3. Collection and Distribution of Disaster Information

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, localand 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 Asian Disaster Reduction Center 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 andretrieval of information. In particular, the database provides a brief summary of disasters (dates,locations, and overviews), brief outlines of damage situations, link information categorized byreports/articles, geographic data, emergency relief information, urgent reports from the ADRC
member countries and graphic information. Such information is continually updated inaccordance 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 flood in Indonesia, January 2014 was take as example. In
the top page, the disaster appears as latest disaster, linked to detailed information (Figure3-2-1-1). 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 media and situation reports 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 1,860 disasters in the world as of end of Marcy 2014.

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

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3. Collection and Distribution of Disaster Information

Figure 3-2-1-2 GLIDE Number of the disaster17

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 ofthe 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 Kyrgyz(Kyrgyz and Russian), Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam,and Yemen (Arabic) by March 2014, 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 membercountries.

Fig.3-2-2-1 Multi-language Dictionaries for Disaster Reduction (Provisional Translation)18

3. Collection and Distribution of Disaster Information

3-2-3. Asian Disaster Reduction Center Newsletter: ADRCHighlights
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 renewalof its design in FY 2008.

Fig. 1-4-3-1 ADRC Highlights(October 2013: 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, former GLobal
IDEntifier number (GLIDE) visiting researchers, participants in the past ADRC annual meetings,
visitors to ADRC, trainees in JICA's training courses which ADRC were involved in, andparticipants in international conferences ADRC took part in to strengthen relations with. Also weregister e-mail addresses of those who wish to subscribe the newsletter upon the receipt of request
e-mail. The numbers of subscribers in English, Russian and Japanese, are 2,388, 191 and 903
respectively as of February 2014.
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 addition, ADRC
has been featuring former visiting researchers from member countries on the newsletter since FY
2008 and followed up their efforts for disaster risk reduction in their countries. This contributed
to further enhancing the network of former visiting researchers from member countries.

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This tool has been very effective in order to keep good ties and communication with relevant
officials .
Table 1-4-3-1 Headlines from ADRC Highlights (FY2013)

Vol.

241

242

243

244

245

246

247

248

249

250

Main Articles
1. RCC10 and Meeting with the Chief of Mongolia's NEMA
2. Human Resource Development(1) JICA Training "Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management"(2) JICA Training "Raising Awareness of Disaster Reduction"
3. Interview by APRSAF Secretariat
1. IRP/ ADRC Attends International Forum on Recovery and Reconstruction Following
China's Sichuan Earthquake
2. Workshop on Standard Operating Procedures for a Coastal Multi-hazard Early Warning
System
3. A report on the "BCP Status of the SMEs in the Asia-Pacific Region 2012"
1. 4th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction
2. The 4th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction
3. Business Continuity Management Booklet for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
1. Consultation Workshop on Developing a Capacity-Building Strategy through theEstablishment of a Disaster Management Training Center in Myanmar
2. ADRC Participates in 8th Meeting of Typhoon Committee Working Group on DRR
3. Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund Project "Promotion of Disaster Education in Schools"(Malaysia and Brunei)
1. JICA Training Course: Comprehensive Disaster Management for Central Asia and theCaucasus 2013
2. Disaster Recovery Planning Workshops in the Horn of Africa
1. Participation in the JICA Follow-Up Seminar "Comprehensive Disaster Management"
2. ADRC Visiting Researcher Report(1) Ms. Ms. Chinbaatar LKHAMJAV (Mongolia)(2) Ms. Thandar AUNG (Myanmar)
1. ADRC Participates in First Saudi International Conference on Crisis and DisasterManagement
2."Workshop on Disaster Recovery Planning for South Sudan" was successfully organizedand held by IRP, ADRC and the Cabinet Office of Japan
3. ADRC Visiting Researcher Report(1) Mr. Ibrahim Thaufeeq (Maldives)(2) Mr. Mansurjon Tashpulatov (Uzubekistan)
1. ADRC Participates in Expert Group Meeting on Improving Disaster Data to Build
Resilience in Asia and the Pacific
2. "Promotion of Disaster Education in Schools" Project in Lao PDR
1. ADRC/IRP Attends Third Session of UNESCAP's Committee on Disaster Risk
Reduction in Bangkok
2. First Sentinel Asia Joint Project Meeting Step-3 (JPTM)
3. ADRC Participates in 8th Integrated Workshop of the Typhoon Committee
1. Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) and International Recovery Platform (IRP)
Secretariat Dispatched Survey Team to the Typhoon-affected areas in the Philippines
2. ADRC DRR Policy Peer Review FY201320

3. Collection and Distribution of Disaster Information

251

252

1. International Recovery Forum 2014 Draws to Successful Close
2. ADRC Visiting Researcher Report(1) Dr. Mohammad Manirul Islam (Bangladesh)(2) Mr. Leng Heng An (Cambodia)
1. Workshop on Recovery Planning for Local Governments Impacted by Typhoon Haiyan
2. ADRC Visiting Researcher Report(1) Mr. Ali Bakhtiari (Iran)(2) Mr. Pema Thinley (Bhutan)
3. Asian Conference on Disaster Reduction (ACDR) 2014 Draws to Successful
Conclusion (FLASH)

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