ADRC Highlights
Asian Disaster Reduction Center Monthly News
● Promoting Cooperation with Affiliated Institutions
Vol. 356
November2022
TOPICS
Promoting Cooperation
with AffiliatedInstitutions¶ Workshop at theBOSAI KOKUTAI 2022
¶ Visit of the Survey
Team from Uzbekistan¶ Visitors through the
Try-Yaru Week Work
Experience Program
Participation inInternational
Conferences
Participation in the
Typhoon Committee’s
Working Group on
Disaster Reduction(WGDRR) Annual
Meeting 2022
Report from ADRC
Intern
Mr Jhumar Sioson(Nagoya University)

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 2022

Workshop at the BOSAI KOKUTAI 2022

The Asian Disaster Reduction
Center (ADRC) organized aworkshop on 22 October 2022
entitled, “Differences inDisaster Risk Management(DRM) between Japan andother countries as seen byforeign residents in Japan:
cooperation starts fromunderstanding thedifferences.” The workshop,
which was a side event at theBOSAI KOKUTAI 2022,
covered a range of issues,
including the engagement ofWorkshop organized by ADRC
foreign residents in disasterprevention activities, risk
communication, and ways to bridge the differences in DRM practices among Asian
countries.
In the first presentation, Dr Khaerunnisa (Head, Master of the Architecture
Program, University of Atma Jaya Yogyakarta, Indonesia), a former foreign
student in Osaka, pointed out that Indonesia and Japan have relatively different
types of support networks for students in times of disaster. In Japan, foreign
students can organize themselves to establish a network of supports. This networkof students is often country-based and informal. Thus, students’ access to disaster
information and participation in drills conducted by Japanese local governments
are limited. However, disaster information from mass media, TV, the internet, andradio are readily accessible to foreign students. By contrast, in Indonesia, it isgovernment agencies that facilitate the organization of community networks(including student networks) to build a strong support systems in times of disaster.
Mr NAGANO Koichi (Director, Policy Planning and Coordination Department,Hyogo International Association) provided the second presentation highlighting
HIA’s efforts to support foreign residents during disasters. Among the efforts hementioned were: (1) a multilingual bulletin board, aimed at providing information
on disaster preparation and evacuation in times of disaster; (2) a Disaster
Preparedness Guide for Children and Parents, which is to be disseminated to allresidents; and (3) the My Evacuation Card, a card that provides simple instructions
for evacuation in nine different languages. Mr Nagano acknowledged that HIA
faces a number of challenges in implementing these activities, such as how toeffectively communicate disaster forecasts and warnings to foreigners throughsocial media and the internet with multilingual support.
Mr MAMIYA Keita (Risk Management Section Officer, Policy Department,Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture) shared Kusatsu City’s pioneering program oforganizing “Foreign Firefighters.” Under this program, the city designates foreign
residents who are fluent in both native and Japanese languages (as well as having a
deep understanding of Japanese lifestyle and culture) to be firefighters. During
normal times, foreign firefighters receive training and participate in disaster risk
reduction activities, including seminars and lectures. During emergencies, foreign
firefighters also help in disseminating information via social media, support safe
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Continued

evacuation, and assist in counselling using their respective native languages.
Dr Gerry Potutan (Senior Researcher, ADRC) presented the results of an online survey that looked into
the differences in DRM practices between Japan and other countries as perceived by foreign residents.
Results showed that foreign residents generally perceived Japan’s DRM practices (e.g., hazard maps,
disaster drills, evacuation guidance, and early warnings) to be “excellent” compared with their respective
countries of origin. By rating these as “excellent,” respondents showed that Japan can serve as a benchmark
to other countries in terms of planning and designing effective DRM programs. When asked about the key
challenge in risk communication, most respondents mentioned the “language barrier.” To address thischallenge, respondents suggested the following: use of visual tools (e.g., images, drawings, and signs);
reaching out to foreign residents early (e.g., during arrival and registration) regarding disaster preparedness;and enhancing multilingual services (e.g., offering translations and subtitles in more languages).
In closing, Mr ARAKIDA Masaru (Director, Researcher Department, ADRC), who moderated theworkshop, acknowledged that since foreign residents in Japan come from diverse cultures and backgrounds,
the DRM practices of their respective countries can be expected to be different from those in Japan. This canbe challenging for many Japanese local governments when communicating disaster risk. The suggestions
that came up during this workshop will offer insights on how to address this challenge. He also mentionedthat all presentation materials can be accessed on the ADRC website at:https://www.adrc.asia/workshop/2022bosaikokutai.php

Visit of the Survey Team from Uzbekistan

A delegation from Uzbekistan, an ADRC member since the inception of the organization, visited Japan from
21-28 October 2022 to study Japanese earthquake preparedness. The delegation included Mirzaev Sirojiddin
Zaynievich, Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, and 11 other government officials
from the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and other government agencies, andresearchers from the Academy of Sciences and Universities.
They visited sites such as Nagoya University and the University of Tokyo, as well as government
agencies such as the Disaster Management Bureau of the Cabinet Office, the Geographical Survey Institute(photo), the Building Research Institute, and the National Research Institute of Science and Technology for
Disaster Prevention. They were briefed on Japan's legal system and disaster prevention technologies and had
opportunities to see actual observation devices and to visit facilities conducting relevant experiments. They
asked many questions during each site visit, and expressed keen interest in the work being done.
ADRC supported the delegation by offering advice on the development of their agenda and accompanying
the delegation to various sites.

Members from the Survey Team from Uzbekistan

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Visitors through the Try-Yaru Week Work Experience Program

ADRC hosted two seventh-grade students from 8 to 10 November 2022 as part of the Try-Yaru Week
program (work experience for junior high school students in Hyogo Prefecture) organized by Kobe
Municipal Harada Junior High School.
During this period, these students not only learned about earthquake resistance, and crafted a model of anearthquake-resistant building out of milk cartons, but also participated in online town watching in the Aotani
area of Nada Ward, Kobe City. They also visited the Hyogo Prefectural Emergency Management andTraining Center. Students indicated that they "learned a great deal about disasters as they experienced thevarious activities" and that "the shaking we experienced in the earthquake simulation vehicle was more than
I had imagined." The students also commented that they had a fulfilling work experience.
ADRC will continue its efforts to develop human resources for disaster risk reduction in Japan and its
member countries.

Conference Marketplace

Experiment using a model of an earthquake-resistantbuilding out of milk cartons

Online Town Watching● Participation in International Conferences
Participation in the Typhoon Committee’s Working Group on Disaster Reduction (WGDRR)
Annual Meeting 2022

On 21 October 2022, ADRC participated in theannual meeting of the Working Group on Disaster
Risk Reduction (WGDRR) of the Typhoon
Committee. This event, which was held online,
enabled discussion of three key items: (1) progresson the implementation of projects for 2022, (2)proposed projects for 2023, and (3) participation inthe Integrated Workshops (IWS).
It was reported that all seven projects for 2022
were implemented, including the “KnowledgeSharing in DRR” event that was held in Guamover the summer. For 2023, WGDRR proposed
seven projects:

WGDRR(1) Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing in DRR,
(2) Setting-up Early Warning and Alert Systems,(3) the WGDRR Annual Meeting,(4) Benefit Evaluation of Typhoon DRR,
(5) DRR Information Sharing,(6) a DRR Education Video, and3

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Continued(7) a Seminar on Crowd-Sourcing.
The WGDRR will report on the progress made on the 2022 projects as well as the proposed projects for2023 at the forthcoming 17th Integrated Workshop of the Typhoon Committee, to be held 29-30 November
2023 via video conference. At the closing, the chair of the WGDRR highlighted that the first project to be
implemented in 2023 is the “Knowledge Sharing in DRR Events,” which will be held back-to-back in
Manila, Philippines and Vientiane, Lao PDR during the first quarter.
● Report from ADRC Intern
Mr Jhumar Sioson (Nagoya University)

I am Jhumar Sioson, a master's degree student in the field of Environmental Studies at Nagoya University. I
served as an intern at ADRC from 21 October to 2 November 2022 as part of the Global Research Internship(GRI) of my university. The objective of the GRI is to provide research-based internship opportunities tostudents to help them acquire practical research know-how through on-site research training.
As an intern, I was able to attend daily meetings, participate in the ADRC workshop during the 7th
BOSAI KOKUTAI, engage in DRR Town-Watching in Nada, Kobe, visit some Great Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake Disaster monuments within Hyogo Prefecture, and provide my personal feedback on ADRC
documents. My time as an ADRC intern is sure to be one of the highlights of what will be my two-year stayin Japan and it gave me an opportunity to increase my knowledge about disaster risk reduction. I know that
there is still much for me to learn as I strive to professionally contribute to the disaster resiliency of thePhilippines when I return home.

Presentation by Mr Sioson

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