3-2. Database on Disaster Risk Reduction
3-2-1. Latest Disaster Information
When a natural disaster occurs, information on the extent of the damage, the situation of theaffected area and emergency response and relief is collected and disseminated by media, local
and central governments, international organizations, research institutions, civil societies, NGOs,
etc in affected countries and throughout the world. Once most of such information was usuallyprovided individually and it took time and labor to get all the necessary information, whchprevented from agile data collection activities in case of emergency.
Under these circumstances, organizations such as the Centre for Research on theEpidemiology of Disasters, Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) andthe UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) have been gathering
global disaster information to make disaster information.
The ADRC has developed a database and published the latest disaster information on its
website in order to contribute as a clearinghouse of disaster information from various sources
since September 1998. Summarized information with direct links to the original information
sources provided on its website enables rapid search and retrieval of information. In particular,
the database provides a brief summary of disasters (dates, locations, and overviews), brief
outlines of damage situations, link information categorized by reports/articles, geographic data,
emergency relief information, urgent reports from the ADRC member countries and graphicinformation. Such information is continually updated in accordance with further information
release.
Figure 3-2-1-1 to Figure 3-2-1-4 shows information flow of ADRC’s website from top page torelated organizational information. The landslide in Indonesia, December 2014 was taken asexample. In the top page, the disaster appears as latest disaster, linked to detailed information(Figure 3-2-1-1). The detailed information has links to GLIDE number, and national disastermanagement organization of the country when it is ADRC’s member country (Figure 3-2-1-2,3-2-1-3). Information sources for the reports come from situation reports and satellite imageries
as mentioned below (Figure 3-2-1-4).
The information originates mainly from announcements of disaster relevant organizations
including the ADRC’s member countries, situation reports from the UNOCHA ReliefWeb,
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and media reports. The
latest disaster information site also links to the home page of the disaster management
organization and the disaster management information within ADRC’s website, which works as aportal to various kinds of information.
In addition, the database connected to the link to the other site “JAXA DMSS” to enhance thevalue to ADRC’s web site using the satellite image data taken at the affected site after the naturaldisasters when the emergency satellite observation was conducted. The database provides
information of more than 1,944 disasters in the world as of 16 January 2015.

18

3. Collection and Dissemination of Disaster Information

(1)

(2)

(3)

Figure 3-2-1 ADRC Website top page (above)
Details of Disaster Information (below)

19Figure 3-2-1-2 GLIDE Number of the disaster (1)Figure 3-2-1-3 Information on Disaster Risk Reduction of the Member Countries (2)203. Collection and Dissemination of Disaster Information

3-2-2. Multilanguage Glossary on Disaster Reduction(1) Provision of Multi-language Glossary on Natural Disasters
The Multi-language Glossary on Natural Disasters was compiled through the activities of
the United Nation’s IDNDR launched in 1990. It can be easily searched in six languages suchas Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish by choosing an input language
and a target language. To make the glossary available to a broader audience, ADRC has been
providing online translation services. Thus, the six-language glossary is now available on theADRC website.
The glossary contains technical terms which are hard to find in ordinary dictionaries, andcan be utilized by personnel in the disaster field to decipher technical documents related toDisaster Reduction.
(2) Native Language Activities by Visiting Researchers
ADRC accepts eight visiting researchers from member countries during the year to improvecapabilities in disaster reduction administration. Since 2008, ADRC has been making“Multilanguage Dictionaries” with side by side entries into the mother language of the visiting
researcher about 1,130 basic “disaster reduction terms” based on English terms.
Side by side translation lists have already been completed by researchers from Bhutan,
Kyrgyz (Kyrgyz and Russian), Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka,Thailand, Vietnam, and Yemen (Arabic) by March 2015, and been offered in the format of“Multilingual Dictionaries (Tentative)” on the ADRC website separate from the“Multi-language Glossary.” They were intended to serve as reference materials for disaster
reduction activities in member countries.

Fig.3-2-2-1 Multi-language Dictionaries for Disaster Reduction (Provisional Translation)21

3-2-3. Asian Disaster Reduction Center Newsletter: ADRC
Highlights
ADRC has been using the Internet and e-mail to share information with its counterparts in themember countries, and other applicants. As one of its mainstay tools for information dissemination,
ADRC has been issuing the newsletter “ADRC Highlights” since 1 June 1999. It had been issued
twice a month until FY 2007, and has been issued once a month since the renewal of its design in FY
2008.

Fig. 3-2-3-1 ADRC Highlights(January 2014: Japanese edition, English edition, Russian edition)

The newsletter is made publicly available on the website. It is also e-mailed in English,
Russian and Japanese to the ADRC counterparts and former visiting researchers, participants inthe past ADRC annual meetings, visitors to ADRC, trainees in JICA's training courses which
ADRC were involved in, and participants in international conferences ADRC took part in tostrengthen relations with. Also we register e-mail addresses of those who wish to subscribe thenewsletter upon the receipt of request e-mail. The numbers of subscribers in English, Russian andJapanese, are 2,388, 191 and 909 respectively as of January 2015.
The contents include articles on the latest ADRC activities, reports on international
conferences, and other events which ADRC staff attended and gave presentations in, as well as
national reports by the ADRC visiting researchers from member countries. In FY2014, there
were several manuscripts regarding international conference toward the Third UN World
Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction which will be held in March 2015.

223. Collection and Dissemination of Disaster Information

This tool has been very effective in order to keep good ties and communication with relevant
officials in Japan and overseas.
Table 3-2-3-1 Headlines from ADRC Highlights (FY2014)

Vol.

Main Articles

253

1.
2.

Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2014
ADRC DRR Policy Peer Review FY2013

254

1.
2.
3.

IRP/ADRC Attends International Seminar on Crisis Response in Australia
UNISDR Asia Partnership (IAP) Meeting
ASEAN Workshop on the Development of Mechanisms for the Acquisition andUtilization of Space-Based Information During Emergency Response

1.
2.
3.

7th ECO International Conference on Disaster Risk Management
9th Meeting of the Typhoon Committee Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction
Personnel Change

1.

6th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction Held in Bangkok(ADRC)
6th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction Held in Bangkok(IRP/ADRC)
Toulouse Space Show

255

256

2.
3.
1.
2.

257

3.
4.
1.
2.

258

3.
4.
5.
1.
2.

259

3.
4.
5.
6.

New ADRC Chairman, Dr. Masanori Hamada
IRP/ADRC Attends ASEM Manila Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction andManagement "Post-Haiyan ? A Way Forward" in the Philippines
ADRC Staff Profile -Mr. Yuji SASAKI, Senior Administrative Manager
ADRC Staff Profile -Mr. Takeshi NAKAO, Senior Researcher
JICA Training Course: Raising Awareness of Disaster Reduction
JICA Training Course: Comprehensive Disaster Management for Central Asia and theCaucasus
ADRC Visiting Researcher Report -Ms. Nyo Aye (Myammar)
ADRC Visiting Researcher Report -Mr. Pradip Kumar Koirala (Nepal)
ADRC/IRP Attends ASEAN High-Level Conference on Assistance for the Recoveryof Yolanda-Affected Areas (ARYA) in the Philippines
Second Regional Ministerial Conference of Disaster Management Authorities inCentral Asia under the "Central Asia plus Japan" Dialogue
UNESCAP/JAXA Policy Makers' Dialog and Capacity Development for DisasterRisk Reduction and Disaster Management in the Asia-Pacific: HarnessingInformation and Space Technology and Geographic Information Systems
ADRC Visiting Researcher Report -Ms. Hazar Fadhl Dammag (Yemen)
ADRC Visiting Researcher Report -Mr. Nuwan Prasantha Madawan Arachchi (Srilanka)
ADRC Internship, Ms. Misato Nishizawa
ADRC Internship, Mr. Guillaume BERNARD

231.
260

2.
3.
1.

261

262

263

264

2.

ADRC's Collaboration with the World Bank - ADRC and IRP Participated in "the 2ndWorld Reconstruction Conference" –ADRC DRR Policy Peer Review FY2014
Research on Tsunami Disaster Awareness Among Residents of Indonesia
JAXA/Myanmar Earthquake Committee 2nd Joint Project Meeting Team for Sentinel
Asia STEP3 (JPTM2014)
Asian Conference on Urban Disaster Reduction

1.
2.
3.

Happy New Year 2015 -Masanori HAMADA, Chairman, ADRCADRC DRR Policy Peer Review FY2014
IRP Workshop for Central America and Intergovernmental Dialogue on RecoveryProcesses

1.
2.
3.

7th APEC Emergency Preparedness Working Group (EPWG) Meeting
ADRC Visiting Researcher Report -Ms. Ameerha P. Ortega (Philippines)
ADRC Visiting Researcher Report -Ms. Fathmath Saushan Moosa (Maldives)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6th UN-SPIDER Regional Support Offices (RSO) Meeting
Seminar and reception in 52th Session of UN-COPUOS hosted by Japan
ADRC Visiting Researcher Report -Mr. Yeshey Lotay (Bhutan)
ADRC Visiting Researcher Report -Mr. Rustam Safaraliyev (Azerbaijan)
Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction (ACDR) 2015 Draws to SuccessfulConclusion (FLASH)

24