ADRC ANNUAL REPORT 1999
Foreword
This is the FY1999 annual report compiled by the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC).
The ADRC was established in July 1998 to promote multinational disaster reduction cooperation with the aim of
reducing damage from natural disasters through the sharing of information in the Asian region.
We are striving for the continued development and expansion of our organization, although we are aware that theprocess of fully equipping the ADRC with the functions it is expected to serve cannot be completed overnight, butwill require steady and constant efforts.
It has been two years since the establishment of the ADRC. At this point of time we have built up a network
reaching 22 member countries. We have also constructed a database of disaster reduction information that isaccessible on the Internet. It ranges from latest disasters, disasters that occurred in the 20th Century, legalsystems on disasters, organizations for disaster management, and specific disaster reduction measures, lists ofdisaster professionals, and disaster-related training courses. This fiscal year, we have started the admittance ofresearchers from member countries, and researchers from Korea, Nepal, and Viet Nam have participated. We are
expecting researchers from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to follow.
Now that five years have passed since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the memory of that tragic disaster isgradually beginning to fade from our minds. For this very reason, the ADRC has the critical task of conveying theexperiences of and lessons learned from this disaster, which struck a densely populated urban city, to Asia as wellas the rest of the world.
Although the information dissemination on disaster and disaster reduction is the center of ADRC activities, suchservice will be rendered useless unless the existence of ADRC and its WebSite are brought to the attention of more
people. Next year, we are planning to launch an ADRC newsletter on a frequent basis to promote publicity
campaigns using various media.
Although it is still a small organization, but the ADRC is beginning to take shape. We are determined to continue
promoting international disaster reduction cooperation through the sharing of relevant information, with the intent of
reducing damage from natural disasters in the Asian region.
Your generous encouragement and cooperation in this regard would be most appreciated.
March 2000
Shigeru Ito
Chairman
Asia Disaster Reduction CenterContents

1 Brief Description of the Asian Disaster Reduction Center
1-1
The
backgroundofStatus
the Establishment
1-2Organization
and1-3and Policy
1-4 Activities
Past Activities

2andFormationa Network for Sharing Information on Natural Disasters
Disaster ofReduction
2-1 Formation of a Human Network
2-1-1
International
Conference
2-1-2
Receiving
Visiting
Researchers
2-1-3
Joint
Projects
betweenandOrganizations
ADRC
2-1-4 Cooperation with Other UN.OCHAInternational
2-2Formation of Network for Sharing Information on Natural Disasters and DisasterReduction
2-2-1of ADRC Network and Information Equipment
2-2-2 Configuration
ADRC Homepage

3 Accumulation and Provision of Information on Natural Disaster and Disaster Reduction
3-1 Policy and Methods
3-1-1
on Accumulation
3-1-2 Policy
Collecting
Information from Member Countries, Etc.

3-2 Information on Disaster Reduction Systems
3-2-1
Scopeof Information
InformationSource
3-2-2
Levelof
3-2-3Information
Accumulation
Methods Systems Accumulated in Fiscal 1999
3-2-4
Information
onDisasterReduction
and3-2-5Analysis
Future Tasks
3-3 Cases of Disaster Counter Measures
3-3-1Measures
ImplementedAftertheGreatTurkeyEarthquake
3-3-2
Measures
Implemented
AftertheGreat
TaiwanEarthquake
3-3-3
InvestigationofDrought
DisasterCountermeasuresin Korea
3-3-4
CopingwithCentury
Flood
Disasters
inCentral
Vietnam
3-3-5Countermeasuresat thethatTsho
Rolpa Glacier
Lake
3-3-6
Two
RecentDisasters
Occurredin
Nepal
3-3-7 Analyzing the Problem of Forest Fire in Indonesia
3-4 Construction of Database of Disasters in Asia in the 20th Century
3-4-1
Disaster
DatabaseofCatholic
the Center
for Researchon the Epidemiology ofDisaster(CRED),
Louvain
University,
Belgium
3-4-2
Verificationof CRED
Data on Member Countries
3-4-3Joint
Projects
withCRED
3-4-4in Asia Registered in CRED Database
3-4-5 Disasters
Future Tasks
3-5 Human Resource Information
3-5-1
Aimof HumanGathered
ResourceandInformation
3-5-2Information
3-5-3 Future Developments Provided
3-6 Construction of the Asian Disaster Reduction Internet GIS
3-6-1
Background on the Development of the Asian Disaster Reduction InternetGIS
3-6-2
and Functionof VENTEN
3-6-3 System
Data Provided
by VENTEN

3-6-4of VENTEN as Basic System for Risk Assessment
3-6-5 Use
Summary
3-7 Gathering and Providing Information of Emergency Risk Assessment System4ReductionIdentification of Needs and Resources concerning the Promotion of Cooperation on Disaster4-1 Identification of Needs and Resources
4-1-1 Questionnaire Survey of Member Countries
4-2 Proposals of Disaster Reduction Cooperation Project from Member Countries
4-2-1
SurveyProjectof Interests of Member Countries in Disaster Reduction
Cooperation
4-2-2
by Member Countries
4-2-3 Proposals
Future Policy
5 Gathering of Information on Emergency Relief during Times of Disaster5-1 Latest Disaster Information
5-1-1
MethodGathered Information
5-1-2 Gathering
Obtaining theFirstandReports

5-2 Collection and Analysis of Post Disaster Information
5-2-1
Analysis of Relief Web Financial Tracking
5-2-2 DataNGOsSummarizationin the Member andCountries

6Awareness
Planning of Materials for Dissemination of Knowledge on Disaster Reduction, and Enhancement of6-1
BackgroundandAwareness
Policy Raising Materials for Disaster for Disaster Reduction
6-2Information
onGatheredby ADRC
6-3 Planningof Materials for Dissemination and Enhancement of Awareness
6-3-1 Materials for Spreading Information on Papua New Guinea Tsunami
6-4 Gathering of Information on Workshops and International Conference
6-4-1
Methodand Information
6-4-2 Gathering
Disseminatingof Informationon theGathered
Web site
6-5 Future Policies

7AsianSecuringRegiona Good Understanding of Problems with Disaster Reduction Education and Training in the
7-1 Planning of Disaster Reduction and Training by ADRC
7-1-1 JICA Seminar on Disaster Management
7-2 Short-term Training Programs by ADRC

8 Public Relations by ADRC
8-1
to the MassMedia
8-2 PR
Attendanceat InternationalConferences