3 Accumulation and Provision of Information on Natural
Disasters and Disaster Reduction
3-2 Information on Disaster Reduction Systems
3-2-1 Scope of Information

Elements composing the disaster reduction systems of different countries include judicial systems for setting down
the basis for implementing measures to deal with disasters, organizations which actually implement these measures,and basic plans for steadily establishing the disaster reduction systems. Other elements include disaster reduction
actions for each disaster, and disaster manuals which describe disaster measures.

1)NotJudicial
systems
all countries have fundamental laws like Japan's "Disaster Measures Basic Law." Some countries prescribe

disaster reduction systems in accordance with government decrees and rules of specified organizations. Taking into
consideration the respective situation of each country, it is not easy to determine which is a better method.
However the sharing of national information concerning laws and regulations is deemed a useful reference tocountries that are attempting to establish legal systems or improve their current systems.

2)Usually
Organizationdifferent disaster measures are taken according to the situation of countries. Like judicial systems, thesharing of information should prove useful when devising measures to deal with similar disasters.

3)OnlyBasicplans
a few member countries, including Japan, have disaster reduction plans. Again, the information shared on
disaster reduction plans should serve as a reference for countries intending to draw up such plans in the future, andis therefore highly likely to contribute to the reduction of damage caused by natural disasters.

4)MostDisastermanuals
disaster manuals are compiled by countries and regions based on the natural disasters that the region or

country has experienced, or by the type of natural disaster specific to that country or region. Since an individual
region or country deals with natural disasters independently, their experiences and measures are often unsharedeven for common natural disasters. This has resulted in a lack of proper or sufficient disaster countermeasures insome countries and regions. ADRC has thus been making efforts since the last fiscal year to collect information to
enable the sharing of these existing disaster measures and disaster manuals. Still further efforts are required. ADRC
will continue promoting the inter-regional and international sharing of experiences, knowledge, and views on
measures for specific disasters that have been formed and accumulated in different countries and regions.

3-2-2 Level of Information Source
The information needs to be collected not only on the national governmental level, but at the levels of local
government, regional, and even municipal if the information is useful. As a rule, when a disaster hits, it is the local
government (regional, municipal) which implements the disaster measures. If the disaster scale exceeds thecapability of the local level, the central government or international community will intervene to provide support indisaster management and relief. This means that the establishment of regulations, organizations, and systems by thecentral government does not always improve the disaster reduction and disaster measure abilities at the local or
grass-root level. Therefore, it is essential to share useful information at all levels.

3-2-3 Information Accumulation Methods

As indicated in 3-1-2, since the last fiscal year, ADRC has been accumulating information on the disaster reduction
systems of different countries by requesting information from member countries, implementing field surveys, holding
international conferences, and by its own unique methods using the Internet.

3-2-4 Information on Disaster Reduction Systems Accumulated in Fiscal 1999 andAnalysis
ADRC has gathered information on disaster reduction systems from member countries, advisor countries, etc. using
the above methods. ADRC has organized its database to provide the resulting information on its homepage. The
following table outlines the disaster reduction systems of different countries.

1)TheJudicial
systemstable shows that the judicial system of each country differs according to its situation.
Based on the systems employed, countries can be divided into three groups: countries that adopt basic disastermeasure laws such as Japan (which has the Disaster Measures Basic Law), countries that adopt civil defense acts
such as Russia and Singapore, and countries that implement disaster management according to regulations such as
government decrees and rules set down by ministries, such as Malaysia and Bangladesh. Though it is difficult todetermine which of these methods is the most effective, the establishment of some kind of judicial system,
regardless of whether it is of the central government or at local level, is useful for clarifying the responsibilities of
the government and disseminating disaster management information to the people.
The ADRC homepage database not only outlines the judicial systems of different countries, but also carries thewhole text of laws and regulations for reference to the extent that it receives them. ADRC also enthusiasticallyprovides hardcopy information responding to requests from countries which lack the means for reliable access to
the Internet. For instance, during the Second International Meeting in December 1999, ADRC provided an English
version text of Japan's Disaster Measures Basic Law to the representative from Laos in answer to their request.
Laos is currently drawing up a basic law on disaster management, and ADRC hopes that such information will prove
useful in their efforts. ADRC will continue to provide useful information on its homepage as well as hardcopy
information when requested. Table 3-2-4-1 outlines the judicial systems of different countries.
Table 3-2-4-1 <Legal System of the ADRC Member/Advisory Countries>
Country
Bangladesh
Cambodia
India
Indonesia
Japan
Kazakhstan

Korea
Nepal

Malaysia
Lao PDR
Mongolia
Papua New
GuineaPhilippines
RussiaSingapore
Sri Lanka
Tajikistan
ThailandUzbekistan
Viet Nam
Australia
Switzerland

Descriptions
Disaster Management Law under deliberation (1999)
Civil Defense Act passed in 1993
Natural disasters are dealt with at the national, district and sub-districtlevelsPresidential Decree No.43/1990 (1995)
Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act, passed in 1961
Law on Civil Defense, Law on Emergency Situations of a Natural andTechnological Character, Law on Fire Safety, Law on the Emergency
Rescue Services and the Status of Rescues, Law on National Safety in
the Republic Kazakhstan, Law on the Health and (Epidemiological) Welfareof the Population, etc.
Natural Disaster Countermeasure Act, formulated in 1970
Disaster Relief Act, formulated in 1982/man-made disasters covered
Natural Disaster Relief Act, formulated in 1982, and amended in 1989 and1992
Its effectiveness is not absolute as natural disaster relief provisions, which
provides roles of each organization, is yet to be passed
National Security Council Directive No.20
Framework for specific activities, regulated in 1998. A basic law on
disaster management is yet to be passed.
Civil Defense Law, passed in 1995. Applicable to both man-made andnatural disasters
Disaster Management Act, passed in 1975. Currently studying equivalent
acts for provincial and local governments
Presidential Decree No.1566, promulgated in 1978, regulates establishmentof disaster reduction coordination committees at levels from theGovernment to villages
1)Law on Protection and Territories against Disaster of Natural andTechnological Origin, 2)Law on Disaster Relief, 3)Law on Civil Defense,
4)Law on Deliveries for the Federal State Needs, 5)Law on State
Reserves of Material Assets for Response to Disasters
Civil Defense Act, passed in 1986. Applies to both man-made and natural
disasters
Disaster Countermeasures Bill under deliberation
Civil Defense Act, passed in 1996
Civil Defense Act, passed in 1979
Law on Protection of the population against acts of natural andtechnological accidents, formulated in 1998
Local governments plan disaster reduction programs based on the Prime
Minister’s Directives and Political Bureau’s announcements
6 out of 8 States and Territories have disaster management legislation.
Federation, States, Territories, local governments, and regions incollaboration nationwide, based on the emergency control agreement
Civil Defense Law, passed after World War II, and amended several times.
Federal Law of 1976 concerning International Development Cooperationand Humanitarian Aid2)Individual
Organization
organization systems are set up in each country. According to organization, countries can broadly beclassified into: countries with inter-ministry organization set up within the government and corresponding
secretariat, such as Japan's Central Disaster Prevention Council and Indonesia's National Natural Disaster
Management Coordinating Board (Bakornas PB); countries with a special ministry for disaster management andrelief, such as the one in Bangladesh, and countries which entrust disaster management to a special organization set
up within the ministry of social welfare, such as the "National Disaster Management Center" in Sri Lanka.
Table 3-2-4-3 shows the organizations of different countries.
Table 3-2-4-3 <Disaster Management Organizations of the Member and Advisory Countries>
Country
Bangladesh

Cambodia

India

Indonesia

Japan

Kazakhstan

Korea

Nepal

Lao PDR
Malaysia

Descriptions
Has a Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, which coordinates
different government agencies, as well as the National Disaster Management
Council (headed by the Prime Minister), an Inter-Ministerial Disaster
Management Co-ordination Committee, and a Cyclone Preparedness
Programme Implementation Board
Disaster management policy formulated in 1995 with the establishment of
the National Committee for Disaster Management, which consists of 16
cabinet members, is supervised by the Prime Minister, and is fully supportedby the Cambodian Red Cross
In ordinary times: Crisis Management Group (headed by the Cabinet
Secretary). Natural disasters are taken charge of by the Ministry ofAgriculture with support from other ministries. At the state level, the Relief
and Rehabilitation Department or the Department of Revenue, and on the
district level, the District Level Coordination and Review Committee(chaired by the Collector), are responsible for administrative response.
In the event of disaster: the Multi-disciplinary Central Government Team
offers assistance to affected States.
The National Natural Disaster Management Coordinating Board (Bakornas
PB) is responsible for overall coordination for disaster management, with
the Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare and Poverty Alleviation
serving as a secretariat. Consisting of the Ministry of Public Works, theAgency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, theMeteorological and Geophysical Agency, the Environmental Agency andothers, the Board deals with any type of disaster and advises ministries.
The Central Disaster Prevention Council (consisting of cabinet members
and chaired by the Prime Minister) formulates the Basic Plan for Disaster
Prevention. The National Land Agency serves as the secretariat. Specificpolicies are formulated by ministries and agencies concerned. Main
responsibility for local governments is disaster management and rescue
activities under the supervision of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Agency for Emergencies is in charge of disaster management throughcooperation with City Departments, the Civil Defense Division, the Centre
for Emergency Medicine, the Republican Emergency Rescue Unit, the Water
Rescue Service and other local bodies. The Prime Minister heads the civil
defense of the country.
Chain of command for disaster mitigation: President -> Prime Minister ->Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs -> Civil Defense
and Disaster Management HQ, under which are placed the Disaster
Prevention and Preparedness Bureau (on the basis of the Natural Disaster
Countermeasures Act), the Civil Defense and Disaster Management Bureau
and the Fire Administration Bureau (on the basis of the Disaster Relief Act).
At the district level, local governments are in charge.
The Central Natural Disaster Relief Committee commands the Regional
Natural Disaster Relief Committee, the District Natural Disaster Relief
Committee, the Local Natural Disaster Relief Committee, the Relief andTreatment Sub-Committee and the Supply, Shelter and Rehabilitation SubCommittee. The Natural Disaster Relief Section of the Ministry of Home
Affairs is responsible for the formulation of national disaster management
policies, preparedness for disasters, rescue operations, data collection, anddistribution of funds to victims. Coping with disaster in remote areas needs
to be considered.
The Ministry of Welfare serves as a secretariat for the Prime Minister’s
Department.

Mongolia

Papua New
GuineaPhilippines

RussiaSingapore

Sri Lanka
Tajikistan

ThailandUzbekistan
Viet Nam

Australia

New Zealand
Switzerland

Under National Security Council Directive No.20, the National Security
Division in the Prime Minister’s Department is responsible for coordination.
The Disaster Management and Relief Committee formulates and implements
specific action plans. Disaster management is carried out at the federal,state and district levels.
In addition to the Ministry of Nature and Environment (formulating policy)
and the State Civil Defense Department (carrying out day-to-day
operations), the State Permanent Emergency Commission (consisting of
cabinet members and chaired by the Prime Minister) is convened when adisaster occurs. District commissions are also convened.
The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) was established by theDisaster Management Act (DMA). The National Disaster Committee (NDC)
declares a state of disaster and recommends action plans to theGovernment. Each province has a Provincial Disaster Committee (PDC).
The National Disaster Coordination Council (NDCC) formulates disastermanagement plans and takes emergency and rehabilitation measuresthrough cooperation with the private sector. Consisting of heads of 14
national ministries, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of thePhilippines, the Secretary-General of the Philippine National Red Cross, theAdministrator of the Defense Ministry’s Office of Civil Defense and others,
the committee designs solutions and advises the President if a state of
emergency is announced.
Has the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies
and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM), which
has its own personnel and resources.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for disaster management. The
Civil Defense Force and Police Force are responsible for implementing
various activities. The Disaster Management Committee (consisting of
cabinet members) is convened when a large-scale disaster occurs.
The Ministry of Social Services set up a National Centre for Disaster
Management. A framework for disaster management not yet in place at theprovincial and district levels.
Prime Minister oversees disaster reduction and countermeasures. The
Committee for Emergencies and Civil Defense of the Government of
Tajikistan plays a coordinating role. Each province and district has its own
committee, but provincial committees are major actors. Each province has
Civil Defense Headquarters.
The National Civil Defense Committee (chaired by the Interior Minister),established under the Civil Defense Act of 1999, coordinates ministries. The
Committee consists of the Defense Ministry, Agriculture and Cooperative
Ministry, and the Public Health Ministry, etc. NGOs offer assistance at theregional and local levels.
Five members of the Department of Emergency Situations, the Cabinet
Ministry of Uzbekistan coordinate governmental ministries and disastercountermeasures.
The Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control is responsible fordisaster management through cooperation with the Provincial People’s
Committees and Army Headquarters. The National Centre for HydroMeteorological Forecasting issues early warning against natural disasters.
Each State and Territory has its own emergency management committee.
Local committees, regional committees, Emergency Management Australia(EMA) and the National Emergency Management Special Committee isorganized to play a coordinating role at the state level.
Currently reconstructing emergency management arrangements based on arisk management plan.
Responsibility for disaster management rests mainly with local governments.
District authorities take leadership when a disaster occurs. On the federal
level, the Ministry of Defense has jurisdiction over disaster management.

3)Countries
Basic plans,etc.
with basic disaster reduction plans at the national level include Japan, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, thePhilippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, and Switzerland; countries which are currently
considering the scheming of basic plans include Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Viet Nam; and countries
with basic plans at the state and local levels include Australia, etc.
Most disaster measures are unique to each country and region. Though it is possible to devise similar measures forcommon natural disasters, it is still necessary to study the disaster measures of other countries and regions while
taking into account their different characteristics when devising these measures.
From this perspective, the ADRC collects, organizes, and analyzes the action plans and manuals for the disastermeasures of different countries and regions. It strongly hopes that the information will serve as a useful reference inthe planning and implementation of individual disaster measures in each country and region.

Specifically, ADRC provides a database of this information on its website so that anyone that has access to theInternet can access the information without restriction. Information not disclosed on the website can be searchedby directly contacting the center, or be accessed by those working at the center under the foreign researcher
program and those visiting the center. We hope that the database will be used to maximum potential. Table 3-2-4-4
shows the basic plans of different countries.
Table 3-2-4-4 <Basic Plans for Disaster Management of the Member and Advisory Countries>
Country

Descriptions

Bangladesh

No basic plans, but disaster countermeasure bylaws apply to each ministry
and agency, in accordance with which state, local and village disastermanagement committees are constituted.
Disaster Management Act under preparation at the state level. Also
formulating plans to foster leadership, build manpower at the district level.
Links disaster mitigation plans with the Vision 2020 development plan toincorporate the latest information technology, insurance and legal support.
With support from UNDP, has completed a Disaster Information System(DIS), which includes a disaster management GIS system and a disasterand rescue information database.
In accordance with the Disaster Countermeasure Basic Act, the Central
Disaster Prevention Council approves basic plans for disaster prevention,
which stipulate prevention, initial response and reconstruction for 4
categories of natural disasters and 8 categories of man-made disasters(fires, train accidents, etc.). Revised in ’95 and ’97 after the Great
Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, the plans also lay down the specificresponsibilities of each ministry and agency, enterprises, municipal
governments, volunteers and public service corporations.
The Agency for Emergencies is formulating disaster management
emergency action plans in line with principles set within the framework of
IDNDR. Formulation of a comprehensive Kazakhstan natural Disaster
Preparedness Plan started.
Has disaster management programs, reserve plans and civil defense plans(for the Red Cross, volunteers, etc.). As part of their basic Five- Year
Disaster Prevention Plan (1997 – 2001/Budget: U.S. $22 bn.), thegovernment invested U.S. $4 billion in 22 key items from disastercountermeasures to technical development.
The 9th Plan (1998 – 2002) underlines the need to strengthen the national
disaster management system and fire fighting capability through moreadvanced technology. The National Committee for IDNDR formulates the
National Action Plan. Has prepared a National Comprehensive Plan on
Disaster Management in cooperation with UNDP and other organizations.
(1) Development of disaster preparedness act and action plan, (2) Humandevelopment plan, (3) Improved communications system, (4) Secure
financial sources, and (5) Early warning system
Formulating its own plan, modeled after the Indonesian plan, which includes
mid- and long-term perspectives and requests for technical support. Also
formulating forest fire fighting plan through cooperation with Australia,
which stipulates the roles of ministries and agencies concerned andactions to be taken for each of the four individual cases including
industrial disasters and landslides.
Drafting a natural disaster mitigation action plan. Civil defense forces have
manuals.
(1) District disaster management plan (for small-scale disasters that are
taken care of by provincial authorities), (2) National Disaster Management
Plan (under review). Ministry of Industry formulates plans for eachcategory of disasters (oil spills, plane crashes, fires, etc.), which arereviewed by the ministries and agencies concerned every quarter.
The Government and each ministry have and review their disastermanagement plans on a regular basis.
The Government formulates a basic plan for disaster management, which
stipulates the roles of ministries and agencies concerned for disaster
reduction, relief and rehabilitation. The Disaster Preparedness Plan
stipulates a plan for each category of disaster, such as forest fires,
earthquakes and floods. Depending on the scale of the disaster, either
central or local authorities implement response strategies in accordancewith the plan.
Has an executive group plan, which responds to any kind of disasters andconsists of 16 specific action plans (train accidents, explosions, chemicaldisasters, tunnel disasters, plane accidents, etc.)

Cambodia
India
Indonesia
Japan

Kazakhstan

Korea

Nepal

Lao PDR
Malaysia

Mongolia
Papua New
GuineaPhilippines
RussiaSingapore
Sri Lanka

Tajikistan

ThailandUzbekistan
Viet Nam
Australia

Switzerland

Formulated its Basic Plan for Disaster Countermeasures in 1990.
Currently considering revising the plan.
Every year, the Government adopts an annual civil defense plan, which
describes geographical conditions and disaster preparedness plans for
local governments.
Currently examining preventive/precautionary measures against collapseof banks of Lake Shaartuz, which would substantially damage neighborcountries
A typhoon in 1988 made the Government recognize the importance ofdisaster countermeasures, leading to inclusion of the Disaster
Countermeasures 5-Year Plan (1997 – 2001) in the National Development
Plan. Based on the plan, the Civil Defense Master Plan was introduced in
1998, which defines the responsibilities of ministries and agencies
concerned at times of disaster, and stipulates inter-ministerial disastercooperative setups, efficient communications and cooperation with NGOs.
A 1997 flood in Kyrgyz Republic took 116 lives. Needs a satellite early
warning system.
The Department of Dike Management & Flood Control, Ministry ofAgriculture & Rural Development, plans to formulate a disastermanagement action plan up to 2010.
States and Territories have their own disaster reduction plan. There arealso the Federal Government disaster reduction plan and support plan,
which stipulate the provision of support for oversea disasters.
The Australia Emergency Management Manual Series covers most of thenecessary responses.
Basic plan for domestic disaster management in place under the Ministryof Defense (includes terms and definitions for unified understanding ofcentral and local governments). Has by-disaster-type plan for day-to-day
operation. International cooperation in strategic responses to natural
disaster management, which are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry ofForeign Affairs.

3-2-5 Future Tasks
As its future tasks, the ADRC plans to further reinforce and expand its database, analyze information collected, andbased on the data acquired, grasp the needs of different countries to promote multi-national disaster reduction
cooperation.

1)In order
Reinforcement
and expansion of disaster reduction databaseto share the information on disaster reduction systems accumulated at ADRC between countries, theADRC has constructed a database on its homepage to enable free retrieval and access of information on disaster
reduction systems. This has enabled many countries and regions to establish and improve their own national orregional disaster reduction systems while referring to actual examples of other countries. The ADRC will continue its
efforts in enhancing the contents of the database with the cooperation of member countries to realize a moreeasy-to-use disaster reduction system database.

2)Analysis
Analysisof information and dealing with the needs of countries
of information collected helps clarify the specific situation and needs of countries. It is apparent thatcountries like Japan, Russia, and Singapore already have national level disaster reduction systems, while others suchas Nepal, Laos, and Papua New Guinea are currently preparing to establish disaster reduction systems. We believethat the former countries need to implement various improvements to enhance and reinforce their existing systems,
and that priority should be given to help the latter group of nations to complete the development, which is thecommon challenge of intra-region collaboration.
In order to reduce Asia's vulnerability to natural disasters, it is essential for countries to consider disaster reduction
measures in their national long-term basic plans. To realize this, it is first necessary to heighten the disaster
reduction awareness of the government as well as among the people. The sharing of information on disaster
reduction between countries, including its systems, should be achieved at an early stage; while lawmakers, policy
makers, and planners should appropriately prioritize and always include the disaster reduction issue in the basic
plans of their country and region.

3)As Promotionof cooperationagreed at both the 1st and 2nd International Meetings, it is vital that disaster reduction administrators andspecialists of member countries exchange the latest information on disaster reduction systems and measures bycontinuing to hold regular meetings. It is also important that researchers from member countries working at ADRC
help to promote active personnel and information exchange in the Asian region. In addition, to reduce the damage
from natural disasters in Asia, while serving as a mediator, the ADRC is required to form a network of disaster
reduction staff, technologies, and physical resources between Japan and the other countries of Asia, in order to re-develop their flows.