7 Securing a Good Understanding of Problems withDisaster Reduction Education and Training in the AsianRegion
7-1 Planning of Disaster Reduction Education and Training by ADRC

While the ADRC has been deliberating on the possibility of conducting disaster reduction education/training basedon the various needs of member countries and other countries as described earlier. Improvement of the curriculumand system of the existing international disaster reduction education/training courses is also regarded as animportant issue to be discussed. This section illustrates the planning and course designing of the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) as a specific example.

7-1-1 JICA Seminar on Disaster Management
1) Outline

In February 2000, entrusted by the National Land Agency, JICA organized the 10th Seminar on DisasterManagement, 1999 for officials responsible for disaster management, which proved to be very successful.
Interagency coordination decided that the ADRC would hold the seminar entrusted by the JICA Hyogo InternationalCenter, in Kobe as a new main venue, from FY2000 on.
In order to prepare for the seminar to be held in one year, the ADRC needed to better understand the operation ofpast seminars as a reference for the future. The ADRC thus conducted a preliminary investigation for the next
training seminar by supporting the organizing of the JICA Seminar on Disaster Management, 1999. Whensummarizing the overall results, we reviewed the answers of questionnaires from participants, and concluded thatthe following points should be improved:・ To meet the participant's need to learn more specific disaster-reduction systems or disaster countermeasures atthe level of local government, in addition to the central government
・ To take into account differences in geographical characteristics- past seminars held in Tokyo as a main venue
have been very effective in training for the central government's disaster management, while the next andsubsequent training seminars held in Kobe as a main venue will offer more specific experiences and lessons such as
the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, based on local organizations' responses in disaster areas, in addition todisaster management by the central government
・ To meet the participants' need for an increased number of participant-oriented courses allowing the active
involvement of participants, rather than lecture-style courses with the lecturer having the initiative・ To conduct training courses in English where feasible, which doubles the amount of issues covered compared tothe courses held in Japanese with translation into English.

2) JICA Seminar on Disaster Management, 1999
Here are some highlights of the Seminar on Disaster Management, 1999:
Participants were thought about metropolitan disaster management in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Disaster
Prevention Center

Participants visited an earthquake monument depicting the collapse of the Hanshin Expressway in the Great
Earthquake: Nojima Fault Preservation Museum in the Great Earthquake Memorial Park, Hokudan-cho, HyogoPrefecture

The 1999 seminar received very positive feedback from its participants. We hope that the next seminar is equally as
productive as the last one.

3) Prospectus of the Seminar on Disaster Management, 2000 (draft)
Prospectus of the Seminar on Disaster Management, 2000 (draft) is being examined. The outline of the draft is asfollows:

With this prospectus draft, we aim to:・ Ensure that participants learn a wide range of disaster management by the Japanese Government and its local
governments, in order to develop a broader view on disaster reduction
・ Provide participants with an opportunity to explore disaster countermeasures more specifically, based onexperiences and lessons from the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake
・ Discuss international cooperation in the field of disaster reduction, making the most of ADRC's information andnetwork of knowledge and experience, in order to promote future cooperation for disaster reduction
・ Increase participation programs which encourage participants to voluntarily interact, exchange their views, andlearn, so that they can apply these experiences to their own countries

・ Offer a meaningful opportunity where participating countries can mutually learn about and understand thedisaster-reduction system and countermeasures in other countries, through the exchange of views andcommunication among participants
Prior to the training seminar, these training programs are going to be examined in more detail. We expect that future
Seminars on Disaster Management organized by ADRC will contribute to enhanced disaster-reduction systems andimproved disaster prevention capabilities, not only in the participating countries, but also around the world, which willin turn lead to the reduction of damage done by natural disasters.

7-2 Short-term Training Programs by ADRC
The ADRC has conducted short-term training programs, both full and half-day. These programs were offered topersonnel in various fields, from disaster reduction staff, the fire-fighting staff of local governments, and overseas
disaster reduction experts, to the mass media, covering international disaster reduction cooperation, the present
status of disaster reduction measures in Japan, the disaster reduction information network, and more. The list oftraining courses for trainees from abroad is shown in Table 7-2-1.
Date

Place

Nationalities

Aug. 18,’99

ADRC

Sep. 14,’99

ADRC

Chile, China,
Korea, Malaysia,
Mexico, Papua
New Guinea, Peru,
Philippines, Viet
Nam
U.S.A., Japan

Oct. 27,’99
Oct. 28,’99

ADRC

China (Taiwan)

ADRC

China (Taiwan)

Nov. 9,’99

ADRC

Nov. 9,’99

ADRC

China, Egypt,Peru, Philippines,
Thailand, Turkey
China

Dec. 14,’99

ADRC

Republic of Fiji

Feb. 17,
’00

ADRC

Korea

Main Participants,
Number of AttendanceDisaster Relief and Management
Training Course, JICA, Group of
10

Curriculum

International
Decade for
Natural Disaster
Reduction,
number of natural
disasters
worldwide andU.S. Armed Forces in Japan,
economic damage
Japan Ground Self Defense
caused, GreatForce, Group of 17
Hanshin-Awaji
Members of the Taiwanese
Earthquake,parliament, Group of 16
Study group for industrial sectors international
disaster reduction
disaster prevention system,cooperation, brief
Taiwan, Group of 17
descriptions ofComprehensive Health andADRC’s
Medical Care in Disaster, JICA,activities, etc.
Group of 7
National delegation forearthquake and disasterprevention law, China, Group of 9Youth Invitation Programme(Officials of the Fijian
Government), JICA, Group of 12
Inspecting party on
administration for earthquakes
and disaster prevention, City ofSeoul, Group of 4

Table 7-2-1 <Short-term Disaster Reduction Training (Non-Japanese trainees) >