5-2. Capacity Building in Member Countries
5-2-1. ADRC Peer Review Project
The ADRC has launched its new initiative "ADRC Peer Review" since last year for further
supporting the efforts for the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) in
member countries, through promoting information sharing and strengthening the relations
among member countries.
Peer Reviews are generally the evaluation and review of certain subjects by otherprofessional and technical people in the same field in order to appropriately maintain orenhance the quality of the subjects from highly technical point of view. In the context of thisproject, it means that experts from the outside of the target country review and assess DRR
related measures and policies of member countries for further promoting disaster risk
reduction.
Based on the issues identified in the pilot project last fiscal year, following changes in themethod were made.
・ Two member countries were selected as reviewer countries per a target country.
・ Reviewer countries were selected by the ADRC from member countries which own
similar disaster trends to target countries.
・ The period of survey conducted by reviewer teams was extended for better learning
about target countries.
・ Counterparts in a target country and a reviewer team will have a small workshop or
meeting to discuss the results of survey and to exchange their opinions on the last day ofthe survey.
・ Target countries identify their own themes for reviews.
This fiscal year the ADRC selected Bangladesh and Mongolia as target countries. The
following is the outline of the project.
<Target Countries &Themes for Reviews>
Bangladesh: Cyclone preparedness
Mongolia: Awareness raising and capacity development for earthquake disasters<Reviewers per a target country>
・ One expert
・ One expert each from two other Member Countries *Not from either of the countries
being reviewed.
・ ADRC
These reviews were conducted based on country reports submitted by target countries, aswell as on-site interview survey. The reviewer teams identified strengths and weaknesses of48

5. Promoting Cooperation with Member Countries, International Organizations and NGOs

the target countries and then made recommendations for further promoting disaster risk
reduction in target countries.

(1) Bangladesh
Bangladesh faces various natural hazards such as storms (cyclones), floods, landslides,
droughts, cold waves, and heat waves. The
cyclones which hit the country in 1970 and 1991
brought about devastation with fatalities of about
300,000

and

140,000

respectively.

These

disasters had led the country to promoting
cyclone preparedness by public and private
sectors.
The

field

surveyfeaturing

cyclonepreparedness in Bangladesh was conducted as
below

with

full

supportfrom

Fig. 5-2-1-1 Interview survey in Bangladesh

DisasterManagement Bureau (DMB), Ministry of Food and Disaster Management of Bangladesh.
The reviewer team visited and interviewed more than 8 organizations in Dhaka and then in
Noakhali and Hatia located in a cyclone-vulnerable coastal area, regarding their efforts on
cyclone preparedness. Based on the survey, as well as on the report submitted by Bangladesh,the reviewer team identified the following "positive aspects" and "challenges ahead" in theefforts of cyclone preparedness.

Positive Aspects
・ MoFDM and DMB are keen to uphold the continuous professional
development of CPP（Cyclone Preparedness Plan?） throughvarious activities such as conducting surveys and hazard mapping.
・ An active approach is being taken to enhance disaster risk
management, especially in disaster education and public awarenessin cooperation with all stakeholders by forming strong ties with
regional and international relevant organizations and NGOs
including Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD),
Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), Institute of Water
Modeling (IWM) and local organizations, Bangladesh Red CrescentSociety (BRCS), World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank
(ADB), JICA and so on.
・ CPP leverages volunteers, NGOs as well as officials from national
and local governments for the purpose of raising awareness andpreparedness motivation, and ensuring the safe evacuation ofvolunteers and the general public.
・ Warnings issued by BMD trigger actions by the CPP, which
disseminates warnings at the community level. CPP volunteers
inform residents in rural areas of impending disasters and help
people evacuate to cyclone shelters.
・ As many as 3,000 cyclone shelters have already been constructed in
the coastal regions where they are most needed and many people canevacuate to these shelters in case of cyclones and other disasters.

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Challenges Ahead
・There is a need for moreskilled staff in the relevant
agencies and capacity
development of technicalstaff is required for advanced
disaster risk reduction.
・Specifically, local
government officials need toincrease their skills andknowledge.
・Some CPP offices lackfundamental communicationequipments.
・ More cyclone shelters arenecessary in vulnerable
areas. Also, some cyclone
shelters need repair work sothey can store necessary
equipment and relief goods
as intended.

Based on the above observation of the "strengths" and "weaknesses" of Bangladesh, thereviewer team provided the following recommendations to Bangladesh.
Recommendations
・ Promote human resource development in all agencies in order to increase their capacity and expertise inusing state-of-the-art DRR tools and methods.
・ Construct more cyclone shelters in the densely-populated local area with high risk.
・ Reinforce embankment in the river lines and coastal regions and maintain afforestation.
・ Promote to establish emergency communication system. Utilize mobile phone for early warning media
available in the rural area.
・ Enact the DM Law to prioritize advocacy involving all stakeholders.

(2) Mongolia
In recent years, the frequency of earthquakes
in Mongolia has increased and Ulaanbaatar, thecapital city of Mongolia is considered to befacing growing risks of earthquake occurrence.
Since the city has about 50 per cent of total
populations of the country and work as the centerof industries and commerce, the president and thegovernment of Mongolia have recognized theurgent need of the strengthening earthquake

Fig. 5-2-1-2 Reporting Session

disaster measures.
In March 2010, the Integrated Earthquake Response Plan was developed and approved andall the sectors of the government of Mongolia have started to take necessary actions for
improving earthquake disaster measures. Due to the limited experiences of the earthquake
disasters in Mongolia, they need further consideration of the policies and activities to be
implemented for the purpose.
In this context, in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) of Mongolia, the ADRC reviewer team visited Mongolia for the survey to examine
how they have been making the efforts for earthquake disaster education and capacity
development in the government and non-governmental organizations.
The reviewer team visited and conducted interview survey to the organizations pertaining
to DRM. Then, the team conducted on-site visit to identify earthquake risk of building andinfrastructure condition in urban and suburb areas. Based on the country report on disastermanagement, submitted from NEMA and the result of the interview and the on-site survey,
the team compiled a draft review report with all findings and recommendations. On the last
day of the survey, a workshop with 30 participants from NEMA was held for acquiring
opinions and comments to finalize the report.
The outline of the finalized report is as follows.

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5. Promoting Cooperation with Member Countries, International Organizations and NGOs

Positive Aspects
・ President’s concern on disaster prevention
particularly earthquakes
・ Development of disaster protection legal
environment, integrated planning and policy
system・ Budget allocation for earthquake disaster risk
reduction from 2011
・ Collaboration among NEMA and RCAG for DRR
・ Integrated data base of social information such asbuildings
・ Seismic and geological information forearthquake scenario
・ Collaboration with Irkutsk experts on seismic
performance of buildings
・ Undertaken activities at the sub-district level・ Development of good disaster education materials
and trained 80 persons as trainers and 300
volunteers for disaster risk management activities
by Mongolian Red Cross・ Telecommunication technology used as a tool forearly warning
・ Nationwide coverage of cellular services

Challenges Ahead
・ Lack of public awareness on earthquake risks
・ Non-identification of amount of earthquake
damage for the earthquake scenario
・ Weak dissemination of information to public
・ Unidentified risk of expansion of fire during
earthquakes in the Ger districts
・ Insufficient use of lessons learnt from thepast earthquakes
・ Non-functional emergency siren systemdeveloped during the early 1970’s
・ Insufficient fire services including man
power, equipments and fire stations
・ Lack of collaboration of scientists andstructure engineers for earthquake disasterprevention
・ Inadequate seismic inspection of existingbuildings especially for PC panel structures
・ Insufficient knowledge of seismic retrofit
・ Checks and balances on the quality ofbuilding elements used by builders

Suggestions
1. Necessity of earthquake damage prediction based on possible earthquake scenario
In combination of social information (population distribution, building distribution) and natural
information (earthquake data, geological information, deep underground structure and surface geology)
In collaboration of scientists and engineers
2. Application of disaster prevention research
Not only on seismic retrofit but also on earthquake early warning for centralized city
Establishing testing laboratory for building structures
3. Education /training for disaster prevention for schools and sub-districts
Incorporation of materials based on disaster prevention research
Early warning system (due to scientific and engineering collaboration)
Introduction of “earthquake shaking table car”
Promotion of community-based disaster prevention organizations
4. Determination of Mongolian disaster prevention day
5. Establishment of earthquake disaster prevention committee among government, academic (Scientist andEngineer), utility companies, NGO’s and international organizations
6. Taking risk consistent disaster prevention countermeasures
7. Formulation of legal framework for more active involvement of relevant organizations on earthquake
DRR activities(3) Further Promoting ADRC Peer Review
Learning from the pilot project last year, we believe that the project implementation thisyear had some kind of improvement in terms of the structure of the project implementation.
Those changes bring many beneficial effects. For instance, by increasing number of reviewer
countries from one to two per a target country and holding of a small workshop on the last
day of survey mission among a target country and reviewers, it could promote informationexchange and the reviewers could develop survey reports in quick and efficient manners.
Holding a small workshop was one of the most effective revisions we made from the lastyear’s pilot project. At the workshop, reviewers could clarify the information they compiled
during the survey and modify it through the information exchange with the target countries. In
addition, target countries could learn about the tentative survey results which reviewers

51compiled in a prompt manner and discuss the issues which reviewers point out. The ADRC iskeen to further improve and promote this project for better utilization by member countries.

5-2-2. Multi-disciplinary Hazard Reduction from
Earthquakes and Volcanoes in Indonesia
5-2-2-1. Outline
This project “Multi-disciplinary Hazard Reduction from Earthquake and Volcanoes inIndonesia” officially started in June 2009, as a part of “Science and Technology ResearchPartnership for Sustainable Development” supported jointly by Japan Science and Technology
Agency (JST) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The ultimate goal of thisproject is to reduce disaster from earthquakes and volcanoes by enhancing capability offorecasting hazards, by reducing social vulnerability, and by promoting education andoutreach activity of research outcomes. We also plan to provide the platform of collaboration
among researchers in natural science, engineering and social sciences, as well as officials innational and local governments.
The research activities consist of six groups. For hazards, natural science approaches aretaken for: (1) Evaluation of potential and prediction of earthquakes and tsunami based on
geophysical investigations, and (2) Short-term and long-term prediction of volcanic eruptions
and development of their evaluation method. For the vulnerability, engineering andsocial/human science approaches to: (3) Establishment of social infrastructure based onengineering developments and (4) Mitigation of social vulnerability against geo-hazards. On
the basis of these, the last research group is (5) Education and outreach for disaster reduction.
Each group has several sub-groups, and in total more than 20 subgroups are conducting joint
field surveys and workshops. In addition, to coordinate these research activities and to utilize
the research results, we conduct: (6) Application of the research and establishment ofcollaboration mechanism between researchers and the government officials. The Joint
Coordinating Committee (JCC), consists of the group leaders and government officials of
related agencies in Indonesia, is organized and meets regularly to supervise the project
activities. The project not only reports research activities to JCC but also plans to make policy
recommendations to utilize the research finding to disaster reduction activities of thegovernments.
ADRC organizes Group 6 and takes charge of subgroup 5-1-1.

5-2-2-2. Activities
Group 5-1-1(G5-1-1): Research on the effective disaster education at school
G5-1-1 develops a disaster awareness education material, by which the risks or disasterpreventive resources will be easily understood in schools and communities. An educationmaterial will be produced based on the results of discussion on the state ofeducation in Indonesia.

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present disaster5. Promoting Cooperation with Member Countries, International Organizations and NGOs

In 2010, ADRC carried out following activities;
1. Training of teachers and students was held in Banda-Aceh in August 2010. Teachersand students from elementary schools, junior high schools and religion schools joined
this workshop. In this meeting, LIPI(Indonesian Institute of Science) and the ADRC
reported latest education programs in Indonesia and participants exchanged opinions
about disaster education for future activities.

Group 6: Application of the research and establishment of collaboration mechanism
between researchers and the government officials
The Group 6 aims to propose a system to apply the research results to policy making bybuilding up synergy among governmental organizations, universities and research institutes.
To this end, a platform composed of researchers, government officials at different levels andpractitioners should be established.
The Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) joins for the Group 6 as a group leader andorganizes workshops to strengthen the linkage between research activities and policy making.
Indonesian and Japanese participants enhanced their understanding about the roles andactivities of the both countries’ institutions such as the Japan’s Central Disaster Management
Council (CDMC), the Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion (HERM) and theIndonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) through these workshops.
As the next step, the Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) Meeting will be held in Jakarta,
Indonesia in May 2011. In this meeting, the latest activities from each group will be reported
and exchanged opinions to establish a platform composed of researchers, government officials
at different levels and practitioners.

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