ADRC Highlights
Asian Disaster Reduction Center Monthly News●2011 Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake
Vol. 216March
2011TOPICS
2011 Tohoku-PacificOcean Earthquake
Promoting Cooperation with Affiliated Institutions¶ World Bank seekscloser cooperation withthe Asian Disaster Reduction Center¶ Dissemination andEstablishment of a Disaster Prevention Culture
for Asian Countries¶ Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management
ADRC Visiting Researcher Report¶ Mr. Mohiuddin Ahmed
KHAN (Bangladesh)¶ Mr. Baasansuren
DEMBERELYNAM(Mongolia)¶ Mr. Ara GHONYAN(Armenia)

Asian DisasterReduction Center
Higashikan 5F, 1-5-2Wakinohamakaigan-dori,Chuo-ku, Kobe
651-0073 Japan
Tel: 078-262-5540
Fax: 078-262-5546
editor@adrc.asia
http://www.adrc.asia© ADRC 2011

We would like to express our deep and heartfelt sorrow and sympathies for thevictims of the earthquake and resultant tsunami on 11 March. They have reminded
us once again that our society is still vulnerable to the fury of nature. While theearthquake was predicted to occur around that region, the scale was well beyond
our preparedness. This resulted in human casualties that have reached record
levels.
Search and rescue teams are saving survivors even today. Thousands ofpeople are still missing and many others are waiting for aid and emergency
supplies. Our priority is getting to those survivors and providing for them. Morethan 100 countries already expressed their kind offer of assistance, many of which
are already in the field helping disaster victims. We are grateful for their warmhearted support.
Recovery and rebuilding will start shortly. It will take many years. It is
important for Japan to maintain its strength and solidarity while making steadyprogress. Although the catastrophe has had a large impact on our society,Japanese people remain calm and cooperative. I think this is exactly what we needat this challenging time – a trust in our society’s resilience.
●Promoting Cooperation with Affiliated Institutions
World Bank seeks closer cooperation with the Asian DisasterReduction CenterTOKYO, February 16, 2011 - The World Bank and the Asian Disaster Reduction
Center (ADRC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen
cooperation and regional partnerships for disaster risk reduction, and to enhancecapacity-building and knowledge-sharing in disaster prevention, mitigation andresponse across Asia and the Pacific. The MOU was signed by Mr. James W.
Adams, World Bank’s Vice President, East Asia and the Pacific and Dr. Shigeru
Itoh, the ADRC chairman and was followed by a high-level workshop
indentifying the main needs in the current disaster risk management and climatechange adaptation agenda, and concrete ways in which the WB and ADRC can
jointly deliver expected results.
The new cooperative arrangement between the World Bank and the ADRC
will promote capacity-building and technical assistance in the areas of disasterprevention, mitigation and response bymobilizing technical experts within
ADRC member countries and technicalassistance projects. Throughcooperation with relevant stakeholders
across Asia and the Pacific, theMemorandum seeks to encourageknowledge exchange and foster
activities and projects related for
instance to early warning systems andretrofitting of schools and hospitals.
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Vol. 216

Dissemination and Establishment of a Disaster Prevention Culture for Asian Countries
From 17 January to 18 February 2011, the ADRC, in collaboration with JICA, conducted a JICA training
course on the Dissemination and Establishment of a Disaster Prevention Culture for Asian Countries forgovernment officials in Asian countries. Six government officials in charge of disaster risk reduction,representing the countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Fiji, Bangladesh, Thailand and Viet Nam, took part in
the training. The primary objective of the training was to establish concrete disaster reduction measures
tailored to each participant’s country, utilizing knowledge and methods gained through the training.
During the training, participants learned the roles and activities of the various relevantorganizations such as local authorities, academic organizations, the Japan Meteorological Agency, mass
media, and NPOs, while attending lectures and occasionally visiting related facilities and organizations.
The training included the following specific activities: (1) town
watching and hazard map creation activity, in which the trainees
explored a certain area of downtown, identified risks, and cameup with solutions, (2) a visit to Unzen Hugendake Volcano tolearn about volcanic disaster mitigation measures, and (3)lectures on the formation of action plans, during which thetrainees developed their own action plans. The trainees areexpected not only to carry out their action plans but also to apply
the knowledge and methods they learned during their training soto disseminate and establish the significance of disaster risk
reduction measures.

Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management
From 17 January to 25 February 2011, the ADRC, in collaboration with JICA, conducted a JICA theComprehensive Disaster Risk Management Course for government officials in 12 countries. Eighteen
government officials in charge of disaster risk reduction took part in the training. This course aimed tohelp participants formulate and further develop disaster management plans in their own countries based on
the concept of total disaster risk management, by enhancing their understanding of the disastermanagement systems adopted by the central and local governments of Japan.
During the training, participants attended a series of lectures on such topics as the Japanesedisaster management system at the central and local levels, Japanese measures against flooding, sedimentdisasters, and earthquakes, school disaster risk reduction,community-based disaster risk management, the role of themedia in disaster risk reduction, lifelines and natural disasters,and business continuity planning. In addition, they were able toestablish friendly relations with officials, community members,
and students over the course of their program.
These experiences provided an invaluable opportunity
for the participants to see how Japanese government agencies,NGOs, and private sector institutions are promoting disaster risk
reduction in Japan. The trainees were excited to utilize what
they learned in Japan to contribute to efforts aimed at promoting
disaster risk reduction in their respective countries.

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Vol. 216●ADRC Visiting Researcher Report
Mr. Mohiuddin Ahmed KHAN (Bangladesh)
My name is Mohiuddin Ahmed Khan. I joined in Bangladesh Civil Service in 1989. I served in different
capacities at the field level, including local level administration and city corporation (municipalcorporation), and at the policy level in the Bangladesh Secretariat in the Disaster Management and Relief
Division of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management. I was promoted to the rank of Deputy
Secretary in 2006.
Bangladesh is a disaster prone country. Floods are a recurring problem there. Every year, 18% of
the country experiences flooding. On average, 844,000 million cubic meters of water flows into thecountry during the monsoon period every year. As many as 750 small and large rivers flow through thecountry. The catastrophic Cyclone SIDR in 2007 and Aila in 2008 severely damaged human lives,property, and infrastructures in six coastal districts of Bangladesh. I had been working in a cyclone
affected area and engaged in rescue, relief and post cyclone rehabilitation programs as a local levelgovernment official. We are facing the challenges of climate change and sea level rise. This has added
new dimensions to our natural disaster risks, such as salinity and water logging in some coastal districts.
The government of Bangladesh has assigned the highest priority to efforts to address disasters,
namely floods, cyclones, tsunamis, and earthquakes. Disaster preparedness, response, and recovery
planning programs have been sketched out. As an official of Disaster Management Ministry, myassignment as a visiting researcher with the ADRC in Kobe is to enhance my knowledge, skills andexperiences so that I am well equipped to face future disaster challenges.
My research plan at ADRC is to conduct a comparative study on community mobilization toreduce risks before, during, and after disasters in both Bangladesh and Japan. More specifically, I willconduct a comparative study on the planning of community mobilization for disaster prevention andpreparedness, post-disaster emergency measures, and disaster recovery and rehabilitation in these twocountries. In any disaster, it is the local people – the community – that have to respond first.
The Visiting Researcher program at ADRC is an excellent opportunity for me to conduct researchon disaster preparedness and disaster reduction. The visiting researcher program covers a wide range ofdisaster related issues through the organization of various activities, including seminars, symposia, rallies
in memory of the great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and visits to the disaster risk assessment museum,disaster-related organizations, and affected areas. It would not have been possible for me to understand thegreat initiative taken by the Hyogo prefectural government and the government of Japan in managing
disasters had I not been able to participate in this program. Kobe city is the Mecca of disaster management
and a center of excellence for disaster reduction and mitigation. I am impressed with the Visiting
Researcher Program for creating an opportunity for Japan to share its knowledge and experience on
disaster with participants and member countries of ADRC.
The disaster knowledge that I have had gained during my stay in theresilient city of Kobe will immensely benefit my organization and my country,
Bangladesh. As a visiting researcher, I came to understand that Japan is apioneer and champion of disaster reduction throughout the world, and has been
implementing an impressive portfolio of disaster mitigation and preparedness
measures. The Japanese government’s initiative and commitment to mobilizing
local communities and the international community to minimize damage andlosses from disasters is highly commendable.
I would like to express my gratitude to the government of Japan and ADRC,
both its management and my fellow researchers, for the wholehearted support
and cooperation that has been extended to me, and for the efforts taken to makemy stay comfortable. I would also like to thank the government of Bangladesh
for allowing me to be benefit from Japan's practical experience.

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Mr. Baasansuren DEMBERELYNAM (Mongolia)
I am Demberelnyam BAASANSUREN, and I am from Mongolia, a land known for its wide steppes andthe Gobi Desert. After I completed my undergraduate degree in international relations, I earned bycertification to work for a government organization by passing Mongolia's civil service exam. I started mycareer as a specialist in charge of foreign relations in the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) of Mongolia, a key organization in the disaster management field. To simply describe myassignment, NEMA is charged with coordinating the activities of different stakeholders who are involved
in disaster response, including non-governmental and governmental organizations, the private sector,community groups, and international organizations. To effectively engage international contributors in ourmajor disaster response activities, we keep donors and international stakeholders updated with the latest
disaster information and develop contingency plans in cooperation with UN agencies. My main
responsibility is to collect and upload information and assist with international projects in the field ofdisaster mitigation, response, and recovery.
To strengthen the professional skills of our emergency personnel, it is essential to enable them toparticipate in international trainings and seminars such as Urban Search and Rescue Training and Disaster
Preparedness and Firefighting Training. These types of trainings give them great opportunities to enhancetheir knowledge and thinking through comparative study and exposure to creative approaches to disastermanagement. Thus we, the foreign relation officers, seek out such opportunities for our personnel toattend international trainings and seminars, or joint disaster preparedness exercises or drills for emergency
personnel. In 2010, NEMA sent a total of 165 high or mid-level emergency personnel to international
trainings and joint exercises. The Foreign Relations Division coordinates all of the administrative andcommunication details with the hosts.
As a representative of the younger generation of disaster management practitioners in Mongolia, I
have had the privilege of learning from distinguished experts from various countries who are committed tothe work of reducing potential disaster losses, and creating safer and more peaceful living environments.
Thus, I am highly satisfied with my work and am dedicated to strengthening the disaster management
capacity and international cooperation capabilities of my organization.
The geography of Mongolia is highly varied, with the Gobi Desert to the south and cold,
mountainous regions to the north and west. Much of Mongolia consists of steppes. Since it is a landlocked
country in East and Central Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and the People's Republic of China tothe south, east and west, we do not experience such disasters as tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, or lava anddebris flow. Nevertheless, Mongolia is prone to plenty of other types of natural disasters triggered byclimate change and global warming, such as desertification, dzud (severe winter disasters), earthquakes,
landslides, snow, dust and thunder storms, and flash floods, as well as manmade disasters including forestand steppe fires, industrial accidents, and building fires. Since no disaster is confined to the territory of
only one state, it is important to develop close cooperation in the field of disaster management between
organizations at the regional, national, and international level. Thus, I find the ADRC Visiting Researcher
Program to be one of the best practical examples of disastermanagement collaboration at the international level, specificallyin the area of disaster mitigation. It is a great opportunity for me
to become familiar with the good practices and lessons learned
from previous major Japanese disasters that Mongolia has neverexperienced before.
There is a popular quote that says, “To the world we
may be just one person, but to one person we can mean theworld” (Brandi Snyder). We are all committed to strengthening
our disaster management capacity as well as protecting ourpopulation from all types of natural, biological and social
threats, and we can achieve great things if we work together.

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Mr. Ara GHONYAN (Armenia)
I’m a visiting researcher at the ADRC from Armenia. Geographically, Armenia is located in the northeastof the Armenian Upland between the Caucasus and Southwestern Asia. The Armenian Upland is one of
the most active segments of Alpine-Himalayan seismic belt.
Armenia is one of the most disaster prone countries in the southern Caucasus. It is vulnerable to anumber of disasters caused by natural hazards, such as earthquakes, droughts, floods, landslides,
mudslides, strong winds, snowstorms, frost and hail. All of these adverse events disrupt the routine life ofa community and have a wide range of human and material consequences. Homes are destroyed,communities are isolated, and basic services are damaged.
Located in one of the world’s most active seismic zones, Armenia frequently experiences
earthquakes. Numerous strong earthquakes have occurred over the course of Armenia's history, destroying
many buildings and taking many human lives. The last and the most catastrophic event was the Spitak
earthquake (1988), which caused massive destruction and took the lives of more than 25,000 people.
Seismic observations and seismic hazard assessment tasks are the responsibility of the National
Survey for Seismic Protection of the Republic of Armenia (NSSP). This governmental organization wasestablished in 1991, after the catastrophic earthquake of December 7, 1988, with the aim of drastically
improving the seismic observation system and seismic risk reduction measures, thereby protecting people
against earthquakes.
I work for the Armenian Western Survey for Seismic Protection (AWSSP) which is a state noncommercial organization within the Ministry of Emergency Situations that is responsible for earthquake
disaster risk reduction in Armenia with particular emphasis on the capital city of Yerevan. The main tasksof AWSSP are multidisciplinary seismic hazard assessment and seismic and environmental risk reduction.
And the AWSSP operates with a seismic network and can provide information about seismicity andseismic regime patterns in Armenia as well as in Yerevan.
The lessons learned from the Spitak earthquake showed that seismic risk reduction strategies anddisaster management systems are integral factors in national safety. ADRC has been a coordinating bodyin the fields of risk and hazard assessment, risk reduction, and disaster management for the Asian region
since its founding, and it is an institution that allows member countries to share not only their theoreticalknowledge, but also to share their practical knowledge in the disaster field. I think my purpose andposition at ADRC as a Visiting Researcher is very important. During mystay in Japan, I visited various research institutions and governmentalorganizations and gave two presentations intended to share myexperience and information on disasters in my country with ADRC
researchers. I appreciate the valuable experience I gained during my timeat ADRC. I expected to learn about disaster prevention and preparedness,disaster emergency measures, disaster recovery and reconstruction, andearthquake disaster countermeasures. I am sure that my experience atADRC will be beneficial to my work for the AWSSP, and will also prove
beneficial to the work being done by other governmental and nongovernmental organizations responsible for disaster management andprevention.
I would like to use this opportunity to express my gratitude to theentire staff of ADRC for their kindness, hospitality and readiness toprovide any support needed during my stay in Japan.

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