Investing in Water Disaster
Management: Before and After

Wouter Lincklaen Arriëns
Lead Water Resources Specialist
Asian Development Bank
2 December 2007

Outline of Presentation• Realities and Trends• ADB policies on waterrelated disastermanagement• Past and Future Assistance• Key Initiatives in the Region

Realities and Trends
Increase in large-scale disasters overthe last 50 years
In Asia-Pacific:- Water-related disasters are

increasing faster than others- Average no. of people killed per year

(2001- 2005) is the largest: around63,000 people, or 91% of the world’s
total deaths- Accounts for 49% of the world’s total

damage due to natural disasters inthe last century

Flood Disasters

By Decade and Continent
Flood events per decade
Flood Events Per Decade

350300250200150100500
1950s

1960s

Asia

Source : ICUS/INCEDE April/June Newsletter (2003)

1970s
Americas

1980s
AfricaEurope1990s

Major Asian Cities Located in Deltas
Major River Delta Systems in Asia

Green areas are land areas below 20 melevation above mean sea level

High Susceptibility to Any
Flood Regime Change fromLand and/or Ocean

Key Messages
Countries and communities need to:- Improve their disaster preparedness- Protect high-value assets- Manage floods- Learn to live with floods“Flood management involves taking measures to avoid
floods from becoming disasters
Flood control is a structural means to keep a river within
its channel, and reflects the idea that floods are bad. “Ian Fox, former ADB staff

“Total flood control is notpossible.” – State Office of Flood

What AsianControl and Drought Relief, PRC
leaderssay:“Total flood control in Bangladesh isneither feasible nor desirable.” –Local Government Engineering Department,
Bangladesh“China is now updating its concept from flood
control to flood management.” -- China Institute ofWater Resources and Hydropower Research, PRC“Flood waters have inundated the area for the past
three seasons – this is a long enough period toreview our approach.” – Agriculture Minister, Viet Nam

Flood Management Approach• Manage rather than react to floods• Provide emergency evacuation
measures for vulnerable
communities• Use affordable flood control
embankments, mindful of risk andlong-term maintenance costs• Protect urban areas to highstandards• Protect rural areas to minimumstandards

Flood Management Approachcont’d• Incorporate traditional coping
mechanisms in project design• Make provisions for releasing
excess water in consultation
with residents of receiving
areas• Consider flood insurance toprotect vulnerable
communities and discourage
development in flood zones

Living with floods

Floating school that moves with seasonallychanging level of Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake.

Living with floods cont’d
The floor level of thisschool, 5km from theshoreline of
Cambodia’s Tonle
Sap lake, is 10 m
above dry season
water level. This is
above maximum
water level for mostfloods.

Living with floods cont’d
In the flood corridor of China’s
Yellow River, villages are being
relocated on raised platforms…

Living with floods cont’d
Maximize the beneficial impacts of floodsand conserve wetlands.

Outline of Presentation• Realities and Trends• ADB policies on waterrelated disastermanagement• Past and Future Assistance• Key Initiatives in the Region

ADB’s Disaster & Emergency
Policy: Historical Perspective
Date

1987
(R74-87)

1989(R191-88)

2004(R71-04)

Title

Description

Trigger

Rehabilitation
Assistance toSmall Countries
Affected byNatural Disasters

Simple repair to pre- South Pacific proposal
to establish special
disaster status
facility to assist DMCs
Projects completed
affected by tropicalwithin 3 years
cyclones

Rehabilitation
Assistance After
Disasters

Policy extended toall developing
member countries

IDNDR (1990),
Bangladesh floods,
Nepal earthquakes,
Philippine typhoons,
Sri Lanka conflicts

Disaster andEmergency
Assistance Policy(DEAP)

Strategic assistance;
disaster and postconflict; 2 or 3 year
project completion

ADB Long-Term
Strategic Framework(2001-2015) - poverty
reduction focus

IDNDR: International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction

Lessons from Implementing
ADB’s Disaster-Related Policies• Countries should develop comprehensive
disaster risk reduction strategies andmainstream it into national development
policy, with links to various sector policies• Link international agreements (like Hyogo
Framework for Action) to national strategies,
local actions, and support from variouspartners

ADB Disaster and Emergency
Assistance Policy, 2004
• Strengthen support for reducing
disaster risk in developing
member countries• Provide rehabilitation andreconstruction assistancefollowing disaster• Leverage activities throughdeveloping partnerships• Principal funding mechanism:
Emergency Assistance Loan
• Lessons from 2004 Indian Ocean
tsunami: (i) value of community
consultation; (ii) coordination
with development partners; (iii)
incorporation of local capacity
building into project designs

Nature of assistance•

Emergency assistance after anatural disaster and conflict
event

•

Post-disaster rehabilitation
projects•

Disaster mitigation andpreparedness projects(before)•Development projects withmitigation features (e.g.,flood management schemes)

Outline of Presentation• Realities and Trends• ADB policies on waterrelated disastermanagement• Past and Future Assistance• Key Initiatives in the Region

ADB Water Disaster Management
ProjectsLoans
1972- Oct 2007
– $3.41 billion– 57 projects in 22countries
2008-2010– $1.19 billion– 9 projects in 2countries

Assistance Before and After
ADB Assistance by DRM Area
(June 1987–August 2007)
Emergency
Response 27.5%
Rehabilitation/Reconstruction
39.7%

Mitigation
32.8%

Flood Assistance > 50%
Disaster-Related Loans (June 1987-August 2007)

Cyclone/Typhoon
1.41%
Coastal Erosion
1.36%
Tsunami1.92%

Drought
2.83%

Landslide
0.18%

Earthquake
22.42%

Flood
52.13%

Volcano0.66%

ConflictRelated11.30%
Ecological5.36%
Fire/Arson
0.43%

Earthquake
VolcanoConflict-Related
EcologicalFire/Arson
Flood
TsunamiCoastal Erosion
Cyclone/Typhoon
Drought
LandslideKey Lessons from Projects• Combine structural andnonstructural measures in acomprehensive flood
management approach• Address operation andmaintenance of project
assets• Increase engineering
investigations before andduring detailed design toavoid very costly structural
failures• Make space for public
participation in projectplanning

Outline of Presentation• Realities and Trends• ADB policies on waterrelated disastermanagement• Past and Future Assistance• Key Initiatives in the Region

Key Initiatives in the Region•

ADB Water Financing
Program (2006-2010)•ADB Water Financing
Partnership Facility•

Asia Pacific Water Forum•

Network of Asian River
Basin Organizations

Water Financing Program 2006-2010
ADB goes for doubling of water investments
3 key investment areas
Rural water – improve health and livelihoods
Urban water – sustain economic growth in cities
Basin water – IWRM, flood management,
healthy rivers

See http://adb.org/Water/Operations/WFP/default.asp

ADB-ICHARM Collaboration• Work together in projects toreduce flood risk for 100
million people under ADB’s
Water Financing Program
2006-2010• Support regional cooperation
for integrated flood
management in Asia Pacific• Cooperation agreement andstart in 2008

ADB-ICHARM Collaboration cont’d• Project assistance may include:
capacity development in local
riverside communities, high-tech
flood forecasting, flood hazard
mapping, emergency evacuation
procedures, flood proofing
approaches• Regional cooperation may include
Asian indices for social vulnerability
and preparedness• Projects expected to include:
Bangladesh, India, Indonesia,
countries of the lower Mekongbasin, Pacific islands, and People’s
Republic of China

Visit ADB’s Water Website andSubscribe to ADB’s Monthly Water for All E-News

www.adb.org/waterContactwater@adb.org
Wouter Lincklaen Arriens