ADRC Highlights
Asian Disaster Reduction Center Monthly News
● Promoting Cooperation with Member Countries
Vol. 361April2023
TOPICS
Promoting Cooperation
with Member Countries
Asian Conference onDisaster Reduction 2022(ACDR2022): Opening &Special Sessions

Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2022 (ACDR2022): Opening &Special Sessions

The Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2022 (ACDR2022) was held on 1012 March 2023 at Sendai International Center, Miyagi Prefecture. This conference
was held in a hybrid format to ease the attendance of a broader range ofparticipants from member countries and relative organizations through online
participation. As the result, the conference was attended by a total of 205
participants, 84 on-site and 121 online, including representatives from member
countries, international organizations, private sectors, and academic/ research
institutes.

Promoting Cooperation
with AffiliatedInstitutions
JICA Knowledge CoCreation Program(KCCP): "LEP2.0
Enhancement of theDisaster Risk
Management Capacity ofthe National Disaster
Management Agency(NADMA)"ADRC Visiting
Researcher Report¶ Ms Ani Gevorgyan(Armenia)¶ Ms Ariuntungalag
Batjargal (Mongolia)

Asian DisasterReduction CenterHigashikan 5F, 1-5-2
Wakinohamakaigan-dori,Chuo-ku, Kobe
651-0073 Japan
Tel: 078-262-5540
Fax: 078-262-5546
editor@adrc.asia
https://www.adrc.asia© ADRC 2023

On-site Participants of ACDR2022

This year’s theme of ACDR was “WHAT IS NEXT? –Learning from the Past,
Preparing for the Future– .” ACDR2022 highlighted the importance of applying
past lessons towards efforts for risk-informed preparedness to further strengthen
the national-level DRM systems. It also emphasized how ADRC member countries
and partner organizations could leverage each other’s DRR programmes to better
prevent, prepare, respond to, and recover from concurrent crises and futuredisasters. ACDR2022 aimed to specifically highlight: i) the progress made instrengthening DRM systems by showcasing the experience of the Great East JapanEarthquake, ii) the experience and lessons from recent major disasters in member
countries; and iii) the new initiatives and approaches of member countries andpartner organizations in preparing for complex and overlapping disasters.
Furthermore, 2023 marks the 100th year of the Great Kanto Earthquake thatstruck Japan’s capital, Tokyo. ACDR2022 organized a special session tocommemorate and discuss on the lessons learned from this earthquake and othermajor earthquakes that occurred in Japan.
Under the basic theme, we provided a platform for member countries to share
updates and to discuss future actions focusing on three session themes: (1) LargeScale Disasters and Countermeasures, (2) Broaden Our Horizons for Disaster Data
Linkage in SFDRR Implementation: Application of GLIDE (GLobal IDEntifier
Number), and (3) The Provision of Information via Satellite for Disaster and Crisis
Management.
In this month’s issue, we will report on the opening session of the conference
and special session relating to the “Centenary of the Great Kanto Earthquake.”
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Continued

Opening Session
In the opening remarks, Mr TANI Kouichi, Minister of State for Disaster Management, Government of Japanfirst expressed his condolences for the Great East Japan Earthquake and the massive earthquake in Turkeyand Syria. He emphasized the importance of ACDR which has been held annually since 2003. Next, Dr
HAMADA Masanori, Chairman of ADRC said that ADRC has been promoting multilateral cooperation andsupport for disaster risk reduction since its establishment in 1998, and that he strongly believes that member
countries can contribute to the creation of a safe and secure society by deepening cooperation andcollaboration. Finally, Ms KORI Kazuko, Mayor of Sendai City also expressed her condolences for theearthquake in Turkey and Syria. And she expressed her gratitude for the ACDR2022 being held in Sendai
City for the second time since the Great East Japan Earthquake. She also emphasized, base on her experienceof the Great East Japan Earthquake, the importance of participants sharing their thoughts and knowledge andconnecting with each other in order to appropriate preparedness for risks such as frequent disasters in Asiancountries.
Mr SASAHARA Akio, Executive Director of ADRC, read a message on behalf of the Head of theDisaster and Disaster Management Authority (AFAD) under the Ministry of Interioir in Turkey who was
unable to participate in ACDR2022.

Opening Session (from left, Mr TANI Kouichi, Ms KORI Kazuko, and Dr HAMADA Masanori)Special Session on the Centenary of the Great Kanto Earthquake –What can we learn from past disasters andhow can we apply the lessons learned? –This session comprised three topics of discussions: 1) lessons learned from the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquakeand subsequent countermeasures; 2) new findings and remaining challenges from the 1995 Great HanshinAwaji Earthquake and the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake; and 3) what lessons and technologies frompast disasters can be utilized to mitigate future risk in disaster-prone Asia.
Dr ITOH Shigeru, President of ADRC introduced the fact that safe city planning and modern urban
design were inspired by the reconstruction of the Great Kanto Earthquake. It was the catalyst for a great leap
forward in architecture and urbanism. He noted about the increasing use of concrete in public housings,
whereas the apartment buildings with clapboard exteriors made of bare wood were replaced by concretestructures.
Dr HAMADA Masanori, Chairman of ADRC, said that the Great Kanto Earthquake marked thebeginning of earthquake engineering in Japan. He introduced that the Great Kanto Earthquake damaged not
only wooden houses, but also modern buildings constructed with technology imported from overseas since
the Meiji Restoration, which led to the development of earthquake-resistant design of buildings andstructures.
Dr HASEMI Yuji, Professor Emeritus of Science and Engineering at Waseda University, explained thatthe rapid increase in population during the First World War led to the expansion of areas densely populatedwith wooden buildings in urban regions. These areas caused simultaneous fires during the earthquake, andthat because of this experience, fire prevention measures were introduced into these areas.
Prof. SHIGEKAWA Kishie, Professor at the Faculty of Social and Environmental Studies, Tokoha
University, mentioned the importance of “people’s development” by promoting disaster education andimproving disaster literacy. Japan has accumulated a variety of experiences and lessons that may beapplicable and useful in the Asian region.
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Continued

In conclusion, the moderator, Mr YOSHIMURA Hidemi, Former Chief Commentator, NHK (JapanBroadcasting Corporation) said that through the discussions of the panelists, it became clear that, since theGreat Kanto Earthquake, structural and non-structural disaster prevention measures have been developed,
studied and improved to cope with various types of damage, and that Japan has started to promote predisaster investment based on the assumption of worst-case scenario.

Panelists of the Special Session(from left, Dr ITOH Shigeru, Dr HAMADA Masanori, Dr HASEMI Yuji, Prof. SHIGEKAWA Kishie, and Mr YOSHIMURA Hidemi)

In the next issue, we will provide more details about the three main sessions of the ACDR2022.
● Promoting Cooperation with Affiliated Institutions
JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Program (KCCP): "LEP2.0 Enhancement of the Disaster Risk
Management Capacity of the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA)"
From 6 to 10 March 2023, ADRC conducted the JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Program (KCCP) “LEP2.0
Enhancement of the Disaster Risk Management Capacity of Malaysia’s National Disaster Management
Agency (NADMA)” aimed at the realization of disaster-resilient society in Malaysia by improving thetechnology and coordination capacity of NADMA, Malaysian National Disaster Management Agency. A
total of 15 people from NADMA and related organizations participated in the first training of this program
which ADRC has been cooperating with.
The first day of the training consisted of training orientation, presentations by the participants from eachorganization to introduce about their country and point out their current issues, and discussions to confirm
the training objectives and points to see at each site they will be visiting. From the second day onwards, theyenergetically visited several flood and sediment affected sites to see their disaster countermeasures. The
participants enthusiastically observed the countermeasures put in actual use, and exchanged opinions. On the
final day, the course was concluded with the reports on what they learned in the training.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the related organizations who gave lectures andallowed us to visit them during this training. We appreciate your continued support and cooperation.
● ADRC Visiting Researcher Report
Ms Ani Gevorgyan (Armenia)

My name is Ani Gevorgyan and I am from the Republic of Armenia. I am theHead of the Complex Department of Seismic Hazard Assessment of theRegional Seismic Protection Survey of the Ministry of Emergency Situations ofthe Republic of Armenia. The Department implements the following main
objectives: provision of seismic hazard monitoring on the territory of theRepublic of Armenia; assessment of seismic hazard and seismic risk ofterritories; seismic risk reduction; assessment of levels of induced seismicity
and assessment of other secondary hazards related to seismic hazard.
Armenia is considered a developing country. We collect and maintainspecialised scientific knowledge from all over the world to contribute to oursustainable development. All the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired
during my work as a Visiting Researcher in the ADRC program will be applied
in my practical work, thus serving as an asset to the Millennium Development
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ContinuedGoals. The opportunity to participate in the Visiting Researcher Program at ADRC is of great value for me togain theoretical knowledge and practical expertise in this field. The Japanese methodology I am learning here
will make my work more practical and allow me to focus more on problem solving based on data analysis. Iam sure that this program is a great opportunity to acquire sound knowledge, tools and techniques fordisaster prevention and preparedness, disaster emergency response, disaster recovery and reconstruction, andearthquake disaster mitigation. I am confident that whatever I gain during the research will be of great
importance not only to my organization but also to my country.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the entire staff of the ADRC for theirkindness, hospitality and willingness to provide any assistance I may have needed during my stay in Japan.
Ms Ariuntungalag Batjargal (Mongolia)

My name is Ariuntungalag Batjargal. I’m from Mongolia. I’m very happy
to be a visiting researcher at the ADRC.
I graduated from the National University of Mongolia in 2003. I haveearned a Master’s degree from the Mongolian National Defense University.
Now, I am studying for a Ph.D at the Mongolian National Defense
University.
I work at the National Institute for Disaster Research (NIDR) under theNational Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) of Mongolia as achemist-researcher.
NIDR’s main goal is that by developing disaster science and introducing
research, analysis, technology and innovation in the field of disasterprotection, we will make a real contribution to reducing disaster risk
affecting the sustainable development of Mongolia.
Therefore, I am studying issues such as disaster risk reduction and theimplementation of disaster prevention laws and their challenges. Based on
the results of the research, the measures to be taken in the future will bescientifically determined, and the research will be published for thecommunity.
Also, joint and independent research is conducted in the field ofproducing new products aimed at reducing the damage caused by disasters. In addition, I teach citizens anduniversity students about disaster management and disaster risk reduction.
Let me briefly introduce you about Mongolia. Located in Central Asia, Mongolia is a landlocked country
bordered by the Russian Federation to the north and China to the south. My country, Mongolia, is a country
with a tradition of maintaining its nomadic civilization, herding 5 types of livestock across its vast plains.
The population of Mongolia is 3,409,939. Mongolia is a country with the lowest average population density
in the world. It has a little over 2 people per km2 (about 5 people per square mile) and 34% of the population
is nomadic.
The main disasters and hazards in Mongolia are snow damage (dzud), floods, snow and dust storms,forest and steppe fires, animal diseases and earthquakes. Livestock play a very important role in the lives ofthe Mongolian people, society, and economy, and the disasters that commonly occur in Mongolia causesignificant damages to livestock.
In addition, in recent years, new earthquake fault lines have been registered in our country and in
Ulaanbaatar, which has a large population, and has caused us great concern, and made it necessary toimprove our research in this field.
Mongolia and Japan have been friendly countries for a long time. So, Japan is a very dear country to me. I
am very happy to have participated in ADRC’s Visiting Researcher Program, and I will apply the knowledge
I have learned and acquired here to my research.

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