ADRC Highlights
Asian Disaster Reduction Center Monthly News
● Promoting Cooperation with Affiliated Institutions
Vol. 372
March2024
TOPICS
Promoting Cooperationwith AffiliatedInstitutions
The JICA Knowledge CoCreation Program“Comprehensive Disaster
Risk Reduction”
ADRC Visiting
Researcher Report¶ Ms Sonekham
Phommahaxay (Lao PDR)

The JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Program “Comprehensive Disaster
Risk Reduction”
Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) conducted a JICA Knowledge CoCreation Program “Comprehensive Disaster Risk Reduction” from 19 December
2023 to 21 February 2024, with the cooperation of JICA Kansai. Six governmentofficials from six countries: Algeria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Pakistan, SriLanka, participated in this course, learning how to formulate and implement local
disaster risk reduction (DRR) plans to promote DRR measures in each country.
It was conducted in a hybrid format, where participants attended online
programs before coming to Japan for the in-person program. In the six-weekprogram in Japan, the participants attended site visits and lectures in disasterrelated organizations/facilities in Hyogo, Osaka, Kyoto, Kumamoto, andHiroshima prefectures to learn about Japanese experiences and countermeasures ofDRR. Furthermore, they exchanged information and opinions on each country’s
budget situation and inter-organizational cooperation to promote DRR. At the endof the course, they presented a draft local DRR plan, which they formulated
through the programs.

¶ Ms Thanchanok
Nuntatikul (Thailand)Participation inInternational
Conferences

Participation in the 56th
Session of the Typhoon
Committee

Site visit on Kizugawa Floodgate (Osaka Prefecture)

Asian Disaster
Reduction Center
Higashikan 5F, 1-5-2
Wakinohamakaigan-dori,Chuo-ku, Kobe651-0073 Japan
Tel: 078-262-5540
Fax: 078-262-5546
editor@adrc.asia
https://www.adrc.asia© ADRC 2024

● ADRC Visiting Researcher Report
Ms Sonekham Phommahaxay (Lao PDR)
I am Sonekham Phommahaxay from Lao PDR.
Laos is a landlocked country which is located in the Southeast Asia sharing
border with China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam. I completed myBachelor degree of the environment management course at the National Universityof Laos in 2010.
Currently, I’m working as a Senior Deputy at the Disaster Prevention Divisionof Social Welfare Department. My main responsibility is to provide assistance andrelief to disaster victims, poor people, disadvantaged people, children who need1

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special protection, and victims of human trafficking. In addition, my division
is also responsible for coordinating with relevant parties to collect risk
information, create risk maps, prepare disaster sites and be the center incoordinating the creation of national strategy and action plans for DRR at thecentral and provincial level, develop a disaster database system and be a focal
point for the implementation of DRR. I am responsible for developing DRRstrategy in provincial level, creating a DRR plan for districts, DRR capacity
building in provinces and districts.
I am very happy to receive this opportunity. I had always been interested inparticipating in the ADRC Visiting Researcher Program in Japan because I
wanted to gain knowledge and learn from this program as well as byobserving how Japan implement DRR. I also want to improve my work
experience on the Community-Based Disaster Risk Management because
Japan has the best implementation system about this. The lessons I experiencein Japan will be crucial to take away and improve my work more effectively.
Finally, I would like to thank so much to all parties, especially thanks tothe Japanese government to support funding and giving me the opportunity tojoin this important program and again, I’d love to express my appreciation to
all staff members at ADRC for providing all facilities and conveniences for this program.
Thank you, Khop chai lai lai !!!
Ms Thanchanok Nuntatikul (Thailand)
初めまして！
My name is Thanchanok Nuntatikul or Amp for short. I am a Plan andPolicy Analyst. I have been working for the Research and International
Cooperation Bureau, Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation(DDPM), Ministry of Interior, Thailand since 2015. I graduated with abachelor’s degree in Developmental Psychology, Laws, and Japanese fromKasetsart University, Chulalongkorn University, and University of the Thai
Chamber of Commerce respectively and I earned a master’s degree in Publicand Private Management from Silpakorn University.
Even though my background has nothing related to disaster fields, I am
really aware that disaster and climate change risks and impacts are real andbecoming more and more close to our life. In 2004, Thailand experienced aTsunami for the first time this century. There were more than 5,400 dead,
8,000 injured, and 3,000 persons missing. As far as I know, Thailand seemed
to be located on very peaceful land, where there were no large-scale natural
disasters to harm our life, but Indian Ocean Tsunami incident confirmed thatdisasters can happen everywhere if we do not prepare for them. Similarly,
northern part of Thailand got affected from a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in 2014, which was the strongest
ever recorded, and it caused serious cracks on road and building, and old houses collapsed. It was quite
shocked that such earthquake can occur in Thailand. But, well…it is just because we have never noticed that
there are some historical records about earthquake occurrence in the ancient Thailand, not only this fact, we
also have 16 active faults which might cause in-land earthquake in someday. I also got direct impact fromthe mega flood in 2011, my house was flooded almost one month at that time, I lost many precious things
and until now it still causes some effects to the house’s structures. Although we have known about global
warming and how necessary it is to be careful for our activities that increase risk such as unplanned
urbanization and deforestation, but it is just an inconvenient truth that we still close our eyes and place
important at economic first. During my study period, I learnt about the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy
which is one of the answers to balancing our lives and nature and create resilience. I also like the concept ofbetter, cheaper, faster, and safer which is similar to Build Back Better. Though, I hadn’t imagined myself
finally working in disaster risk management (DRM) organization.
After I joined DDPM, I have been working for International Cooperation section. Working here brought
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good opportunities to me to support various projects related to DRR and collaboration with UN, ASEAN,
and international organizations including foreign embassies in Thailand and other member states, as well as
to attend international conferences and workshops. I love learning and self-development. It is really great tolearn from many countries’ knowledges and experiences. Japan is, no doubt, the role model of living withdisaster. People’s discipline, safety awareness, disaster preventive efforts in structural and non-structural
measures, and resilient recovery are keys to success in building resilience in Japan. It is very important tokeep educating people about DRR and preparedness, because in the end, it depends on our mindset that
decides our action that leads to the achievement of becoming resilience to disaster and climate change.
The ADRC Visiting Researcher Program provided learning opportunity and brought me valuable
experiences, not just visiting many organizations and communities to learn about DRR and DRM, but also
obtaining Japanese culture and living. Furthermore, we had a chance to participate in Town Watchingactivity and Iza! Kaeru Caravan!, the big DRR event in Kobe which were impressive. In this regard, I would
like to express my sincere appreciation to the Government of Japan, Government of Thailand, and all staff
members of ADRC for financial support, warm welcome, and everything.
―本当にありがとうございます。―● Participation in International Conferences
Participation in the 56th Session of the Typhoon Committee
Marking the first in-person Session following the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Fifty-Sixth Session of theTyphoon Committee (TC-56) was held in Swiss-Garden Hotel Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from27 February to 1 March 2024. The Typhoon Committee, under the auspices of the United Nations Economicand Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the World Meteorological Organization(WMO), convened the Session and hosted by the Malaysian Meteorological Department.
The 56th Session reviewed the progress made in its programme of work in 2023 and planned the activities
to be undertaken in 2024 and beyond, together with the support required to implement them. The Session
also covered the strategic and development issues such as the implementation of the updated Strategic Plan2022-2026.
ADRC made a presentation to promote the use of the QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System) for early
warning systems in each country and GLIDE numbers for disaster information sharing. Since the Working
Group on Disaster Risk Reduction (WGDRR) has included GLIDE in its 2024 Annual Operation Plans(AOPs), many participants showed great interest.

TC-56 Participants3