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2-1-1. Expanding membership of ADRC
Researchers of ADRC visited the Ministry of Ecology and Emergency Situation of the
Kyrgyz Republic in May 2002, and explained the objective and activities of ADRC. As a result,
Kyrgyz (the Minister of Ecology and Emergency Situation) expressed their intention to join
ADRC. Kyrgyz was welcomed to ADRC as the 24th member country with the consent of all theother member countries.
(Note) Kyrgyz
Became an independent country in August 1991. It covers an area of 198,500 square kilometers andhas a population of 4.91 million (as of 2001). The country is located in the Northwest of Tian Shan.
Kyrgyz suffers from natural disasters such as earthquakes (a severe earthquake occurred in August
1992 in the border area of China), landslides and floods caused by snow thaws in Spring.

2-1-2. Countries Visited by ADRC
１）Uzbekistan
ADRC sent staff to visit Uzbekistan’s, Ministry of Emergency Situation, which is thecounterpart of ADRC, in May 2002. Information including the disaster reduction programs
implemented by the government and the role of the Emergency Response Agency was provided
by Uzbekistan. Opinions were exchanged and it was discussed to hold a seminar for disastermanagement officers (in the Russian language) in Japan.
２）Kyrgyz
As aforementioned, ADRC researchers visited the Ministry of Ecology and Emergency
Situation of the Kyrgyz Republic in May 2002 to promote ADRC and to encourage Kyrgyz tojoin. Information regarding the situation of natural disasters and disaster reduction programs ofthe government was provided by Kyrgyz. A letter stating the intention to join ADRC was
submitted from the Minister via the ADRC researchers.
３）IranADRC staff visited Iran from the end of July to the first week of August 2002, during which
they observed the aftermath (Northwestern area of Iran) from the earthquake that occurred on
the morning of June 22, 2002 and exchanged information with Iran’s disaster management
organizations (International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology, National
Committee for Natural Disaster Reduction (Ministry of Interior), administrative office of
Qazvin state, Red Crescent Society of the Isramic Republic of Iran and Center for Earthquake
Environmental Studies of Teheran (EST).
Staff from Iran Housing Corporation and Iran Red Crescent Society visited ADRC in
September and December 2002 respectively, for information exchange about disaster reduction
activities.
４）Pakistan
ADRC staff visited the Emergency Relief Cell of Pakistan in March 2003. Information
regarding the disaster management system/programs implemented by the government ofPakistan and previous disaster damage was provided to the ADRC staff. ADRC provided
information concerning the activities and requirements for joining ADRC to the government ofPakistan.

2-1-3. Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2003
At the mid-term review of the United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction (IDNDR, 1990-99), the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction, held in
Yokohama in 1994, the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World: Guidelines for Natural Disaster
Prevention, Preparedness and Mitigation and its Plan of Action was adopted by the participants,
which has served as the international blueprint for disaster reduction. The International Strategy
for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) is the successor arrangement to IDNDR and the ISDR
Secretariat has initiated the review of the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action to becompleted in 2004, ten years after the adoption of the strategy.
ADRC co-organized the Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2003 in January 15-17,
2003 in Kobe with the ISDR Secretariat, Cabinet Office, Hyogo Prefecture and Disaster
Reduction Alliance. The Conference consisted of the 5th ADRC International Meeting, the 2nd
ISDR Asian Meeting and the Symposium entitled “Coping with the Earth: towards

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disaster-resilient society”. The Conference aimed to contribute to the UN effort in formulating a
new disaster reduction program and course of action for the 21st century. The outcomes of theConference are to be reflected in a number of international and regional events planned in
2003/2004 and the final consolidating event in January 2005 to be held in Kobe, which is
expected to indicate the guidelines for a long-term program of action.
For further information on the Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2003, please refer tothe Summary Report and CD-ROM “Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2003” publishedin March 2003 by ADRC. A copy of the report as well as the CD-ROM is available uponrequest.

2-1-3-1. Outline of the 5th ADRC International Meeting
The 5th ADRC International Meeting is described below.
1) Date: January 15 (Wed) – 16 (Thurs), 2003
2) Organizer: Asian Disaster Reduction Center
3) Participants: 42 government officials from 24 member countries, representatives of 21
international organizations and others
4) Place: International Conference Center, Kobe, Japan
1. Technical Sessions (English only)
Session I ： Holistic Approach to Disaster Reduction – Total Disaster Risk
Management“Objectives and Strategies for Implementation of the TDRM Approach”
10:40 - 12:30 Wednesday, January 15, 2003 Venue: Room 401/402
The Total Disaster Risk Management (TDRM) approach was jointly developed by ADRC
and OCHA/ADRU Kobe, based on the gains of IDNDR and ISDR and with the support fromthe ASEAN Foundation and the Japanese Government, to strengthen capacity in disaster
reduction among member countries, and has been promoted also by ADPC, WHO, and otherorganizations. The TDRM approach looks at the entire cycle of disasters and involves all
sectors of societies and communities in disaster management, and encourages partnership toreduce risk and vulnerability to natural hazards. In this session, participants were informed of
the basic concept of TDRM as well as its strategies for implementation. Best practices indifferent countries in line with the TDRM concept were reported as well. Participants shared
the specific image of TDRM through those examples, and the gaps to be filled were identified.
Coordinator: Mr. Terje Skavdal, RDRA, UN-OCHA/ ADRU Kobe
Rapporteur: Ms. Elma Aldea, Deputy Administrator, OCD, Philippines
Speakers:□ Mr. Emmanuel de Guzman, Consultant of ADRC and OCHA Kobe, Alliance for
Emergency Response Training, Inc, “Achieving A Holistic Approach to Disaster
Reduction Through TDRM: Objectives and Strategies for Implementation”□ Dr. Markus Zimmermann, Consultant for Disaster Reduction, Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation, Switzerland, “Integrated Approach for Disaster Reduction
in Switzerland: Strategy and Implementation”□ Dr. Masashi Nagata, Head of National Typhoon Center, Japan Meteorological Agency,
Japan, “Prediction of Meteorological Phenomena and Information for Disaster Prevention
and Preparedness”□ Mr. Veasna Bun, Programme Officer, Mekong River Commission, “Integrated FloodManagement in the Lower Mekong Basin”□ Mr. Shunsuke Mutai, Director of Disaster Management Division, Fire and Disaster
Management Agency, Japan, “Voluntary Fire Corps and Voluntary Disaster Prevention
Groups”□ Ms. Elma Aldea, Deputy Administrator, OCD, Philippines, "Comprehensive, All Hazards,
Multi-Agency and Multi-Sectoral Approach to Disaster Reduction In The Philippines”

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Conclusion:
The session underscored the critical need for a holistic approach to disaster reduction throughthe Total Disaster Risk Management approach. In response to the growing prevalence ofdisaster risks in the region, the approach seeks to reduce risk and vulnerability to natural
hazards by addressing identified gaps in the disaster reduction cycle and encouraging
involvement of and collaboration among all sectors of societies and stakeholders to achieveeffective disaster reduction. The approach which builds on the gains of IDNDR and ISDR
shares five component strategies for achieving a holistic approach, i.e. (1) multilevel,
multidimensional and multidisciplinary collaboration and cooperation; (2) decision-making
based on reliable disaster risk information from hazard mapping, risk and vulnerability
assessments; (3) good communication and efficient exchange of reliable information; (4enabling mechanisms; and (5) the disaster risk management process.
The presentations cited the impact of natural disasters and the various disaster reduction
initiatives underway in Switzerland, Japan, Indochina, and the Philippines, which are inconsonance with TDRM strategies. These included hazard mapping and vulnerability
assessments, coordination in flood mitigation and control, enhancement of early warning
systems, capacity building of national focal points and community-based organizations,planning and legislation, and volunteerism for disaster reduction activities. The presentations
emphasized disaster reduction as a long-term development concern and the need to sustain the
momentum of disaster reduction initiatives and ensure their effective implementation through aholistic approach.

Session II ： Holistic Approach to Disaster Reduction - Total Disaster Risk
Management“Government – NGO Collaboration for Disaster Reduction and Response”
13:30 - 15:20 Wednesday, January 15, 2003 Venue: Room 401/402
Successful disaster reduction strategies involve careful efforts to combine knowledge,
technology, expertise, institutional capacities, management skills, and practical experience for
optimum results. They would not be possible without proper collaboration between the two key
players: government and civil society. As one of the steps to promote the collaboration among
the players, the ADRC and the OCHA/ADRU established a collaborative network “Asian
Disaster Reduction and Response Network (ADRRN)” among emerging NGOs to have played
active role for disaster reduction in Asia as a successful outcome of the workshop held in
February 2002.
In the session, the experiences and best practices of the inter-sectoral collaboration fordisaster reduction initiatives in different countries were introduced. The problems to be solved
for establishing intense collaboration among all the sectors, such as governments, NGOs,
private sector, media, and the strategies for strengthening partnerships to address the challenges
were discussed.
To ensure effective and sustainable collaboration and cooperation among various
stakeholders, political will and legal frameworks for coordination, clearly defined roles,
reliability and mutual trust, and proper recognition of contribution were identified as theessential factors.
Coordinator: Mr. Emmanuel de Guzman, Vice President & Chief Executive Officer, Alliancefor Emergency Response Training, Inc.
Rapporteur: Ms. Takako Izumi, Associate Humanitarian Affairs Officer, UN-OCHA/ADRU
Speakers:□ Mr. Satoru Nishikawa, Executive Director, ADRC, “The Crucial Role of
Non-Governmental Sectors for Disaster Reduction and Response”□ Ms. Ang Siok Hui, Director, Singapore International Foundation, “Government-NGO
Collaboration in Disaster Response – a Singapore Experience”□ Mr. Hitoshi Motegi, Manager, The Tokio Marine Risk Consulting Co., Ltd., “Disaster
Prevention by Joint Cooperation between Enterprises and Local Authorities”

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Mr. Nhim Vanda, Senior Minister & First Vice President, National Committee for Disaster
Management, Cambodia “Cooperation and Coordination between the National Committee
for Disaster Management (NCDM) and United Nations Agencies/International
Organizations (IOs) and Non-governmental Organizations”□ Mr. Nimal D. Hettiarachichi, Director, National Disaster Management Centre, Sri Lanka,“Government-NGO Collaboration for Disaster Reduction and Response”□ Mr. Richard Grove-Hills, Head of Regional Delegation Beijing, IFRC, “Government-NGO
Collaboration for Disaster Reduction and Response”□ Mr. Hiroshi Oe, Chief Director, Yokohama YMCA
□ Mr. Thomas Brennan, Regional Disaster Reduction Advisor, UNDP BCPR Bangkok
Conclusion:
Overall, during the session II on 15 January, it was stressed in the presentations that focus
should be placed on disaster risk reduction as well as relief assistance. For more effective
disaster reduction, numerous sectors should be involved in the activities to fill in the gaps in thedisaster reduction cycle. Networking among governments, NGOs, regional/internationalorganizations, communities, and corporations is essential in achieving a holistic approach todisaster reduction. Networking can facilitate investment and also information sharing, bestpractices, expertise, volunteers and critical resources for disaster reduction activities such as an
early warning system, flood control and relief operations.
For successful cooperation among all the sectors, the following factors are essential:
multi-sectoral coordination at all the phases among all the sectors and partnerships;
involvement of corporations and local communities in disaster reduction and response; a legal
framework for coordination within the government structure, NGO and internal communities;
clear definition of the roles of the government and NGOs; and a broader risk
reduction/management agenda. In addition, political will (government’s commitment), a legal
framework, better coordination and recognition of NGOs will be required in order to sustain thepartnership among NGOs, governments, regional/international organizations.
□

Session III ： Holistic Approach to Disaster Reduction - Total Disaster Risk
Management“Accumulation and Sharing of Disaster Information and Impact Assessments: by
Use of GLIDE (GLobal unique disaster IDEntifier number)”
15:40 - 17:30 Wednesday, January 15, 2003 Venue: Room 401/402
At present, numerous organizations operate their own disaster databases and open them tothe public through their web sites. Also, when a new disaster occurs, it is being reported on the
web not only by the organizations of the affected country, but also by various organizations andmass media in other countries. However, in searching disaster information on the Internet, thefollowing problems exist: (1) It is necessary to search the database of each organizationindividually in every disaster occurrence; (2) In some cases, it is impossible to find the relevant
data by search engine because each organization uses different name for the same disaster; (3)The linkages to the information of the other organization are not automatically updated with thechange of the structure of database and website in each organization. GLIDE (GLobal unique
disaster IDEntifier number) has been devised to overcome these problems by assigning unique
ID codes, so that information related to a particular disaster can always be referenced with aunique ID code.
The session was intended as an introductory guide to GLIDE, and as a means to facilitate
discussion on the GLIDE concept, as well as to seek ideas on how the common agreement
among various data owners of GLIDE could be turned into practical applications to be sharedby database managers.
Coordinator: Mr. Kamal Kishore, Regional Disaster Reduction Advisor, UNDP BCPR Delhi
Rapporteur: Mr. Shuichi Odaka, Information Manager, OCHA/ReliefWeb/Kobe
Speakers:□ Dr. Hector Babayan, Vice-President of NSSP, Armenia, "Structure and organizations of theDisaster Information System (DIS/Earthquake) of Armenia"

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Dr. Dugkeun Park, Senior Analyst, National Institute for Disaster Prevention, Korea, “The
Current Disaster Classification in Korea and Future Direction with GLIDE”□ Mr. Katsuhiro Abe, Chief of Tropical Cyclone Programme Division, WMO, “The Name ofTropical Cyclone”□ Mr. Masaru Arakida, Senior Researcher, ADRC, “The Concept of GLIDE (GLobal unique
disaster IDEntifier number) and Goal for Disaster Management”□ Mr. Kamal Kishore, Regional Disaster Reduction Advisor, UNDP BCPR Delhi,“Improving the Quality, Coverage and Accuracy of Disaster Data: A Comparative Analysis
of Global and National Datasets”□ Mr. Julio Serge, Founder Member –Technical Architect, LaRED, “The use of Disaster
Inventories as part of the Risk Mitigation Process”□ Mr. Shuichi Odaka, Information Manager, OCHA/ReliefWeb/Kobe, “Humanitarian
information management and exchange”□ Mr. Masahiko Murata, Project Manager, DRI, “Effective information sharing by use of
GLIDE in JAPAN”
Conclusion:
The session took stock of existing initiatives in the development of disaster databases anddiscussed the potential of GLIDE as an enabling standard for sharing of data. Based on theoverarching principle that disaster information management was a tool to support holistic
decision-making from damage estimation, response and recovery to analysis, it was generally
recognized that the GLIDE concept as a shared standard was sound, and merited further
refinement for wider acceptance. Key challenges were recognized in areas related to theimplementation of the GLIDE scheme itself, as well as the gaps between existing disasterdatabases particularly in relation to those dealing with large-scale and small and medium-scaledisasters, and the fundamental issue of reliability and accessibility of data itself.
On the GLIDE scheme itself, there was a wide acceptance of the concept and a will to
improve the mechanism to enable the system to act as an effective universal standard. The
questions related to complex disasters and how cause/effect relationships should be encoded in
GLIDE was clearly recognized as an important issue that required further consideration.
Analysis of large-scale and small to medium-scale disaster databases led to the recognition ofissues of common methodology, criteria and standardization of data. One of the testingquestions was to what extent data should be disaggregated, and suggested the need for
hierarchical disaster events. It was recognized that a clear intention on the purpose of data
should guide the methodology of complementary and systematic compilation of data, supported
by a multi-tiered system.
Issues related to the reliability of data and accessibility were repeatedly raised, reflecting thefundamental importance of the issue. In addition to the existence of contradictory datasets,
political imperatives in disaster situations could also affect the accuracy of data, undermining
the efforts to improve early warning systems based on historical data. One of the steps being
taken was ISDR's initiative to take stock of existing national datasets, which would be feedback to EM-DAT to contribute to reliability of available datasets.
□

2. Meeting of the ADRC Members Countries (English only)
9:00 - 12:00 Thursday, January 16, 2003 Venue: Room 401/402
The meeting provided with an opportunity to introduce the new member country, Kyrgyz,
which joined ADRC in July 2002. A representative of Kyrgyz addressed its appreciation to be amember of ADRC and its willingness to cooperate with other member countries in promoting
disaster reduction activities.
ADRC presented the activities carried out in 2002 in cooperation with member countries, thefinancial report for 2002, and the work plan for 2003, all of which were supported by themember countries. ADRC also took the opportunity to propose the “Articles of ADRC” in orderto establish a clearer structural framework as well as to clarify the roles of member countries
and advisor countries. ADRC was established in July 1998, based on the agreement(Chairperson's Summary of June 17, 1997) concluded at the Asian Disaster-Reduction
Cooperation Promotion Meeting held on June 16–17, 1997. The necessity to reformat theagreement in the form of the “Articles of ADRC” derived mainly from the expansion of

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ADRC’s activities and membership, such as the inclusion of Armenia and Kyrgyz as member
countries in 2000 and 2002 respectively. The proposed articles were unanimously approved at themeeting. Based on the newly adopted articles, Prof. Shigeru Itoh was re-elected as the
Chairman of ADRC.

Fig. 2-1-3-1

Participants of the 5th ADRC International Meeting

2-1-3-2. Outline of the 2nd United Nations International Strategy for
Disaster Reduction (ISDR) Asian Meeting
The 2nd ISDR Asian Meeting is described below.
1) Date: January 16 (Thurs) – 17 (Fri), 2003
2) Organizers: UN/ISDR and Cabinet Office, Government of Japan
3) Participants: 42 government officials from 24 member countries, representatives of 21
international organizations and others
4) Place: International Conference Center, Kobe, Japan
1. Panel Discussion in Contribution to the Ten-Year Review of the Yokohama Strategy
and Plan of Action (English and Japanese)
9:00 - 11:00 Friday, January 17, 2003 Venue: Room 301
On the occasion of the 1994 mid-term review of the IDNDR (International Decade for
Natural Disaster Reduction), the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction was held in
Yokohama. Since then, the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World: Guidelines for Natural
Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Mitigation and its Plan of Action, unanimously adopted
by the participants of the Conference, has served as the international blueprint for disaster
reduction. Since 1994 the human and economic losses due to natural disasters have continued toincrease despite efforts undertaken during the IDNDR and, later, under the umbrella of theInternational Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), the United Nations programmeestablished in 2000 to follow on the IDNDR achievements.
The review of the Yokohama Strategy was endorsed by the General Assembly in December
2001 (resolution 56/195). The 2002 report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of
the ISDR (57/190) recommends in its paragraph 61 that: “The Secretariat for the Strategy
should begin, in collaboration with Governments, agencies and other entities concerned, a full
review of the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action. This review process will help identify
gaps and means of implementation in a way that will chart the course of action for theforthcoming decade, while taking into account the outcome of the World summit on Sustainable
Development.”
The purpose of the panel discussion was to examine and assess progress in the field of
disaster risk reduction, focusing on Asia and using the Yokohama Strategy as a threshold. There

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are many initiatives already underway in the region with the aim to assess and improve
capacities to manage and reduce disaster risk at different levels and themes, which all are
valuable and need to be articulated. This particular conference represents an opportunity tojointly discuss ways forward to consolidate the regional review and the partnerships to do it.
The discussion contributed to shaping a comprehensive and coordinated approach to anassessment process in Asia to fulfill this purpose. The publication of “Living with Risk- A
global review of disaster reduction initiatives” prepared by the ISDR Secretariat, with support
from many Governments, experts, and regional agencies, constitutes a tool for orientating asubstantive process to monitor disaster reduction, based on agreed targets that need to be
developed, and a very first step to initiate the review of the implementation of the Yokohama
Strategy and to suggest further action.

Fig. 2-1-3-2

Panel Discussion at the 2nd ISDR Asian Meeting

Coordinators: Mr. Salvano Briceno, Director, ISDR Secretariat and Mr. Katsuhiko Hara,
Director for Disaster Preparedness, Cabinet Office
Rapporteurs: Dr. Feng Min Kan, Senior Regional Officer and Ms. Helena Molin Valdes,
Policy Officer, ISDR Secretariat
Panelists:□ Dr. Patrick Safran, Planning and Policy Officer, Asian Development Bank (ADB)□ Mr. Loy Rego, Director, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)□ Mr. Satoru Nishikawa, Executive Director, Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC)□ Dr. Hiroyuki Kameda, Director, Earthquake Disaster Mitigation Research Center(EDM)/National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED),Japan□ Mr. Thomas Brennan, Regional Disaster Reduction Advisor, United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP)□ Dr. Badaoui Rouhban, Chief, Section of Engineering and Technology, UNESCO□ Mr. Toshiyasu Noda, Director for Asia & the Pacific, United Nations Human Settlements
Programme (UN-HABITAT)□ Dr. Jerry Velasquez, Coordinator, United Nations University (UNU)
Conclusion:
The session offered a first opportunity to discuss ways forward in Asia on the issues andmodalities for the review of the implementation of disaster reduction since the adoption of the
Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action. It will build on the progress made since theInternational Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction. It provided for launch of ideas andexchange information on achievements and challenges, as well as needs and ways forward.

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Achievements
Panelists agreed that some progress have been made at national and regional, in particular in
the last three years. The following areas were highlighted:□ Increased general awareness about the need to integrate disaster risk reduction as part ofsustainable development (examples: results of WSSD, Millennium Development Goals)□ Establishment of national disaster management institutions, including arrangements fromnational to village level, in each of the Asian countries, with special institutes for disaster
reduction in some cases (examples: China, Thailand, India), as well as international
institutions (examples: UNDP, IBRD and ADB)
□ Development of national disaster reduction or preparedness plans; in some cases disaster
reduction is integrated in national development plans (example: Vietnam)□ Increased cooperation and collaboration among regional and international organizations,and increased number of organization involved, in particular with development scope(examples: ICIMOD, ASEAN, ESCAP)□ Growing sub-regional initiatives for both political and technical cooperation including
river basin management.
□ Increased awareness of urban risks and implementation of urban risk assessment programs(Examples: AUDMP, GESI, RADIUS, EDM)
□ ADB starts shifting its focus from only hardware assistance to social aspects□ Enhanced information exchange among NGOs, governments and regional organizations(example: ADRRN)□ Development of multi-donor coordinated programs, such as NDM partnership in Viet Nam
and CDMP by World Bank
□ A holistic approach (linking disaster reduction to response) recognized in the region(TDRM), emphasizing multi-sectoral and multi-level coordination.
Challenges
The complexity of the risk scenario and the understanding of disaster risk reduction as
imperative for sustainable development remain a challenge, in particular regarding
implementation.
□ Development patterns need to ensure risk reduction and sustainability□ A massive change of attitudes, values and behavior that lead to a culture of prevention andsustainability remains a daunting task
□ Development networks among all stakeholders and foster true multi-level andmulti-sectoral coordination and collaboration – accepting differences□ Sustainability of national disaster reduction structures, currently often under resourced
both financially and technically□ Donor, bank and national government investment continue to focus on post disaster relief
and reconstruction, and limited investment in disaster reduction□ Little investments in safer housing, infrastructure and retrofitting□ Building capacities at all levels in the region□ Improving lending and grants facilities of Banks to facilitate risk assessments andprevention in development programs□ Factoring disaster risk reduction into climate change adaptation
The challenges identified in disaster risk reduction entail the urgency to address thefollowing needs.
□ Establishing a regional forum for information exchange and networking□ Sensitizing other sectors about disaster reduction□ Enhancing implementations of national policies□ Establishing mechanisms to monitor the policy implementation□ Educating and sensitizing the legislators and people in private sectors□ Strengthening disaster reduction in rural areas to enhance capacity by supporting
community participation□ Linking climate vulnerability and change to disaster reduction□ Integrating disaster into sustainable development process, including urban planning, river
basin management, strategies and programs

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Assessing risks, tracking the risk areas, launching public awareness on risks
Enhancing education and training on disaster risk reduction
Shifting disaster reduction approach – focus on human security – people

A way forward:□ Prepare a road map and program of action for a safer world with national and internationaltargets for 2015, to coincide with WSSD and Millennium Development Goals□ Advocate disaster reduction as a pillar of sustainable development□ Consolidate and expand innovations for implementation of disaster risk reduction
measures□ Mainstream disaster risk reduction into development and environmental management,
through the joint efforts of NGOs, Governments and donors, as well as promote stronger
cooperation among all actors□ Encourage dialogue at political level with ministers, especially ministers in charge offinance, planning, administration, environment, social development, education, agriculture,etc.
□ Facilitate and support formulation of national disaster reduction plans□ Focus more awareness raising and advocacy on disaster reduction for legislators in all
countries□ Focus on socio-economic impact studies and use the result to demonstrate needs andbenefits of disaster reduction to policy makers□ Develop and introduce tools and guidelines to pursue a holistic approach to disaster risk
management□ Develop better framework for assessing and reducing earthquakes in cities□ Facilitate communication between professional and other stakeholders in disaster reduction□ Establish a target percentage (for example 20 %) of both disaster related and sectoraldevelopment budgets specifically ear-marked for disaster reduction□ Continue dialogues and enhance coordination within the UN system□ Link disaster risk reduction to formal education systems and to environmental educational
programs (as for the proposed “decade for environmental education”)

2. Thematic Sessions on Urban Risks
Issues pertaining to urban risks are a pressing concern for those in the field of disastermitigation. As more and more uncontrolled growth such as urban sprawl and the emergence ofmega-cities around the world continues, disasters of all genres become an inevitableconsequence of urbanization. This session focused on four main issues of urban risks anddisaster mitigation: 1. Impact of disaster on development 2.Actors (especially the local
governments) in managing the risk and their roles 3.Sustainability of risk management
activities and 4.Role of international assistance.
In the first session, on January 16th, experts from around the world shared their knowledge on
disaster management and mitigation to discuss the four specific topics set by the coordinator.
They produced several objective recommendations for the reduction of urban risk around theworld. Using especially prepared charts, which were distributed at the session’s beginning,
feedback was also collected, from the audience attending the session.
On January 17th, a plenary session used a summary of the first session’s presentations tocontinue the discussions on urban risk reduction. The floor was opened to the expert panelists
and to the audience at large and several recommendations to improve urban risk reduction weresuggested and discussed. These recommendations were summarized to conclude the session.
Presentation Session
15:40 - 17:30 Thursday, January 16, 2003 Venue: Room 403 (English only)
Coordinator: Dr. Carlos Villacis, Consultant, ISDR Secretariat/UNESCO
Rapporteur: Mr. Kenji Okazaki, Coordinator, UNCRD

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Speakers:□ Mr. Masahiro Uehara, Head of Urban Development Guidance Office, Hyogo Prefecture,Japan□ Dr. Badaoui Rouhban, Chief, Section of Engineering and Technology, UNESCO□ Prof. Renan Ma. Tanhueco, Vice-Chairman, De La Salle University, UNU□ Mr. Alan Mearns, Disaster Management Coordinator, SOPAC, Fiji
□ Mr. A.J. Loy Rego, Director, ADPC, Thailand□ Prof. Kimiro Meguro, ICUS/INCEDE, Japan
Panel Discussion
13:30 - 15:00 Friday, January 17, 2003 Venue: Room 301 (English and Japanese)
Coordinator: Dr. Carlos Villacis, ISDR Secretariat/UNESCO
Rapporteur: Mr. Kenji Okazaki, UNCRD
Panelists:□ Dr. Badaoui Rouhban, UNESCO□ Prof. Renan Ma. Tanhueco, UNU□ Mr. Alan Mearns, SOPAC, Fiji
□ Mr. A.J. Loy Rego, ADPC, Thailand□ Prof. Kimiro Meguro, ICUS/INCEDE, Japan□ Mr. Yoshinobu Fukasawa, Deputy Executive Director, DRI, Japan□ Prof. Serguei Balassanian, President, ASC, Armenia
Recommendations:
The following is a summary of the recommendations produced by this session. These
recommendations are grouped under the four issues that were the focus of the discussions.
1. Impact of natural disasters on development□ Carry out systematic documentations of the impact of disasters on development using past
events.
□ Perform cost-benefit analyses to demonstrate quantitatively both the actual impact ofdisasters on development and the financial benefits of risk reduction.
□ Share experiences. Kobe City has used the disaster as an opportunity to change planningand development processes. Kobe integrated reconstruction into an overall development
plan. It is very important to transfer these experiences to other cities.
2. Actors in managing urban risk and their roles□ Promote the increase of risk management abilities of local governments. Support andencourage local government’s efforts. Kobe’s recovery process shows the importance of
local governments’ active, long-term commitment to risk management.
□ Intergovernmental mechanisms are indispensable at the regional level. The South Pacificregion’s work is a good example of generating political will at the regional level andcoordinating it for effective risk reduction. For this to happen, it is important to target key
government officials and identify natural risk management champions among them.
□ Encourage participatory roles of the communities in disaster mitigation. This can beachieved by identifying the people’s needs and preferences and giving them voice in risk
reduction decision making.
□ Increase the collaboration between technical and social scientists in order to properly
include social vulnerability in the assessment of risk and to better understand the actual
impact of disasters on sustainable development. It is essential to improve the links andcommunication between government and the scientific community.
□ Promote city based partnerships among local government, technical institutions, NGOs,
and community organizations. Disasters affect everybody and, therefore, it is everybody’s
duty (and right) to collaborate, in a coordinated manner, in reducing disaster risk.
3. Sustainability of risk management activities□ Risk education (understanding and communication) is crucial. Everybody should have aclear picture of the existing risk at both community and personal levels as well as ofavailable risk reduction measures. Effective use of educational and mass communication
systems and risk management training for decision makers are recommended.
□ Consult with the community to ensure acceptance and long-term support of risk reduction
programs. It is necessary to identify what the community appreciates, wants, and supports.

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2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region

Identify and set up long-term goals to ensure that all the individual efforts go in the same
direction and contribute to common goals.
□ Incorporate risk management as integral part of public policy and mainstream culture toensure that risk reduction activities are independent from political and administrativechanges.
□ Promote regional efforts in which the joint work of high income countries with medium
and low income ones makes risk reduction activities affordable. (SOPAC is a remarkable
example)□ Increase institutional capacity of cities to implement long-term risk reduction programmes.
This includes the establishment of required legal, financial, political, and organizationalframeworks.
4. Role of international assistance□ Disseminate and communicate techniques, results, and best practices at the internationallevel□ Promote and facilitate the creation of international partnerships and the coordination ofefforts□ Raise awareness of the importance and benefits of risk reduction at the global level□ Facilitate the initiation of long-term risk reduction programs at local level but prepare thelocal communities to take charge in the long-term□

3. Thematic Sessions on Water Related Risks
Water related risk reduction cannot be separated from the broader water agenda, as most of
the Asian countries are challenged to meet the increasing water demands in adequate quantityand quality to a growing population and rapidly improving economies, whereas “too much” or“too little” water invariably lead to floods and droughts. The International Year of Fresh Water,
2003, provides an excellent opportunity to focus the attention of policy makers, practitioners
and the public in general to address and reduce risk to floods and drought within the frameworkof Integrated Water Resource Management. This was the main focus area of the presentation
session on water related risk reduction session held on the 16th of January. Additional topics fordiscussion in the session were, (1) improvement of flood management guidelines and (2)encouraging governments’ commitment to disaster risk reduction through public education andawareness building.
On the second day, a panel discussion was held as an extension to the presentation session,
where the panelists first gave their thoughts on what they considered to be the most pressing
issues related to the water related risk reduction, followed by a question and answer session thatwas open to all participants.
Presentation Session
15:30 - 17:30 Thursday, January 16, 2003 Venue: Room 401/402 (English only)
Coordinator: Ms. Helena Molin Valdes, Policy Officer, ISDR Secretariat (UN/ISDR)
Rapporteur: Prof. Srikantha Herath, Senior Academic Programme Officer, UNU
Speakers:□ Mr. Sospeter Muiruri, Climate Scientist, Drought Monitoring Center (DMC), “Extreme
Climate Water Related Risks in the Greater Horn of Africa”□ Ms. Mandira Shrestha, Water Resources Specialist, International Centre for Integrated
Mountain Development (ICIMOD), “Regional Cooperation in Flood Forecasting andInformation Exchange in the Hindu Kush Himalayas”□ Mr. Junji Miwa, Senior Research Engineer, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
MLIT, Japan, “Comprehensive Flood Control Measures in Japan”□ Dr. Ivan Obrusnik, Director, Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHI), “Early Warning
For Floods and Its Importance in Strategy for Disaster Reduction”□ Dr. Dugkeun Park, Senior Analyst, Ministry of Government Administration and Home
Affairs (MOGAHA), Korea, “Damages by Typhoon Rusa and Korea's Countermeasures”□ Mr. Katsuhiro Abe, Chief of Tropical Cyclone Programme Division, WMO, “WMO
tropical cyclone program”

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2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region

Panel Discussion
15:10 - 16:40 Friday January 17, 2003 Venue: Room 301 (English and Japanese)
Coordinator: Ms. Helena Molin Valdes, ISDR Secretariat
Rapporteur: Prof. Srikantha Herath, UNU
Panelists:□ Mr. Katsuhiro Abe,WMO□ Mr. Sospeter Muiruri, DMC□ Ms. Mandira Shrestha, ICIMOD□ Mr. Junji Miwa, MLIT
□ Dr. Ivan Obrusnik, CHI□ Dr. Dugkeun Park, MOGAHA
Recommendations:Regional□ Due to high variability in climate and catchment characteristics, Asian region is welldisposed to use integrated water management approaches for water related risk reduction.
Efforts must be made to develop organizational structures that bring organizations dealing
with flood and droughts and other relevant agencies to work towards integrated solutions.
□ Sharing common experiences and lessons in flood management in Asian alluvial plainsthrough networking should be enhanced.
□ Promotion of transboundary data and information exchange for flood risk reduction similar
to the success of WMO tropical cyclone program and HKH initiative should be actively
carried out.
Flood loss reduction: Response□ Successful experiences to promote awareness and public acceptance of warnings andforecasts should be widely disseminated.
□ Development of better models and tools improve forecasting accuracy and lead times
should be carried out.
□ Integration of local knowledge with scientific knowledge should be pursued for improving
preparedness, effectiveness of warning and dissemination.
□ Authority, competency and responsibility of different organizations should be clearly
identified in issuing warnings and disseminating information during floods.
□ Enhancing awareness and building consensus should be carried out among all stakeholders
to improve public response to warnings.
Flood risk reduction: Mitigation□ Increasing hydro meteorological observations enhancing operational networks in theregion should be pursued.
□ Capacity building at all levels should be promoted.
□ Past disaster experiences should be examined and lessons should be incorporated in the
future risk reduction action plans. Also the experiences of disasters should be carefullyrecorded for future reference.
□ Promote integrated risk assessment to identify mitigation needs due to changes incatchments and settlements.
□ Develop methods to reduce man made impacts that increase flood risk. Onsite measures area successful example used in reducing urbanization impacts.
□ Use the window of opportunity in the aftermath of a flood effectively for new legislationand implementing mitigation measures.

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2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region

2-1-3-3. Related Events
1. Poster Session (Wednsday, January 15 – Friday January 17 , 2003)
Aiming at multilateral exchange of information on disaster and disaster risk management andto promote a holistic approach to disaster reduction effectively among the participants, a poster
session was held outside of the conference hall. ADRC member countries displayed posters,
pamphlets and booklets prepared in their own countries demonstrating the status of disasters
and countermeasures, structure of disaster management, hazard maps, training courses andother disaster reduction efforts. International and regional organizations participating in theconference also exhibited their publications and advertising materials illustrating their activities,
initiatives, and results of their projects for raising awareness and disaster risk management.
The poster session generated interest among the representatives from participating countries
and organizations. They actively exchanged their views about information displayed andlearned about the efforts made for effective and integrated disaster management in various
countries and organizations. Moreover, it was open to public so that residents of Kobe and its
vicinity as well as people in charge of disaster risk management in Japan could also join thesession.

Fig. 2-1-3-3

Poster Session at the Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2003

2. Symposium on “Coping with the Earth: towards disaster-resilient society”
15:30 - 17:30 Wednesday, January 16, 2003 Venue: Room 301 (English and Japanese)
The symposium entitled “Coping with the Earth: towards disaster-resilient society”,
organized by the Hyogo Prefecture and Disaster Reduction Alliance, is described below.
In recent years, the numbers of victims and the economic losses resulting from natural
disasters have been increasing. Similarly, large scale disasters (such as the Great Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake, North-West Turkey Earthquake, West India Earthquake and floods in the Asia
region) have been occurring frequently. In order to create a social structure that enables society
to coexist with disasters, namely ‘a disaster resilient society,’ it is necessary to have an
understanding of urban, social and economic structures, as well as the practical means to put
policy into practice.
This symposium aimed to address the viewpoints, and to introduce the functions of the‘Disaster Reduction Alliance (DRA),’ established around the Kobe New Eastern City Center topromote cooperative relationships between the wide-range of organizations.

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2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region

Coordinators:□ Dr. Yoshiaki Kawata, Director, Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution(DRI), Chairman, Disaster Reduction Alliance (DRA), Kobe
□ Mr. Kenneth Topping, Visiting Professor, Kyoto University
Speakers:□ Ms. Sushma Iyengar, Secretary General, Kutch Nav Nirman Abhiyan, India□ Dr. David Mammen, President, Institute of Public Administration, NY□ Mr. Eiryo Sumida, Vice President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)□ Mr. Masatomo Umitsu, Professor, Nagoya University
Commentators:□ Mr. Sálvano Briceno, Director, UN Inter-Agency Secretariat of the International Strategy
for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR)□ Mr. Hidenobu Sobashima, Director, Global Environment Division, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Japan
Conclusion:
Key points arising from the discussion were as follows. First, the importance of education
and raising awareness for an empowerment of individuals is recognized. Although acommunity is a key player for disaster prevention and response in both developed anddeveloping countries, as Ms. Iyengar said, ‘… people have become dependent because of theexcess governmental support for them’. Mr. Briceno concluded the discussion that ‘a disaster
resilient society can only be developed based on community self reliance, which in turn is only
reliant on self-esteem and personal growth.’
Second, understanding a cultural, historical and social background of the region is alsosignificant, in order for effective education and enlightenment of the individuals. Mr. Sumida
introduced a lesson from JICA’s experience of project implementation that making visible abenefit the individual might receive from endeavors to prevent disasters is critical. Dr. Umitsu
followed the argument saying that ‘an effective project must be field-oriented.’ These lessons
lead the discussion to a conclusion that ‘we cannot avoid facing the socio-economic problem
such as poverty and empowerment of women in order for effective disaster prevention,’ as Mr.
Sumida emphasized.
Finally, for all those purposes mentioned above, all discussants agreed that an ideal allianceamong related organizations to disasters must be ‘… with clear communication, realistic
assessments, true collaborative action and evaluation, and mutual learning and clear
coordination,’ as Mr. Topping suggested. The nature of DRA is a loose alliance among disaster
related and international organizations, but they clearly share the objective of enhancing
collaboration among each other for future disaster reduction. In that sense, DRA is along withthe conclusion of the discussion, as well as ISDR policy, the symposium was closed with acomment of Dr. Kawata who emphasized DRA’s potential to be an intellectual hub ofinternational disaster reduction.

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2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region

2-1-3-4. Chairperson’s Summary of the Asian Conference on
Disaster Reduction 2003
The Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2003 adopted the following chairperson’ssummary.

Chairperson’s Summary
17 January 2003
Introduction
The Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2003 was held in Hyogo Prefecture in Japan on
15-17 January 2003, with the participation of policy representatives, experts in disaster and risk
management from 24 countries mainly in Asia and representatives of 26 international andregional organizations. The aim of the Conference was: a) to understand the achievements andchallenges in disaster reduction in Asia, b) to develop the paradigm of regional andinternational cooperation, and c) to build disaster reduction capacity and propose guidelines toimprove it for the Asian region, as a contribution to the review of the Yokohama Strategy andPlan of Action for a Safer World. Frank and constructive discussion was conducted by theparticipants throughout the Conference and the following has been adopted as the
Chairperson’s Summary.

1. Perspective of a New Disaster Reduction Strategy in Asia
In Asia, there is a need to examine the following challenges:
1) Urban vulnerability and disasters
Rapid urban growth, as a result of the sharp economic development, is one of the main
factors contributing to increased vulnerability to natural hazards in Asia. Unplanned urban
growth results in a generalized increase in damage in case of earthquakes, floods and similardisasters. As the Great Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) Earthquake in 1995 as well as other similardisasters in Asia demonstrated, cities are highly vulnerable to natural hazards. Once a disasteroccurs, its direct and secondary impacts can become enormous. It is recognized that sustainable
development, whether it is a developing country or an industrialized country, has to rely also on
measures to counter urban vulnerability to natural disasters. Therefore, it is indispensable toundertake risk assessments based on vulnerability indicators, to build cities with reduced
vulnerability, as well as to build capacity to recover from disasters and to reconstruct theaffected urban areas rapidly.
2) Response to climate change
Additionally, it is necessary to respond to the effect of extreme climate fluctuations. For
example, due to rise in average temperature caused by global warming, the number andintensity of cyclones and typhoons, or El Nino related disasters, such as droughts and floods,
are anticipated to increase. In addition, it is pointed out that rise in sea level and temperature
will increase the risk of storm surge in island and low-lying coastal countries and extend theliquefaction of alluvial lands in time of earthquakes. In this regard, it is suggested to carry out aresearch on the correlation between climate change and disasters with a long-term view as wellas to strengthen international cooperation to establish and improve early warning systems at
national, regional, and international levels.
3) Multi-disciplinary and inter-sectoral cooperation to address emerging challenges
In order to confront the problems mentioned above, it is vital to strengthen cooperation
among various sectors, including some whose primary mandate may not explicitly include
disaster reduction. Considering that social aspects as poverty and environmental degradation
are the main factors to increase vulnerability, it is crucial to involve in disaster reduction actorsof various fields, such as education, the media, environment, science and technology, anddevelopment planning. In addition, cooperation with academic and scientific sectors is relevant
for the study on the correlation between climate and disasters and the development of improved

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ADRC Annual Report No.5 (2002)

2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region

early-warning systems.
Furthermore, to strengthen comprehensive disaster reduction capacity at the community
level, it is essential to enhance partnership among various sectors including national and local
governments, and various public and private sectors of the society.
4) Enhancement of Information Management Capacity
It is necessary to improve the collection, organization and dissemination of data (statistics
and other relevant data) on the human, social, economic and environmental impact of disasters
in order to demonstrate to policy and decision makers that disaster reduction is cost effective
and conducive to sustainable development.
The sharing of information and the networking among relevant actors in the information fieldis essential to ensure wider involvement and a greater impact in policy and decision making.

2. Recommendations of the Conference
In order to respond to the trends in the 21st century in urban disasters, climate change anddisasters, and to promote multi-disciplinary and inter-sectoral cooperation to address emerging
challenges, it is indispensable to build a framework of international cooperation, among others,in the following areas:
1) Urban vulnerability and disasters
Promotion of disaster reduction strategies at the community level, in particular, to reduce
vulnerability in urban areas and to promote activities to ensure safety through thedevelopment of culture of prevention.
□ Promotion of risk assessment based on vulnerability indicators, to build cities with reduced
vulnerability, as well as to build capacity to recover from disasters and to reconstruct theaffected areas rapidly.
□

2) Response to climate change□ Promotion of research on the correlation between climate change and disasters with along-term view.
□ Establishment of improved early warning systems to reduce disasters caused by extreme
events, such as floods and droughts.
3) Cooperation to address emerging challenges□ Establishment and strengthening of cooperation between various sectors of the community,
such as education, the media, environment, development planning, science and technology
in order to reduce the negative impacts of disasters.
□ Participation of all sectors at the community level, such as the local governments, theprivate sector, NGOs, and other driving actors.
4) Enhancement of information management capacity□ Improvement of data collection and dissemination.
□ Strengthening of information sharing and networking.

3. Outcome of the Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2003
Holding this Asian Conference in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, where one of the mostdevastating earthquakes occurred eight years ago, has a symbolic significance. Japan isinterested in sharing and exchanging the experiences and lessons learned from disasters withother countries facing similar challenges.
Various international and regional institutions located in Kobe working on issues such as
disaster reduction, environment, health and medical care, confirmed during the Conference tocooperate together and to promote the enhancement of disaster reduction activities through thedevelopment of the Disaster Reduction Alliance.
ISDR, as the successor arrangement to IDNDR, is currently initiating the ten-year review of
the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action adopted at the World Disaster Reduction
Conference in Yokohama, Japan in 1994, and the work is expected to conclude by the end of

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2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region

2004. It has been planned to examine the achievements and shortcomings in each region of theworld and in various related themes, such as early warning and El Nino. In this regard, thisAsian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2003 is the first event in the process to discuss the
subject. The outcome of this Conference constitutes a valuable contribution for further
discussion at the events planned during 2003/2004 as part of the ten-year review.

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ADRC Annual Report No.5 (2002)

2-1-3-5No.

2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region

List of Participants

Country/
Organization

Mr/
Ms

Name

Title

Organization

Commemorative Ceremony
1

Japan

Mr.

2

Japan

Mr.

Yoshitada
KONOIKE
Toshizo IDO

Minister of State forDisaster Management
Governor

The Government of Japan
Hyogo Prefectural Government

Asian Disaster Reduction Center -Member Countries
Vice-President, Armenian
National Survey for
Seismic Protection
Secretary to theGovernment

1

ArmeniaDr.

Hektor BABAYAN

2

Bangladesh

Mr.

BMM Mozharul
HUQ

3

CambodiaHE

Nhim VANDA

4

CambodiaMr.

Ros SOVANN

5

India

Mr.

M.P. Sajnani

6Indonesia

Mr.

Sugeng TRIUTOMO

8

Japan

Mr.

Shigetaro
YAMAMOTO

9

Japan

Mr.

Katsuhiko HARA

10

Japan

Mr.

11

Japan

Mr.

12

Kazakhstan

Mr.

Eldar KUNAYEV

13

Korea

Mr.

KIM, Eung Soo

14

Korea

Dr.

Dugkeun PARK

Senior Analyst

15

Korea

Mr.

Chang-Sub KIM

Deputy Director

16

KyrgyzMs.

AinuraRAKUNBAEVA

Senior Specialist

17

Laos

Mr.

Phetsavang
SOUNNALATH

Director

18

Malaysia

Mr.

Jimat BOLHASSAN

Head, Spatial Data
Analysis an Modeling

Masaaki
NAKAGAWA
Takashi
MURAKAMI

Senior Minister, First Vice
President, Member of
National Assembly
Under Director General,
Advisor and Aid to theFirst Vice President
Director, Disaster
Management Division
Director for Disaster
Mitigation
Director General for
Disaster Management
Director for Disaster
Preparedness
Deputy Director for
Disaster Preparedness
Under Director for
Disaster Preparedness
Director of Emergency
Prevention Department
Disaster Preparedness
Division

２９Emergency Management
Administration
Ministry of Disaster Management
and Relief
Council of Minister, National
Committee for Disaster
Management, National Assembly of
the Kingdom of Cambodia
Council of Minister, National
Committee for Disaster
Management
Ministry of Home Affairs
National Coordinating Board forDisaster Management
Cabinet Office, The Government ofJapan
Cabinet Office, The Government ofJapan
Cabinet Office, The Government ofJapan
Cabinet Office, The Government ofJapan
Emergency Agency of the Republicof Kazakhstan
Ministry of Government
Administration and Home Affairs
National Institute for Disaster
Prevention, Ministry ofGovernment Administration andHome Affairs
Disaster Planning and Prevention
Division, Disaster Prevention andPreparedness Bureau, Ministry ofGovernment Administration andHome Affairs
International Cooperation
department of the Ecology andEmergency Situations Ministry
National Disaster Management
Office, Ministry of Labor & Social
WelfareMalaysian Centre for Remote
Sensing (MACRES)

ADRC Annual Report No.5 (2002)

2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region

19

Malaysia

Ms.

Azmah ALI

Research Officer

Malaysian Centre for Remote
Sensing (MACRES)

20

MongoliaDr.

HIJABA Ykhanbai

Director of Strategic
Management and Planning
Department

Ministry of Nature and theEnvironment

21

MyanmarMr.

U Tin Aung HTWE

Director

22

Nepal

Mr.

Chandeshwar
ACHARYA

Director

23

Philippines

Ms.

Elma ALDEA

Deputy Administrator

24

RussiaMs.

25

SingaporeMr.

26

SingaporeMr.

27

Sri Lanka

Mr.

28

Tajikistan

Mr.

Abdurakhim
RADJABOV

29

Tajikistan

Mr.

Armen
GRIGORYAN

30

Thailand

Mr.

Sompot KONGROD

31

ThailandMr.

Annop PETWISETH

32

Uzbekistan

Mr.

Srajiddin
AKHUNOV

Leader33

Uzbekistan

Mr.

Beruni ALIMOV

Second Secretary

34

Viet NamDr.

HOANG MINH HienManager on Disaster

35

Viet NamDr.

VU VAN Quy

Director of Flood andStorm Control Office, Hai
Phong Province

Svetlana
BANDURKINA
Yazid Bin
ABDULLAH
Gobiselven
GOVINDASAMY
Nimal Dharmasiri
HETTIARACHCHI

Senior Expert
Commander 4th Civil
Defence Division
Senior Instructor
Director
First Deputy Minister
Consultant, Programme
Unit
Acting Chief of External
Relations Section
Acting Director ofInternational Cooperation
DivisionCentral Fire Services Training
School, Social Welfare, Relief andResettlement
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Department of Narcotics Control
and Disaster Management
Office of Civil Defense, Departmentof National Defense
Department for International
Cooperation, EMERCOM of Russia
Singapore Civil Defence Force
Civil Defence Academy, Singapore
Civil Defence ForceNational Disaster Management
CentreMinistry of Emergency Situations
and Civil Defence of the Tajikistan
Republic
UNDP TajikistanDept. of Disaster Prevention and
Mitigation Ministry of Interior
Dept. of Disaster Prevention and
Mitigation Ministry of Interior
Department of Emergency
Situation, Cabinet of Ministers of
the Republic of Uzbekistan
Embassy of the Republic of
Uzbekistan
Disaster Management Center,
Department of Flood and Storm
Control and Dike Management,
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development
Department of Agriculture andRural Development, Hai Phong
Province

Asian Disaster Reduction Center -Advisory Country
1

Switzerland

Dr.

MarkusZIMMERMANN

Consultant for Disaster
Reduction

Swiss Agency for Development andCooperation, Government of
Switzerland

Director

Planning, Development &Partnerships, Asian Disaster
Preparedness Center (ADPC)

Asian Disaster Reduction Center -Observer
1

ADPC

Mr.

A.J. (Loy) REGO

３０

ADRC Annual Report No.5 (2002)

2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region

Resource Persons
1

ADB

Dr.

Patrick SAFRAN

Planning and Policy Officer

2

ASC

Prof.

SergueiBALASSANIAN

President

3

CHI

Dr.

Ivan OBRUSNIK

Director

4

DMC

Mr.

Climate Scientist

5

DRI

Mr.

Sospeter MUIRURI
Yoshinobu
FUKASAWA

6

DRI

Mr.

Masahiko MURATA

Project Manager

7

EDM

Dr.

Hiroyuki KAMEDA

Director

8

ICIMOD

Ms.

MandiraSHRESTHA

Water Resources
Specialist

9

ICUS/INCEDE

Prof.

Kimiro MEGURO

Associate Professor

10

IFRC

Mr.

RichardGROVE-HILLS

11

Japan

Mr.

Masahiro UEHARAHead of Regional
Delegation, Beijing
Head of Urban
Development Guidance
Office

12

Japan

Mr.

Shunsuke MUTAI

Director

13

Japan

Mr.

Junji MIWA

Senior Research Engineer

14

Japan

Dr.

Masashi NAGATA

Head, National Typhoon
Center

15

Japan

Mr.

Hitoshi MOTEGIManager

16

La RedMr.

Julio SERJE

Founder Member Technical Architect

17

MRC

Mr.

Veasna BUN

Programme Officer, ORD

18

NASDA

Mr.

Toru OHUE

Associate Senior Engineer

19

Philippines

Mr.

Emmanuel de
GUZMAN

20

SIF

Ms.

ANG Siok Hui

21

SOPAC

Mr.

Alan MEARNS

22

USAID

Mr.

Thomas DOLAN

Vice President & Chief
Executive Officer
Director, Humanitarian
Relief Programme
Disaster Management
Coordinator
Senior Regional Advisor

23

YMCA

Mr.

Hiroshi OE

Chief Director

24

UNCRD

Mr.

Kenji OKAZAKI

Coordinator

Deputy Executive Director

３１

Asian Development Bank
Asian Seismological Commission(ASC), Armenian Association ofSeismology and Physics of the
Earth Interior (AASPEI)
Czech Hydrometeorological
Institute, Czech National
Committee for Disaster Reduction
Drought Monitoring Centre Nairobi
Disaster Reduction and Human
Renovation Institution, Japan
Disaster Reduction and Human
Renovation Institution
Earthquake Disaster Mitigation
Research Center, National
Research Institute for Earth
Science and Disaster Prevention
International Centre for Integrated
Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
Institute of Industrial Science, The
University of Tokyo, Japan
International Federation of Red
Cross & Red Crescent Societies
Hyogo Prefectural Government,
Japan
Japanese Government(Disaster
Management Division, Fire andDisaster Management Agency)
Japanese Government(Ministry ofLand, Infrastructure and Transport)
Japan Meteorological Agency
The Tokio Marine Risk Consulting
Co., Ltd.
La Red -The Network for Social
Studies on Disaster Prevention in
Latin America
Mekong River Commission
National Space Development
Agency of Japan (NASDA)
Alliance for Emergency Response
and Training
Singapore International Foundation
South Pacific Applied Geoscience
Commission (SOPAC)
USAID/DCHA/OFDA, Manila
YOKOHAMA YMCA, Centre for
Global and Local Community
Services
UNCRD(Disaster Management
Planning Hyogo Office, UN Centre
for Regional Development)

ADRC Annual Report No.5 (2002)

2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region

Regional Disaster
Reduction Advisor
Regional Disaster
Reduction Advisor
Chief of Section ofEngineering andTechnology
Director for Asia & thePacific
Director

UN-ISDR

Policy Officer

UN-ISDR

Carlos VILLACIS

Consultant

UN-ISDR/UNESCO

Dr.

Feng Min KAN

Senior Regional Officer

UN-ISDR, Nairobi

UN-OCHAMr.

Terje SKAVDAL

34

UN-OCHA

Ms.

Takako IZUMI

35
36

UN-OCHA
UNU

Mr.
Dr.

Shuichi ODAKA
Jerry VELASQUEZ

37

UNU

Prof.

Srikantha HERATH

38

UNU

Prof.

39

UNU

Prof.

Mohamed SAIED
Renan Ma.
TANHUECO

40

WMO

Mr.

Katsuhiro ABE

Chief, Tropical Cyclone
Programme Division

Executive Director
Chairman

25

UNDP

Mr.

Thomas BRENNAN

26

UNDP

Mr.

Kamal KISHORE

27

UNESCODr.

Badaoui ROUHBAN

28

UN-Habitat

Mr.

Toshiyasu NODA

29

UN-ISDR

Mr.

30

UN-ISDR

Ms.

Salvano BRICENO
Helena Molin
VALDES

31

UN-ISDR/
UNESCODr.

32

UN-ISDR

33

Regional Disaster
Response Advisor
Associate Humanitarian
Affairs Officer
Information Manager
Coordinator, UNU/GEIC
Senior Academic
Programme Officer
Research AssistantVice-Chairman

UNDP, Bureau for Crisis
Prevention and Recovery
UNDP, Bureau for Crisis
Prevention and Recovery
UNESCOUN-Habitat Fukuoka Office

UN-OCHA
UN-OCHA
UN-OCHAUNU(United Nations University)
UNU(United Nations University)
UNU(United Nations University)
UNU(Civil Engineering Department,
De La Salle University, Manila)
World Weather Watch-Applications
Department, World MeteorologicalOrganization

Symposium
1

DRI/JapanProf.

Yoshiaki KAWATA

2

India

Ms.

Member Secretary

3

Japan

Mr.

Sushima IYENGAR
Kenneth C.
TOPPING

Disaster Reduction and Human
Renovation Institution
Disaster Reduction Alliance
Kutch Nav Nirman Abhiyan

Visiting Professor

Kyoto University

4

Japan

Mr.

Eiryo SUMIDA

Vice President

Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA)

5

Japan

Dr.

Masatomo UMITSU

Professor

Nagoya University

Director

President

6

Japan

Mr.

Hidenobu
SOBASHIMA

7

U.S.A.

Dr.

David MAMMEN

３２

Global Environment division,Multilateral Cooperation
Department, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
Institute of Public Administration,
NYADRC Annual Report No.5 (2002)

2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region

Others
1

Japan

Mr.

Naoki
SHIRATSUCHI

Assistant Director, Field
Personnel & Training
Centre

2

Japan

Mr.

Yasuo NAKANO

Director

3

Japan

Dr.

Visiting Researcher

4

Japan

Dr.

Teng WUXIAO
MladenKOSTADINOV

Research AssociateInternational Relations Dept.,
Japanese Red Cross Society
Research Center for Disaster Risk
Management, National Institute forLand and InfrastructureManagement, Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure and Transport
Urban Disaster Research Institute
Institute of Industrial Science,
University of Tokyo

Asian Disaster Reduction Center
1
2

ADRC
ADRC

Prof.
Mr.

3

ADRC

Mr.

4
5
6
7

ADRC
ADRC
ADRC
ADRC

Dr.
Mr.
Mr.
Dr.

8

ADRC

Ms.

9
10
11

ADRC
ADRC
ADRC

Ms.
Ms.
Ms.

12

ADRC

Ms.

13

ADRC

Mr.

14

ADRC

Mr.

15
16
17
18
19
20

ADRC
ADRC
ADRC
ADRC
ADRC
ADRC

Ms.
Ms.
Ms.
Mr.
Mr.
Ms.

Shigeru ITOH
Satoru NISHIKAWA
Fumiaki
YOSHIMURA
Harumi YASHIRO
Masanori ARAKI
Masaru ARAKIDA
Tomohiko HATORI
EtsukoTSUNOZAKITakako CHINOI
Akiko NAKAMURA
Miki KODAMABORKHUU
Bolormaa
Dilli Prasad
SHIWAKOTI
Kazuyuki
YOSHINAGA
Sonoko TANAKAAya OKUMI
Maki YOSHIDA
S. R. N. Colombage
Srigowri Sanker
Tomomi IKEDA

Chairman
Executive Director

Asian Disaster Reduction Center
Asian Disaster Reduction Center

Senior Researcher

Asian Disaster Reduction Center

Senior Researcher
Senior Researcher
Senior Researcher
Senior Researcher

Asian Disaster Reduction Center
Asian Disaster Reduction Center
Asian Disaster Reduction Center
Asian Disaster Reduction Center

Senior Researcher

Asian Disaster Reduction Center

Researcher
Researcher
Researcher

Asian Disaster Reduction Center
Asian Disaster Reduction Center
Asian Disaster Reduction Center

Visiting Researcher

Asian Disaster Reduction Center

Visiting Researcher

Asian Disaster Reduction Center

Administrative Manager

Asian Disaster Reduction Center

Administration
Assistant
Assistant
Assistant
Assistant
Assistant

Asian Disaster Reduction Center
Asian Disaster Reduction Center
Asian Disaster Reduction Center
Asian Disaster Reduction Center
Asian Disaster Reduction Center
Asian Disaster Reduction Center

３３

ADRC Annual Report No.5 (2002)

2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region

2-1-4. Visiting Researchers from Member Countries

In line with the agreements made at the 1st International Meeting, ADRC has been receiving
visiting researchers from member countries. To date, 15 persons have taken part in this programand it is believed that this kind of activity would help to strengthen disaster management systemand disaster reduction capacity in their native countries. The following outlines ADRC’s
program for each visiting researcher:(1) Korea□ Mr. Shim Kee-Oh□ Title 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□ Mr. Ngo van Sinh
□ Title 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 flooding in Vietnam,
studied flood reduction measures in Japan and visited related facilities. Conducted researchunder Professor Takara and Assistant Professor Toda, Disaster Reduction Institute, Kyoto
University, in the area of water-related disasters.
(3) Nepal□ Mr. Lek Nath Pokharel□ Title 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 related facilities.
Conducted research under Assistant Professor Nakagawa, Disaster Reduction Institute,
Kyoto University.
□ Reported on flood management and the possible collapse of Tsho Rolpa glacial lake in the
Himalayas and conducted research under Professor Ueda (cryospheric variation) at the
Atmosphere-Hydrosphere Science Institute, Nagoya University.
(4) Sri Lanka□ Mr. Nimal Dharmasiri Hettiarachchi□ Title 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□ Mr. M. Babul Akhter□ Title 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(now Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transportation) and River Information Center
because of the many flood disasters in his country.

３４

ADRC Annual Report No.5 (2002)

2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region(6) Sri Lanka□ Mr. Chulananda Perera□ Title 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 for disaster reduction that is needed in his country.
(7) Armenia□ Mr. Hripsime Vardanyan□ Title 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
organizations in Hyogo and Shizuoka, to research disaster reduction in Japan.
(8) Papua New Guniea□ Ms. Philomena Miria□ Title 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 eruptionof Mt. Rapowl, as well as disaster reduction organizations such as the NDMO. Visited
Sanriku and other locations to research Tsunami reduction measures in Japan. Prepared a
training manual for disaster reduction in his country.
(9) Cambodia□ Mr. So Ban Heang□ Title 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 the activity of NCDM.
Visited Kotani Dam and the Kisosansen River Basin, as well as the Cabinet Office, NHK
and the Japan Red Cross, to study flood reduction measures in Japan.
(10) Bangladesh□ Mr. Mohamed Atikuzzaman□ Title 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 BPATC training.
Attended JICA Seminar on Disaster Management organized by the ADRC and JICA.
Researched all types of disaster reduction in Japan.
(11) Armenia□ Mr. Tigran Sayiyan□ Title at the time of visit: Head, Southern Department Task Force, National Survey for
Seismic Protection□ Duration: February - August 2002
□ Reported on antiseismic construction after the Spitak Earthquake and other earthquake
measures, and activities of the NSSP. Visited the Phoenix Plaza, seismic test lab and otherdisaster reduction organizations in Hyogo, to study disaster reduction measures in Japan.

３５

ADRC Annual Report No.5 (2002)

2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region(12) Cambodia□ Mr. Khun Sokha□ Title at the time of visit: Assistant to the First Vice-President, National Committee forDisaster Management (NCDM)□ Duration: July – December 2002
□ Reported on the status of and control measures against the rise of water of Lake Tonle Sap(Cambodia) and flooding of the Mekong River. Visited Shiga Pref. to study the flood
control measures of Lake Biwa including the improvements of forestry surrounding theLake. Prepared the report on disaster management of Cambodia.
(13) India□ Mr. V.P. Pasrija□ Title at the time of visit: Assistant Director, Disaster Management Division, Ministry ofHome Affairs□ Duration: October – December 2002
□ Reported on the damage from the Gujarat earthquake and disaster reduction system ofIndia. Actively visited many disaster reduction facilities such as Hyogo Prefecture Disaster
Management Center, Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution to collectinformation contributing to the future establishment of a disaster reduction center in India.
Prepared the report on disaster management of India.
(14) Nepal□ Mr. Dilli Shiwakoti□ Title at the time of visit: Director, Dept. of Narcotics and Disaster Management, Ministry ofHome Affairs□ Duration: January – June 2003
□ Reported on the flooding in the Katmandu area in recent years, the current situation oflandslides and floods frequently occurring in various regions and Nepal’s disaster reduction
projects. Participated in the Seminar on Disaster Management, which is conducted by JICA
and ADRC, for comprehensive research of disaster reduction in Japan.
(15) Mongolia□ Ms. Bolormaa Borkhuu□ Title at the time of visit: Officer, Strategic Planning and Management Department, Ministryof Nature and Environment of Mongolia□ Duration: January – June 2003
□ Reported on the current status of damages due to drought, heavy snow and forest fires in
Mongolia. Also reported on the government’s disaster reduction organizations and theMinistry of Nature and Environment. Updated the database of ADRC website. Participatedin the Seminar on Disaster Management, which is managed by JICA and ADRC, forcomprehensive research of disaster reduction in Japan.

３６

ADRC Annual Report No.5 (2002)

2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region

2-1-5. Collaboration with International Organizations andInitiatives
1) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)In February 2000, the OCHA Asia Unit (OCHA Kobe since 2001) was opened as a joint
project of OCHA and ADRC, with an aim to enhance collaboration through continual
information exchange.
The Consultative Meeting on TDRM (Total Disaster Risk Management) in Bangkok, theRegional Workshop on TDRM, and UNDAC Induction Course, both held in Kobe, areexamples of joint activities of OCHA Kobe and ADRC in 2003 (see later section for details).
2) UN OCHA ReliefWeb
ReliefWeb is an Internet-based clearinghouse operated by OCHA, over which it is providing
reliable disaster information in a timely manner to support humanitarian activities by helping
the victims of disasters. ADRC, since its foundation, has been providing a link to ReliefWeb on
its own homepage for ease of access to UN information. ReliefWeb also has a link to the ADRC
website to make better use of information collected by ADRC from various countries. Thus,
OCHA and ADRC are sharing information to serve the needs of the humanitarian community
more effectively.
The opening of the OCHA Kobe office in the ADRC premises in August 2001 facilitatedstronger collaboration between OCHA and ADRC toward effective information sharing
systems, including the promotion of GLIDE (see Section 3 for details).
3) The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED)
CRED managed by the Universite Catholique de Louvain in Belgium is the world’s sole
database containing natural disaster information from all over the world. To gain overall
information of disasters that have occurred in Asia in this century, ADRC entered into a“Collaboration Agreement on Disaster Information Collection” on November 5, 1999 with
CRED. ADRC and CRED share information with each other to serve as reliable information
sources.
At the GDIN Conference in March 2001, CRED, ReliefWeb and ADRC agreed to combine
efforts in promoting GLIDE proposed by ADRC, and the GLIDE project was launched in 2001.
4) Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN)The Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN) is an initiative that was launched based ona proposal by the US State Department. The main objective of GDIN is to build a sophisticatedinternational framework to provide “the right information, in the right format, to the rightpeople, in time to make the right decisions”.
Prompt information collection is an issue of particular importance for GDIN, and effective
utilization of satellite information and GIS has been investigated as a solution to this issue.
The policy of this initiative is to integrate information from many independent sources forbetter utilization of these resources, which largely agrees to the purpose of ADRC’s foundation.
GDIN Conferences:
Organizing Conference in Washington DC (July 16-17, 1998)
GDIN 1999 in Mexico City, Mexico (May 11-14, 1999)
GDIN 2000 in Ankara, Turkey (April 26-29, 2000)
GDIN 2001 in Canberra, Australia (April 20-23, 2001)
GDIN 2002 in Rome, Italy (June 19-21, 2002)
ADRC joined in this initiative at GDIN 2000 in Ankara, Turkey. Since that time, ADRC has
been actively promoting this initiative.

３７

ADRC Annual Report No.5 (2002)

2. Establishment of Network in the Asian Region5) Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)
Established in 1986, ADPC is a non-governmental, regional resource center to support
disaster reduction activities in Asia. Based in Thailand, ADPC is implementing a wide range ofdisaster reduction projects including education and training seminars, on demand consulting
and information services from various countries and regions, and programs for the
improvement of local disaster reduction capabilities.
To foster mutual cooperation toward a common goal – disaster reduction -, ADRC and
ADPC signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in June 2001 to make united efforts inthe following segments.
□ International disaster reduction activities such as ISDR
□ Development of disaster management information systems and other disaster reduction
technologies□ Disaster reduction training techniques□ Joint projects
In June 2002, ADRC and ADPC co-sponsored the “Consultative Meeting on Total Disaster
Risk Management” in Bangkok by inviting UN agencies and other international organizations
from the Asia-Pacific area (see Section 4 for details).
6) The International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES)IIEES is a governmental institute of Iran. IIEES is providing earthquake information tocountries not only in Western Asia, but also the entire Asian region and the world as a whole.
The activities of IIEES extend from earthquake forecasts, to seminars and symposiums to foster
human resources.
For the mutual cooperation toward common objectives – disaster reduction, in particular
earthquake disaster reduction, in Asia -, ADRC and IIEES signed a Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MOU) in October 2002 to make united efforts in the following segments.
□ Information exchange regarding studies and researches on natural disasters□ Technical services for public awareness activities (education and training)□ Promotion of joint researches

３８