3 Accumulation and Provision of Information on NaturalDisasters and Disaster Reduction
3-1 Policy and Methods

3-1-1 Policy on Accumulation
Based on the resolutions of 22 countries in the Asian region, ADRC has been collecting and organizing informationon the situation of natural disasters in each country, as well as information, knowledge of and experiences with thesystems, plans, and specific measures of each country for disaster reduction. This is to facilitate the sharing ofinformation between countries. The development of such fundamental information infrastructures has been carriedout with the aim of promoting the establishment of national disaster reduction systems in each country, andmultinational cooperation for disaster reduction in Asia.
In fiscal 1998, we constructed a database of the latest information on recent natural disasters, information on
disaster reduction systems such as judicial systems and organizations, actual studies of natural disasters that
occurred with special attention being paid to the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and human resource information
on specialists of disaster reduction, with the intention of disseminating the information.
In fiscal 1999, our second year of activities, we have been able to collect more detailed and specific information
through collaboration with foreign researchers and an information exchange with the Asian Disaster Reduction Unitof the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which is described later. This is in addition
to the existing means of collecting information. We have also been able to add these facts to the information thatwill be disseminated. We plan to continue collecting detailed information on the following, and release the information
through the Internet and other media.
(1) Disaster reduction systems (judicial systems, organizations, basic plans, and manuals on managing disasters, etc.)(2) Actual cases of disaster countermeasures (measures taken during major disasters in the past, etc.)(3) Information on natural disasters (descriptions and damage incurred by earthquakes, floods, cyclones, and othernatural disasters)(4) Human resource information (disaster reduction administrators, experts, international organizations, privatecompanies, NGO members, etc.)

3-1-2 Collecting Information from Member Countries, Etc.
In fiscal 1999, following last year, ADRC collected disaster reduction related information on various counties throughthe following methods:

1)WhileRequesting
information from member countries
gaining the understanding of each member country on the purposes of establishing ADRC and needs ofmultinational disaster reduction cooperation, we have been asking member countries to provide natural disaster
information, as well as on actual disaster cases and disaster reduction systems, and have been receiving suchinformation from these countries.

2)We Surveyof member countries
organized a tour of three member countries (China, Russia, Papua New Guinea) during this fiscal year to confirm
the personnel in charge of disaster reduction in ADRC's counterpart countries, explain the purpose of ADRC'sactivities, obtain basic information on disaster reduction, and ask for the continued support of member