful clearing house of natural disaster and disaster reduction information.
To encourage information sharing on a higher level, ADRC is advocating a standardized ID
number for coding disasters worldwide as well as the effective use of new technologies such as
satellite communications and the Internet. ADRC will build more links to websites of member
countries and related organizations in order to make more information on natural disasters anddisaster reduction available for access. It is hoped that these efforts and others will contribute to
the development of a disaster warning system and ultimately the reduction in disaster-triggered
damage and suffering.
(4)Lessons Learned from the Gujarat Erathquake
ADRC was commended for its programs designed to share the experiences ofdisaster-stricken areas with member countries. With regards to the Gujarat Earthquake, ADRC
co-sponsored along with the Indian government a multinational mission of member countries
to Gujarat in June and staged this year's annual international meeting in India so that member
countries could see for themselves the recovery process one year after the quake. ADRC has
been requested to develop and implement programs that would enable stricken countries toshare their experiences as well as provide their knowledge to other areas hit by a disaster.
(5) Expectations As the Focal Point for UN International Strategy for Disaster
Reduction in Asia
Following the 4th annual international meeting, the United Nations held an Asian meeting on
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR). ADRC is utilizing the knowledge of its
network of human resources to develop activities as the center for ISDR in Asia.

５）Summary
To help the nations of Asia build up their disaster reduction capacity, ADRC will continue toact as an information center for Asia, gathering and disseminating information on natural
disasters and disaster reduction in the region, and seek greater information sharing amongst
member countries and related organizations by effectively utilizing new technologies andpromoting the use of a standardized ID number for coding disasters worldwide. ADRC wants
to make an even greater contribution to member countries in their efforts to build disaster
reduction capacity by further developing cooperative projects with member countries andrelated organizations. In addition, ADRC will take on more responsibility in reducing thedamage and suffering from natural disasters in 21st century Asia by working more closely withUN organizations OCHA and ISDR, and others.

Fig. 2‑1‑2‑1 Participants to ADRC's 4th annual members' meeting

９ADRC Annual Report No.4 (2001)

2-1-3. Asian Meeting on the UN International Strategy for
Disaster Reduction (ＵＮＩＳＤＲ)ADRC supports the activities of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR)
as the operational center for Asia. The 4th ADRC International Meeting was followed by ameeting of UNISDR in Asia held under the co-host of the Japanese government and the ISDR
Secretariat. An outline of the meeting follows.

１）Date: January 24 (Thur), 2002
２）Place: Hotel Metropolitan Nikko, Delhe, India
３）Participants:
Total 80 including governmental officials and experts on disaster reduction from
22 nations and 10 organizations (Table 2-1-1-1 through 2-1-1-4) and otherparticipants.
４）Outline
The meeting opened with a keynote address on future ISDR activities by Kenzo Oshima,
Under Secretary General of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA). In his talk, Oshima stated that "disaster reduction management is an indispensable
element of sustainable development," adding that "it was the duty of ISDR to bring together
disaster reduction bodies." Following his discourse came a panel discussion on the theme of"Disaster Reduction and Sustainable Development."
Each of the participating countries reported on disaster reduction efforts and ISDR activities intheir home countries. In particular, it was noted that "a multilateral approach to disaster
reduction management was necessary." Alleviating poverty, cooperation with local
communities, scholastic education and cooperation of the media were all cited as essential tosuccess.
Because of common and overlapping issues amongst the various countries, there was much tolearn. Member countries voiced their hopes that the ISDR Secretariat and ADRC would
continue to fulfill their roles in fomenting information sharing in this and other ways.
５）Results
Serving as moderator was Ashok Pradhan, Former Special Secretary and Central Relief
Commissioner of the Indian Ministry of Agriculture. He pointed out the need for the following
activities in order to reduce and prevent the damage and suffering from natural disasters deeply
related to environmental problems such as global warming.
(1)Cooperation in Disaster Reduction
Natural disasters are an obstruction to socio-economic development in Asia. For this reason,
all countries in the region should make it an important policy to strengthen their disaster
reduction management and capacity.
(2)Lessons Learned in Gujarat
While still fresh in our minds, the shear memory of such a devastating earthquake must be
applied to developing future preventative measures. Sadly, it has taught us many lessons about
the role of emergency relief, earthquakes in general and being prepared.
(3) Natural Disasters in the 21st Century
The increasing new dangers mankind faces are directly linked to the global population
explosion. We must recognize the growing need for far-reaching preventative measures in orderto reduce the physical destruction and loss of life.
(4)Promoting ISDR Activities
ISDR activities must be promoted particularly for the following reasons.
・To develop local communities for dealing with natural disasters
・To support international cooperation in disaster reduction fields so countries may be preparedfor natural disaster and can properly manage their disaster preparedness

(5) International Cooperation to Prevent Natural Disasters
Disaster reduction and reduction activities could be strengthened in Asian countries throughefficient and effective international cooperation.
(6) Support for International Cooperation in Disaster Reduction Fields
As countries in other regions around the world are building tighter relations in disaster
reduction efforts, it is indispensable for the nations of Asia to forge a solid partnership that canmake the region safe.
Lastly, Shigehiko Okuyama, Parliamentary Secretary and Cabinet Official of Japan,
expressed his deep concerns about the Asian region's growing fragility against natural disasters.
A large natural disaster could obstruct the socio-economic development of the entire region,
hence Okuyama called upon the nations of Asia to formulate a common strategy. Heemphasized the necessity of prioritizing efforts in seeking a balance amongst the environment,
disaster management and economic development, in order for the Asian region to attain a levelof sustainable development.
The results of this meeting will be reported at the World Summit on Sustainable
Development slated for this August in Johannesburg, South Africa.

１１1. Asian Disaster Reduction Center

2-1-4. Visiting Researchers from Member Countries

In line with agreements made at the 1st International Meeting, ADRC has been welcoming
individuals from member countries to do research in Japan. To date, 11 individuals have taken
part in this program and it is believed that this kind of activity is helping to strengthen disaster
reduction management in their native countries. The individual projects are outlined below.

(1)Korea
Shim Kee-Oh
Position at the time of visit: Project Manager, Nation’s Institute for Disaster Reduction(Drought Control), Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs.
Duration: August - October, 1999
Researched drought control in Japan and reported on drought control in Korea. Additionally,
researched and reported on recent drought disasters in Vietnam and Papua New Guinea.

(2)Vietnam
Ngo van Sinh
Position at the time of visit: Water-related Disaster Management Specialist, Disaster
Management Center, Committee for Flood and Storm Control, Department of FloodManagement, Flood and Storm Control, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of
S.R. Vietnam
Duration: December 1999 - March 2000
Reported on the legal system surrounding disaster reduction as well as floods in Vietnam,
studied flood reduction measures in Japan and visited concerned facilities. Conducted
research under Professor Takara and Assistant Professor Toda, Disaster Reduction Institute,
Kyoto University, in the area of water-related disasters.

(3)Nepal
Lek Nath Pokharel
Position at the time of visit: Section Officer, Disaster Relief Section, Ministry of Home
Affairs
Duration: January - May 2000
Reported on the legal system surrounding disaster reduction as well as natural disasters in
Nepal, studied landslide reduction measures in Japan and visited concerned facilities.
Conducted research under Assistant Professor Nakagawa, Disaster Reduction Institute,
Kyoto University.
Reported on the possible collapse and flood management of the glacial lake Tsho Rolpa in
the Himalayas and conducted research under Professor Ueda (cryospheric variation) at the
Atmosphere-Hydrosphere Science Institute, Nagoya University.

(4)Sri Lanka
Nimal Dharmasiri Hettiarachchi
Position at the time of visit: Deputy Director for Disaster Relief, Department of Social
Services, Ministry of Home Affairs
Duration: April - October 2000
Reported on a basic disaster reduction bill in Parliament and natural disasters in Sri Lanka.
Exchanged opinions with researchers from the UN Regional Development Center at Nagoya
University and ADRC about sustainable development and its relations to disaster reduction.

(5)Bangladesh
M. Babul Akhter
Position at the time of visit: Assistant Manager, Palli Karma Shayak Foundation, Treasury
Department
Duration: May - November 2000
Reported on disaster reduction systems, natural disasters and the significance that a small
business support program for women has with regards to disaster reduction in Bangladesh.
Studied flood reduction and river management in Japan at the Ministry of Construction (nowMinistry of Land Infrastructure and Transportation) and River Information Center becauseof the many flood disasters in his country.

(6)Sri Lanka
Chulananda Pelera
Position at the time of visit: Deputy Director, Sri Lanka Ministry of Social Welfare, National
Disaster Management Center
Duration: November 2000 - April 2001
Reported on natural disasters, the legal system surrounding disaster reduction, andorganizations such as the National Disaster Management Center in Sri Lanka. Prepared a
training manual in disaster reduction needed in his country.

(7)Armenia
Ripshima Bardanyan
Position at the time of visit: Secretary to Director, Armenia National Earthquake Center(NSSP)
Duration: March - June 2001
Reported on disasters in Armenia including the Spitak Earthquake and disaster reduction
organizations such as NSSP. Visited the Cabinet Office and disaster reduction organizationsin Hyogo and Shizuoka, to research disaster reduction in Japan.

(8)Papua New Guniea
Filomena Miria
Position at the time of visit: Director Education & Training, National Disaster Management
Organization (NDMO)
Duration: June-December 2001
Reported on recent disasters in Papua New Guinea including tidal waves and the eruption of
Mt. Rapowl, as well as disaster reduction organizations such as NDMO. Visited Sanriku andother locations to research tidal wave reduction measures in Japan. Prepared a training
manual in disaster reduction for his country.

(9)Cambodia
So Ban Hin
Position at the time of visit: Secretary-General, National Council on Disaster Management
Organization (NDMO)
Duration: June-December 2001
Reported on flood disasters and measures in Cambodia, as well as NCDM. Visited Kamiya
Dam and Kisosansen River Basin in Hyogo, as well as the Cabinet Office, NHK and theJapan Red Cross, to study flood reduction measures in Japan.

(10) Bangladesh
Mohamed Atikzaman
Position at the time of visit: Deputy Director, Bangladesh Provincial Administration
Training Center (BPATC)
Duration: January - July 2002
Reported on recent cyclones and flood disasters in Bangladesh, as well as training by
BPATC. Attended JICA Disaster Reduction Training Seminar for Administrative Officers
organized by ADRC in cooperation with JICA. Researched all types of disaster reduction in
Japan.

(11) Armenia
Tigran Saiyan
Position at the time of visit: Chairman, Subcommittee for South Region Work, Armenia
National Earthquake Center (NSSP)
Duration: February - August 2002
Reported on antiseismic construction after the Spitak Earthquake and other earthquake
measures, and activities of NSSP. Visited the Phoenix Plaza, seismic test lab and otherdisaster reduction organizations in Hyogo, to study disaster reduction measures in Japan.
As of March 2002, ADRC Highlights is being published in Russia.

２2-1-5. Cooperation with Other International Organizations andInitiatives１）United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
As a joint project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
and ADRC, the OCHA Asia Unit (renamed OCHA Kobe in 2001) opened offices in ADRC in
February 1999. Since that time, our two offices have been sharing information and, this year, we
co-hosted an international conference in Katmandu and a disaster NGO workshop in Kobe,
Japan (described later).
２）ReliefWeb (OCHA)
Relief Web is the information net of OCHA. It provides reliable information on natural
disasters and disaster reduction over the Internet, to support humanitarian aid activities in timesof disaster. Since its launch, ADRC has linked its homepage to Relief Web and built a system,
which allows UN information to be browsed efficiently via our site. Also, because of the vast
amount of information available from member countries, Relief Web established a link to
ADRC's website to add another source of disaster reduction information to its library. As such,information can be accessed from either site hence efficiently provided to respective users.
Relief Web opened an office in Kobe (ADRC) in August 2001. The reason for this was that
their New York and Geneva offices that gathered and disseminated information could not cover
the business hours of Asia because of the time difference. This move has meant increased
information sharing with ADRC than ever before.
３）Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disaster, Louvain Catholic University,
Brussels (CRED)ADRC signed an agreement with the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disaster(CRED) of Louvain Catholic University in Brussels, Belgium, to collaborate on collecting
disaster reduction information, on November 5, 1999. Its aim was to comprehensively track
information on disasters which occurred in the Asian region during the past century, andconstruct the “Database on Natural Disasters in Asia in the 20th Century”, which will serve as
an asset for reinforcing disaster reduction in each Asian country in the next century. CRED is
the only organization in the world with a general natural disaster database. Our two parties aresharing disaster information with each other while also making it available to others.
ADRC is also involved in a joint project with Relief Web to promote the use of a unique ID
number for coding natural disasters around the world. The project was reported at the Global
Disaster Information Network (GDIN) meeting in March 2001 and officially launched in
January 2002.
４）Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN)The Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN) is a project advocated and launched by
the United States Department of State. The goal is to build a framework for systematically
implementing international cooperation in the sharing of disaster information. It is expected to
improve access to existing information and enable its effective use, hence "providing accurate
and reliable information promptly to those who need it in a format they can use."
A particularly big issue is how to quickly obtain reports of disasters in their early moments.
For this reason, consideration is being given to the use of satellite communications and GIS.
Accordingly, this initiative aims not to compete with existing information centers but tocollaborate with them and make it possible to effectively utilize each other's assets, a goal very
similar to the purpose of ADRC.
Four international conferences have been held so far.
1st: July 16 - 17, 1998 in Washington DC, USA
2nd: May 11 - 14, 1999 in Mexico City, Mexico
3rd: April 26 - 29, 2000 in Ankara, Turkey
4th: April 20 - 23, 2001 in Canberra, Australia

３

ADRC Annual Report No.4 (2001)

ADRC has attended GDIN conferences since Ankara and is actively taking part in this global
initiative to share information on natural disasters.

５） Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ＡＤＰＣ)The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ＡＤＰＣ) was founded in Bangkok, Thailand, in
1986, as a private international disaster reduction organization. Their operations go beyond
education and training in their field of activities to include consulting and information services
in line with requests from countries and regions, as well as a number of programs designed tobuild provincial disaster reduction capacity.
Because we share the common goal of reducing damage and suffering from natural disasters
in the Asian region, ADRC signed an agreement in June 2001 to cooperate on the following.
・International disaster reduction activities such as ISDR・Technical development for disaster management information systems
・Techniques in disaster reduction training
・Joint projects４2-2. Regional Workshop on Networking and
Collaboration among NGOs of Asian Counties inDisaster reduction and Response
2-2-1. Purport

To reduce the damage and suffering of natural disasters in Asia, not only
governments and international organizations but also NGOs have to play aconstructive role. These NGOs implement support activities on the local community
level, including relief activities in the early moments after a disaster strikes, recovery
and reconstruction activities in the rebuilding stages, and even education andawareness activities imparted in calmer times from the perspective of disaster
reduction. However, they have their limits and there is a need to build capacity andcooperate with other organizations.
To build a network of Asian disaster NGOs and promote cooperation beyond
borders, ADRC held the “Regional Workshop on Networking and Collaboration
among NGOs of Asian Countries in Disaster Reduction and Response”described
below.

2-2-2. Outline
１）Dates
February 20 - 22, 2002
２）Place
Kobe Portopia Hotel３）Organized by
ADRC, OCHA Kobe and ASEAN
Foundation４）Supported by
Cabinet Office of Japan, Ministry ofForeign Affairs, Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Institute５）Participants
Tsui Edo
Secretary-General, OCHA New York
Salvano Briceno
Director, UN ISDR Secretariat(Geneva)
Ruben Umaly
Executive Director, ASEAN Foundation (Indonesia)
35 persons from NGOs in 16 Asian countries
UN, Cabinet Office (Japan), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hyogo Prefecture, Red
Cross, Red Cresent, Orissa State(India), etc.
Total: 80 persons
６）Results○ The process of networking beyond borders was recognized as necessary for NGOs
to operate, as networking would allow them to cooperate and share informationand experiences with one another.
○The participating NGOs will attempt to form a network amongst themselveswith ADRC and OCHA Kobe as acting secretariat.
○ The individual NGOs will in the meantime continue building networks in theirindividual countries and compile a list of NGOs in their respective countries.
They will publicize this list on ADRC's website as the start of a database of Asian
disaster reduction NGOs.

１

ADRC Annual Report No.4 (2001)○A committee will be created to promote cooperation amongst NGOs and organize the next
NGO meeting within one year's time.
Table 2‑2‑1

Participants

1.MemberCountries
CountryNGO

Representative

Bangladesh

1. Association of Development
Agencies in Bangladesh (ADAB)

Bangladesh

2. Bangladesh Disaster
Preparedness Center (BDPC)

Cambodia

1. Aphiwat Strey

Cambodia

2. Nak Akphivath Sahakum (NAS)China

1. Foreign Affairs Division of China
Charity Federation

Mr. Ma Guilin(Deputy Director)

India

1. UNNATI Organisation of
Development Education

Binoy Acharya

India

2.Karuna Foundation

India

3. SEEDS

Earthquake damage assessment, local counseling,etc. (Founded in 1990)
Disaster damage reduction, disaster reduction
management, etc.
Local disaster reduction management, disaster
Manu Gupta(Program Director) reduction, recovery, etc. (Founded in1993)

Indonesia

1. Posko Informasi Rawan PanganIndonesia

2. Yayasan Lestari Hutan Indonesia Dr. Rizaldi Boer

Indonesia

3. KPPALA Indonesia

Country

NGO

Japan

1.Japan Red CrossJapan

Rotary Yoneyama Scholarship FundJapan

3. Kobe YMCA

Japan

4. Shanti Volunteer Association

Japan

7. AMDAKorea

1. Korean Sharing movement

Core activities

NGO network building, disaster reduction, disaster
Mr. Shamsul Huda
reduction management, etc. (Founded in 1974)
Disaster reduction management, training in
Muhammad Saidur
disaster reduction and recovery, etc. (Founded in
Rahman1991)
Mr. Chin Vuthy
Disaster risk management(Project Manager)
Mr. Savun Sam Ol Flood reduction and recovery, irrigation system(Executive Director) repairs, etc. (Founded in 1995)

Ms. Yanne Tamonob

Information sharing, early reporting, etc. (Founded
in 1998)

Mr. Eko Teguh
Paripurno
Representative

Core activities

Masanao Mori
Emergency aid, disaster relief, disaster reduction( International Relief
volunteer activities, etc. (Founded in 1877)
Director)
Yukio Miyazaki((Japan YMCA) life-long pursuit of learning,(former Generalvolunteer activities, Wellness International
Affairs Director,
activities, etc. (Founded in 1880)
Operations Director)
Hiroshi Oe (LETS
Director)

International understanding and education,
life-long pursuit of learning, (Founded in 1886)

Hitoshi Ichikawa(,Global Action
Emergency relief, education and cultural activities,
etc (Founded in 1980)
Network Division
Chief)
Tsukasa Konishi(Director, Emergency Medical aid, etc. (Founded in1984)
Response Division)
Lee, Jong-Moo

Emergency relief, etc. (Founded in 1996)

CountryNGO

Representative

Core activities

Malaysia

Dr. Jemilah bt.
1. Malaysian Medical Relief Society
Mahmood(MERCY)(President)

Volunteer medical aid, emergency medical
activities, etc. (Founded in 1999)

Mongolia

1. Mongolian Association ofPrivate Herders Coops

Supplemental transportation, etc. (Founded in
1991)

Mongolia

2. Environment-21 NGO

Nepal

1. Nepal Geological Society

Mr. Radnaabazar
AmarbayasgalanCounseling services, disaster reduction
Jadamba Batbayar
management, disaster reduction strengthening and(Executive Director)
backup activities, etc. (Founded in 1998)
Mr. Rajendra Prasad
Disaster reduction awareness, seismic research,
Khanal(General Secretary) etc. (Founded in 1979)
Ms. Merlie B.
Sustainable agriculture, forestry, etc. (Founded in
Mendoza(Executive
1991)
Coordinator)
Honorable
Congressman
Disaster response, etc. (Founded in 1952)
Mr. Wigberto Tanada

Philippines

1. Tabang Mindanaw

Philippines

2. Philippine Rural Reconstruction
Movement (PRRM)

Singapore

1. Singapore International
Foundation

Dr. Tan Chi Chiu
Humanitarian relief (Founded in 1991)(Executive Director)

Sri Lanka

1. Sarvodaya Shramadana
Movement

J.D. Gunasena(Head ofInternational
Division)

Sri Lanka

Database creation of emergency response NGOs,
Mr. Jwevan
2.Consortium of Humanitarian Agen. Thiagarajah
mapping of disaster-prone areas, etc. (Founded in(Executive Director) 1999)

Sri Lanka

3. Emace

Thailand1. Catholic Office for Emergency
Relief and Refugee (COERR)

Rev. Fr. Pibul
Visitnondachai

Food aid, humanitarian aid for disaster victims, etc.
(Founded in 1978)

Vietnam

1. Center for School Equipment
Cooperation and Humanity
Education

Mrs. Nguyen Thi
Kinh

Awareness activities, etc. (Founded in 2000)

Vietnam

1. Center for School Equipment
Cooperation and Humanity
Education

Ms. Le Quyen Nhi

Awareness activities, etc. (Founded in 2000)

Drought relief, food aid, etc. (Founded in 1950)

Disaster damage reduction (Founded in 1997)

2. Observers
Country
China

Laos

VietnamNGO

Representative

Core activities

2. Disaster Relief and Social Relief Mr. Li Baojun
Department of the Ministry of Civil (Deputy Division
Affairs
Chief)
Dr. Keedeng
IFRC Lao
Thammalangsy(Secretary General)
Ho Tran Sy(Manager of
2. Officer Organization Department
Disaster Reductionof Vietnam& Estimation
Division)

The workshop was partially funded by the ASEAN Foundation as a "Human Resource
Development Project for Disaster Response and Coordination". The ASEAN Foundation is anorganization that aims to develop human resources.

３2-3. GIS International Meeting --International Symposium on Internet based
Disaster Information (ISIDI)
2-3-1. Outline
１）Purpose
The International Symposium on Internet based Disaster Information (ISIDI) was held to promote
Internet based Mapping or GIS for Disaster Management by sharing information among the related
institutions and in order to utilize the technique toward disaster mitigation.
２）DateAugust 27, 2001
３）Place
Conference Hall, International Health Development (IHD) Center Building (Kobe, Japan)４）Organized by
ADRC (Contribution from Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST))

2-3-2. Program
9:00~9:05 Opening Address … Yujiro Ogawa, Exective Director, ADRC
9:05~9:15 Welcome Address by co-host … Michiko Mizuno, Department of Researchpromotion, Office of Basic Research, JST
9:15~9:35 Internet GIS for Disaster Reduction Management … Bambang Rudyanto, ADRC
9:35~9:55 HAZPAC: A GIS of Natural Hazard Exposure in the Pacific Rim … Brynn Bemis,
USGS
9:55~10:05 Coffee Break
10:05~10:25 Global Mapping - Development of Global Geographic Dataset … Hiroshi Une,
GSI
10:25~10:45 Asian Pacific Health Information … Yoshihiro Takashima, WHO
10:45~12:00 Decision Support Tool for Disaster Management in the Case of Strong
Earthquakes … Nina Frolova, Russian Academy of Science
11:00~12:00 Discussion on Internet based GIS
12:00~13:30 Lunch Break
13:30~13:55 Relief Web … Pablo Ricardo, OCHA
13:55~14:15 Social Mapping for Disaster Mitigation and the Internet: Tracing the Use ofInternet based Maps for Social Learning … Teti Argo, ITB
14:15~14:35 Remote Sensing Clearing House … Yasunori Terayama, Saga University
14:35~14:55 Disaster Data from Satellite … Atsushi Takeda, Tohoku Bunka Gakuen
University
14:55~15:05 Coffee Break
15:05~15:25 i-Space Application Experiments … Takashi Moriyama, NASDA
15:25~15:45 Japan Disaster Relief Team and Disaster Information … Hideo Morikawa,
Disaster Assistance Division Secretariat of Japan Disaster Relief Team, JICA
15:45~16:45 Discussion on disaster information and joint projects
16:45~17:00 Closing Address
17:00
Close

１

ADRC Annual Report No.4 (2001)

Acronyms for organizations
・JST ＝ Japan Science and Technology Corporation
・GSI ＝ Geographical Survey Institute, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport,
Government of Japan・ITB ＝ Bandung Institute of Technology (Indonesia)
・WHO ＝ World Health Organization
・USGS ＝ U.S. Geological Survey
・OCHA ＝ (United Nations) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
・NASDA ＝ National Space Development Agency of Japan・JICA ＝ Japan International Cooperation Agency

2-3-3. Summary and Declaration
The symposium pointed out that internet based GIS and disaster management
information are effective towards preparing for and responding to disasters. One example ofa new internet based GIS tool is VENTEN (Vehicle through Electric Network of disasTer
gEographical informatioN) developed by ADRC. The remote sensing and the latest information
technologies which are applications of basic ones should be useful to end-users.
Nonetheless, something must be done to solve the following problems before any of newtechnologies can be actually used.
・ Development and launch of satellites for high-speed Internet use
・ Guidance that enables end-users to easily and quickly access information (Explanations of
how to use)
・ How to provide information to countries those are hard to use the Internet
・ How end-users can find truly necessary information
New technologies might resolve these problems. But, technical experts and end-users must
understand each other in order to use information technology in disaster reduction more than
before. For this reason, one must approach the other; the technical experts must access theend-users, and the end-users must provide the technical experts with what they really need.
Internet based information can be used not only in an emergency situation but also to assess
preparation and weaknesses in pre-disaster times. To promote this kind of application,
high-speed communication satellites and global mapping are necessary as a technological base.
To achieve this target, international organizations, governments and research institutes
should cooperate with one another. The private sector also must play a constructive part indisaster reduction. Finally, we must never forget to seek and understand what end-users needand continually share information with them.
(The results of this symposium have been published in the report, Information Technology for
Disaster Management [ISBN 4-901614-00-2]).

2-4. ADRC's Network for Information on Natural
Disasters and Disaster Reduction
2-4-1. Configuration and Hardware
The configuration and hardware of ADRC's network is shown in Fig. 2-4-1-1. We have awireless connection to the Internet of about 1.5 Mbps through New Century GlobalNet(http://www.ncgnet.co.jp). We chose not to go with ADSL despite its rapidly growing
popularity because of the asymmetrical upload and download speeds, and the few providers
offering services with stationary IP addresses.
IMnet, which we used until last year, was a network for research institutes, such as national
test labs and institutes involved in joint research with them, to share information on researchand circulate research information around the world. It aimed to promote the sharing of
information required by research. The nearest node to us was in Osaka and Kobe was connected
to it by a 126 kbps dedicated line. This created a bottleneck and defeated the purpose of the highspeed IMnet, so we changed to a wireless high-speed network. We will keep an eye out for othernetworking opportunities and will jump at the first viable network that offers faster speed andcost advantages. We are building a platform to share a diversity of information including still
images and moving pictures, and which will enable easy access from the outside.
Fig. 2‑4‑1‑1 Configuration and hardware of the ADRC network
Private IP Addresses
192.168.1.0/24 are allocatedfor internal machines.

Only open servers are allocated a global IP
address. Private address is changed to global
IP by NAT for global information traffic.
Sky Fiberhigh speed (1.5Mbps)
wireless access

Fire Wall
DNS request fromexternal domain
Open Server

INTERNETNew Century
GlobalNet

Internet ServerInternal Clients

Global DNS

Internet DNS

Forwarding unresolved Internet DNS
DNS Request
RequestFor security reasons, ADRC separates the internal and external networks, and has a firewall
between the two. The internal network consists of laptops used by researches and desktop PCsthat act as servers. Each server has a private IP address that enables only internal use. Whenattempting to access an internal server from the outside, the firewall converts the global address
to the private address of the server to enable the connection. The firewall not only converts
global addresses to private addresses, but it also routes packet transfer in consideration of the
protocol, source and destination of the packet, whereby restricting access to internal servers andmonitoring any attempts at illegal access.
As peripherals, ADRC is equipped with backup devices such as CD-R, MO and DAT, printers
including a B/W laser printer and color printer, and raster image devices such as a flat bed
scanner and film scanner.

１

ADRC Annual Report No.4 (2001)

2-4-2. ADRC's Website
As shown in Fig. 2-4-2-1, the ADRC's website (URL http://www.adrc.or.jp/) consists of thefollowing 12 databases plus access to VENTEN, our internet-based GIS.: Recent Disaster
Information, Disaster Information from Member Countries, Training Information Database,
ADRC E-Net, Conference and Disaster Studies, Internet Exhibition, Glossary on Natural
Disasters, The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Database, ADRC
Highlights, Archives, Disaster Reports from Member Countries, andCenter Information..
As shown by Fig. 2-4-2-2, information is made available throughthe diverse databases. When a request is made from the Internet, theinformation is retrieved from the corresponding database and sent tothe user in a hypertext format based on instructions for determining
display color and layout. Because information is stored in the databaseand layout is individually controlled by instructions, administrators
are free of complicated layout settings and layouts can be changed
easily in batch to keep pace with user needs and technologicalinnovation. By managing databases in this way, users are given two
ways to access information: by content or by country. Therefore, adirectory can be provided to facilitate access.

Fig. 2‑4‑2‑1 Homepage menu
As an example of information access, here isinformation on how to access our Recent
データベースユーザー
Disaster Information database. This particular要求
database gathers and releases information on
防災情報
ongoing natural disasters as quickly as possible.
ウェブページ
It collects web reports from the UN and media,
summarizes the content and establishes a link参照
to the original text. As shown in Fig. 2-4-2-3,
インストラクション
the information is managed in both a disaster
色、レイアウト
event table and report table. Information
requested by the user (which report the user
wants to see) is extracted from these tables andFig. 2‑4‑2‑2 Linked Database Website
a report is created with a textbook layout.
Remote updating is possible over theInternet as shown in Fig. 2-4-2-2. Currently, considering how frequently information needs tobe updated, the Recent Disaster Information and the Conference and Disaster Studies databaseare designed for remote updating. Other than that, the Topics and Links pages accessed fromour top page can also be updated remotely. With due consideration to security, ADRC plans to
upgrade the system to enable remote updating with all databases to make updating easier and,as a result, provide even more accurate information.
Information on recent disasters is collected and recorded by ADRC staff in order to limit thelag time from when a disaster occurs until information is made available as short as possible.
When the earthquake struck Jiji, Taiwan, for example, it was in the middle of the night, but thefirst bulletin was posted within 4 hours and, over the next 3 days, ADRC's website had received
over 4,700 hits.

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 de
te xt
te xt
te xt

L IN KT able :Re po rt
ID Re po rt
ID D isaste r
C ate go ry
T itleC o n te n t
U RLInformation
itself
To
and
from
Users

n 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. 2‑4‑2‑3 Recent Disaster Information
and window layout

Fig. 2‑4‑2‑4 Remote
updating over the internet

To make our website easier to use, we completely redesigned it. The 4 main changes were
①easy-to-use menus for the three categories of users (Professional, Academic and General),② a dual structure of image-embedded pages and text-only pages which can be selected inaccordance with the kind of communication infrastructure on the user's end, ③ a dual
structure of English and Japanese pages, and ④ a platform that lets the user select the
aforementioned ①˜③ conditions. To make these changes, we added an entry page prior toaccessing our top page (Fig. 2-4-2-5).

Fig. 2‑4‑2‑5 Newly
added entry page

We also redesigned each of the homepages on our site. The key changes were to add ① ahighly visible clickable1 map 1 to our top page and ② a powerful search engine for searchingboth within our site and outside it (Fig. 2-4-2-6).

1 Clickable map: A feature of web browsers that locates multiple links in animage that transfer the user to the link destination when clicked on. An
image with such a feature is also called a "clickable map". By setting
multiple links in a single image, a web site with a map as well as menus
above and below it can be used.

３

ADRC Annual Report No.4 (2001)

Fig. 2‑4‑2‑6

ADRC top page

2-4-3. ADRC Highlights
In addition to providing information over the Internet, ADRC shares information withmember countries and others by publishing an annual report and staging meetings, etc.
However, amongst the developing nations of Asia, there are many without internet access andeven governmental organizations haven't had yet an environment that enable staff to regularlyaccess the internet. The situation is, however, improving through e-mail as more and moreindividuals in developing nations are acquiring personal addresses.
Because of the situation, ADRC started publishing a biweekly newsletter -- ADRC
Highlights -- on June 1, 1999, to circulate the information we had primarily made available
since our inception through our website, in detail and in a timely fashion. Though ADRC
Highlights can be read on our website, we also send it by e-mail to some 300 persons in Japanand some 600 persons around the world, amongst which some are our counterparts, participants
to international meetings and symposiums, associates, visitors to our offices, and others whom
we have met through our participation in international conferences. Also, visitors to our offices
can get back issues upon request.
Content-wise, ADRC Highlights carried in the first year of print information made available
by ADRC, but as of this year, we've added articles on recent activities, topics and reports on
international conferences that staff attends, as well as profiles of ADRC staff (Table 2-4-3). By
introducing staff that has been for all practical purposes unknown to counterparts in member
countries, we've seen a positive reaction from our members, which is helping to strengthen oursystem of cooperation. From the latter half of this year, we'd like to start publishing profiles ofcounterparts in member countries so as to make us more familiar with one another and further
boost cooperation between us.
Another interesting point is that, because information we provide is often sent to persons
involved with disaster reduction outside of counterpart organizations, many people attending
the same international conferences have told us that they know about ADRC Highlights andmany have said favorable things about it even though we have never met these people before.
The impression this gives us is that the newsletter has made our organization better known.
ADRC will be looking to upgrade the content of ADRC Highlights both quantitatively andqualitatively, broaden circulation and provide accurate information in a more timely fashion.
Table 2‑4‑3 2001 ADRC Highlight Articles
Issue Date

Main Articles

Other Articles

Vol. 21

Apr. 2ADRC Visiting Researcher
ProgramVol. 22

Apr. 16

Promotion of disaster
information sharing bystandardized codes.
Disaster information
sharing using
standardized codes…

Vol. 23

May 1

2000 Disaster Data
AnalysisVol. 24

May 16Vol. 25

Jun. 1ADRC Visiting Researcher
ReportMs. Hripsime Vardanyan(Armenia)
Research anddevelopment for “Asia
Regional Disaster
Information Network
System” – “JST Sendai
Meeting”-

１

1. ADRC Regional
Cooperation Project
Situation (Sri Lanka)
2. Visiting Geiyo
Earthquake site
ADRC Mission for Seibu
Earthquake in India
Visitor to ADRC
Report on ADRC Visit to the
Seibu Earthquake site inIndia
1. Introduction of ADRC
staff assignment by country
2. International symposiumon the Internet based
disaster information(ISIDI)
3. Introduction of ADRC
staff Yujiro Ogawa

Asia Disaster
Information
Geiyo EarthquakePNG Oil Explosion

1. Flood in Far East
Russian Region
2. Draught in India

ADRC Annual Report No.4 (2001)

Vol. 26

Jun. 18

ADRC multiple-country
survey mission for Seibu
Earthquake in India
ADRC Visiting Researcher
ReportMs. Philomena Miria(Papua New Guinea)

Vol. 27

Jul. 2Vol. 28

Jul. 18

ADRC Visiting Researcher
ReportMr. So Ban Heang(Cambodia)

Vol. 29

Aug. 1

Disaster in the first half ofthe year in 2001

Vol. 30

Aug. 17

Visit on ADRC
Cooperative Project(Indonesia)

Vol. 31

Sep. 3

Promotion of Unique ID
Project

Vol. 32

Sep. 17

International symposiumon the Internet based
disaster information(ISIDI)

Vol. 33

Oct. 1ADRC Visiting Researcher
ReportMr. So Ban Heang(Cambodia)

Vol. 34

Oct. 16

Participated in United
Nations ISDR World
Disaster Reduction White
Paper Planning
Committee

Vol. 35

Nov. 1Vol. 36

Nov. 16ADRC Cooperation
Project (ADRC members
participated in theInternational Urban
Search Rescue Training in
Singapore)
International DisasterCooperation Seminarsponsored by the Korean

Introduction of ADRC staff
Taichi Kushakabe
1. WHO Consultation on
Developing EHA Regional
Information System
2. Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake Memorial
Center
3. Visitor to ADRC
1. Promotion of cooperation
with ADPC
2. Symposium on Best
Practices in Humanitarian
Information Exchange
1. 2001 Earthquake
Volcano/World Children’s
Summit2. Regional Cooperation
Conference on Natural
Disaster
1. Opening of OCHA
ReliefWeb Kobe Office
2. Introduction of ADRC
staff Vice Chairman,
Satoru Nishikawa
3. Participated in Crowding
SummitIntroduction of ADRC staff
Ryosuke Aota

Introduction of ADRC staff
Bambang Rudiant2. Minister of Defense ofPhilippine, Thomas Ledias
visit the center
3. Accept university interns
1. Presentation Ceremony
Hyogo Gujarat Benefit
Society Fund
2. Introduction of ADRC
staff
Harumi
Yashiro1. ADRC Visiting
Researcher Report (Iwate
Prefecture, Tsunami
Countermeasure
Observation)
2. Introduction of ADRC
staff Masaru Arakida
1. Introduction of ADRC
staff Masatoku Araki
2. Notice of Conference
3. Visitor at ADRC
1. ADRC Visiting
Researcher Report
2. Introduction of ADRC

1. Draught in the Central
Asia
2. Flood in China

1. Flood in Korea
2. Typhoon in thePhilippines and China
3. Flood in India

1. Flood in the northernpart of Thailand
2. Torrential rain in thenorthern part of Iran
3. Damage all over Japandue to typhoon
4. Flood in Cambodia

1. Flood in Vietnam
2. Damage due totyphoon in Taiwan
3. Flood damage in India

Earthquake in Yunnan,
China

Damage by typhoon in
Philippine and Vietnam

government (ADRC
assisted the seminar)
ADRC Visiting Researcher
ReportReport on “Johannesburg
Summit Asia PacificRegional Preparation
Meeting” in Cambodia
New Year’s greeting andnotice of change of achairmanVol. 37

Dec. 3Vol. 38

Dec. 17Vol. 39

Jan. 16Vol. 40

Feb. 1Vol. 41

Feb. 18

Vol. 42Mar. 1

Held Asia Regional
Disaster NGO SymposiumVol. 43

Mar. 18

Held the JICA-ADRC
Disaster Reduction
Administrative Managers’
SeminarHeld the 4th Asia Disaster
Reduction Center
International Meeting
ADRC Analysis Report on
Disaster Impact andSustainable Development

３

staff

Bunsho Yoshimura

Introduction of ADRC staff
Sonoko Tanaka
1. Report on JUSTSAP
2. Posting by Ms. Pokarel
in Nepal
1. Introduction of ADRC
member country
counterpart No.1, JapaneseCabinet Office
2. 34th ESCAP-WMO
Typhoon Committee
Meeting
3. Notice of updated ADRC
website
4. Notice of conference
Introduction of ADRAC
staff Noriko Osono

1. Earthquake in
Tajikistan
2. Flood damage in thesouthern part of Russia

Introduction of ADRC
member country
counterpart No.2, Armenia
NSSP RA
1. Introduction of ADRC
staff Tomohiko Hatori
2. ADRC Member Country
Report (Nepal)
Held the International
Disaster Reduction Expo for
the first time in Republic of
Kazakhstan. Held the 6thEarthquake
Countermeasure
Technology Expo in Kobe.
2. ADRC Visiting
Researcher Report（Md. Atikuzzaman）

Further extended
damage of flood inIndonesia

Extended damage of floodin Indonesia