2. Collection and Distribution of Information

2-2. Collection of Information
2-2-1. Methodology
With assistance from its 27 member countries, ADRC collects information on the systems, plans,and specific measures for disaster reduction adopted in each member country, as well as data on thenatural disasters they have experienced. ADRC also collects information from printed materials andthe disaster managers of various countries/organizations, and from visiting researchers from ADRC
member countries and the UNOCHA ReliefWeb Office in Kobe.
ADRC will continue collecting and distributing information primarily on the following:(1) disaster management systems (legal frameworks, organizations, basic plans, and disastermanagement manuals), (2) actual disaster countermeasures implemented, (3) natural disasters(descriptions of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and cyclones, and their resulting
damage), (4) human and organizational resources (disaster reduction administrators, academicexperts, international organizations, private companies, NGO members).

2-2-2. Collecting Information from Member Countries
In 2007, as in the previous year, ADRC collected disaster reduction information on member
countries through the following channels:(1) Information provided by ADRC member countries
ADRC issues an annual request to member countries for information on the systems, plans, andspecific measures for disaster reduction they have adopted, as well as data on the natural disasters
they have experienced.

(2) Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction 2008
The Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction (ACDR 2008), which was held on November 12-14,
2008 in Bali, Indonesia, provided another good opportunity for member countries, advisor countries,
UN agencies, and NGOs to provide updated information. At this conference, member countries andmany disaster-related international organizations discussed disaster reduction issues, such as theprogress that has been made toward the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA).
(3) The Internet
ADRC has been able to collect information more efficiently by taking advantage of the Internet,
which is becoming increasingly important in facilitating technical support and constructing disasterdatabases. The Internet also helps ADRC collect information provided by academic research
institutions and international organizations. To facilitate the organization of all this data, ADRC has
proposed the use of common disaster IDs. The disaster database (EM-DAT) run by the Centre for
Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) at Louvain Catholic University in Belgium
provides access to statistical data on disasters all over the world via the Internet. While EM-DATserves as a statistical database, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
provides information on natural disasters and reliable information on disaster countermeasures andmanagement via its “ReliefWeb” site to support humanitarian activities during disasters. The use ofcommon disaster IDs for organizing disaster reduction information will facilitate easy access toinformation contained in both the EM-DAT and OCHA databases.
ADRC further intends to promote the GLIDE (GLobal unique disaster IDEntifier number) system
to facilitate the effective integration of information disseminated by numerous disastermanagement-related organizations. ADRC developed the GLIDEnumber website(http://glidenumber.net/), which has been used for the online registration of all new disasters and theissuance of new GLIDE numbers for those events since May 2004.

㧞㧞