GGS Final Report Grant for Global Sustainability United Nations University Financed by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan “Enhancement of urban disaster resilience through activities of local participatory platform" (参加型プラットフォームの活動による都市の災害レジリエンスの向上） Final Report Project implementation period: August 2015 to March 2018 Reporting period: August 2015 to March 2018 Project leader: Dr. Kenji OKAZAKI （岡崎健二） Position: Professor Affiliation: Global Environmental Architecture, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University Implementing organization: Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies Project accepted in FY 2015
1.
Outline of the Project Implementation
①  Background and Project Outline
Catastrophic natural disasters have been occurring frequently over the world in recent years, killing hundreds of thousands of people every year. Urban disaster risk is also on the rise due to rapid urban growth and due to vulnerable buildings and infrastructure. Hence, the enhancement of urban resilience against natural disasters is one of the urgent and important global issues. This project was implemented in Kathmandu, Nepal, and Yangon, Myanmar, which are prone and vulnerable to natural disasters. Kathmandu tackled earthquake disasters while Yangon tackled fire, earthquake, and cyclone disasters. The project was conducted from August 2015 to March 2018 for two years and seven months, with the Grant for Global Sustainability (GGS) initiated by the United Nations University (UNU), Tokyo, Japan. Based on the results of these pilot projects, a universal model for urban resilience enhancement has been developed.
② Objectives of the Project
The project aimed to enhance the resilience of Kathmandu and Yangon against natural disasters through capacity- building of the local stakeholders. The goal of the project was to contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to attain effective and robust science-policy interfaces at t the local level, and to contribute to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, which was adopted during the 2015 UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR).
2.
Project Implementation
①  Objectives
Catastrophic natural disasters have been occurring frequently over the world in recent years, killing hundreds of thousands of people. Urban disaster risk is also on the rise due to rapid urban growth and vulnerable buildings and infrastructure. As the level of disaster resilience of a city can be defined as a total of physical vulnerability and capacity of all stakeholders, all the stakeholders should build up their capacity jointly to improve hard and soft measures in order to enhance the resilience of the city. This project aimed to enhance resilience of cities against natural disasters through capacity buildings of stakeholders in a city. The pilot projects were conducted in two selected cities from Asia, which are prone to various severe disasters, namely, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Yangon (Myanmar). Kathmandu targeted earthquake disasters, trying to assess ongoing recovery and reconstruction activities after the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake and to reflect the findings of the project to these activities to "Build Back Better". Yangon targeted fire, earthquake, and cyclone disasters. The project was conducted for nearly three years. It was expected that through the project activities all the stakeholders would be able to better understand the risks and probable damages caused by natural disasters as their own problems to be tackled, and would be motivated or be willing to take appropriate actions for disaster reduction by themselves. In this way, the resilience of the pilot cities would be enhanced.
② Implementation Methodology
Firstly, pilot projects were conducted in Kathmandu and Yangon. The two cities established a local platform where stakeholders worked and discussed among themselves to understand and assess the disaster risk of the city, estimate probable damages, propose policies, and make action plans. Some local projects for disaster education and community-based disaster management were also implemented. In order to facilitate these activities, local counterpart organizations were selected from local governments, universities, and NGOs. The municipality managed the platform, while the university and NGO gave technical advices to the platform and were assigned to implement projects for disaster education and community-based disaster management projects. The local counterpart organizations received technical support from Japanese experts and received financial assistance to cover part of actual expenses as a seed money. In addition, the local universities and NGOs and Japanese researchers conducted some joint researches to support the enhancement of urban disaster resilience. Secondly, a universal model for urban resilience enhancement has been developed using a multi-disciplinary approach, i.e., through a combination of engineering approach and political/social approach, based on the experiences of the pilot projects and the joint researches in the two cities. The model describes how to conduct similar projects to enhance the resilience against various natural disasters. The model will be freely available with archived data on the project’s dedicated website. The participating international organizations and experts will encourage other cities in the world to utilize the model through their international network. The pilot cities are also expected to transfer their experiences to other cities in the country and neighboring countries. In order to disseminate the findings of the project and exchange information, international conferences were held twice during the project, at the beginning and the end of the three year project.
The project was conducted by the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies (GSGES), Kyoto University, in collaboration with some Japanese researchers from other institutions. Japanese researchers conducted some specific research in cooperation with the local researchers in an inter-disciplinary basis, combining engineering, sociology, and humanities. For risk assessment and damage estimate of earthquakes and capacity development, the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation assisted the two pilot cities at the start of the project. The GEM Foundation is a public-private partnership that drives a global collaborative effort to develop high-quality resources for assessment of earthquake risk and to facilitate their application for risk management. Some of the tools, data, and methods of GEM were applied to the pilot cities.
③  Progress with Respect to the Original Implementation Plan
In general, the GGS Project implementation in Kathmandu and Yangon had been smooth despite some initial delays in the establishment of the local platforms and in the start of the joint research activities of some teams. Establishing and maintaining local platforms and joint research teams took time as the members needed some interaction first in order to coalesce and work smoothly with each other. By February 2018, all project activities were completed as scheduled.
A.  Identification of Participating Organizations
Local counterparts
The project leader and some researchers visited Yangon from 10 to 12 September and Kathmandu from 6 to 10 October 2015 to discuss with the key experts and possible counterparts and identified the participating organizations from the two cities as follows:
Kathmandu
Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC; originally in 2016, Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City and Karyabinayak . Municipality were selected as pilot cities in Nepal but these two cities merged to form LMC in January 2017) . Center for Disaster Studies (CDS), Institute of Engineering (IOE), Tribhuvan University . National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET) Y angon . . . Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) Faculty of Engineering, Yangon Technological University (YTU) Myanmar Engineering Society (MES)
Japanese researchers
Participating researchers from Japan were identified as follows: GSGES . . . . . Others . Kenji Okazaki (Prof.): Project Leader Junji Kiyono (Prof.), Aiko Furukawa (Assoc. Prof.): Urban seismic risk assessment Rajib Shaw (former Professor of GSGES, now Professor at Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus), Koichi Shiwaku (Researcher): Disaster education and action plan Kenji Okazaki (Prof.), Hirohide Kobayashi (Assoc. Prof.), Glenn Fernandez (Researcher): Risk perception and housing safety Makoto Usami (Prof.): Social fairness of policies and action plans Kazuyoshi Nishijima (Assoc. Prof., Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University) and Seitaro Tajiri (Assoc. Prof., Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo): Wind Vulnerability (previously: Practical seismic diagnosis methods reflecting variation in building quality)
International experts
GEM Foundation Carlos Villacis (Regional Project Manager and Strategy Coordinator) . . Christopher Burton (Social Vulnerability and Integrated Risk Coordinator)
B.  Signing of MOU
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was concluded between GSGES and the local counterpart organizations in the two cities to clarify the role and responsibilities of the participating parties. MOU with Kathmandu was concluded on 22 January 2016 and MOU with Yangon on 12 February 2016. The role and responsibilities of the participating parties are provided in MOU as follows: Municipalities: Establish and manage a participatory platform . . Develop the earthquake damage estimate and the action plan University: Provide scientific and technical advice to municipalities . . Conduct joint researches with the Japanese researchers NGO: . . Provide technical and practical advice to the municipalities Conduct community-based projects GSGES . Provide technical advice and financial assistance as grant
C.  International Kick-off Conferences
An international kick-off conference was organized in Kathmandu from 21 to 23 January 2016 and in Yangon from 16 to 19 March 2016 to launch the pilot project in the two cities and to initiate discussion on the establishment of local participatory platforms needed for the enhancement of urban disaster resilience and to conduct a field survey for the international participants. The international kick-off conference reports are in Annex 1 (Kathmandu) and Annex 2 (Yangon). After the discussion among the local stakeholders during and after the kick-off conference, the following has been decided regarding the local platform and the pilot areas within the cities.

D.  International Closing Conference
An international conference was held in Yangon on 16-17 January 2018 to mark the culmination of the three-year long project in Myanmar and Nepal titled "Enhancement of urban disaster resilience through activities of local participatory platform." The two-day conference was co-organized by Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC), Yangon Technological University (YTU), Myanmar Engineering Society (MES), and the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies (GSGES) of Kyoto University. Representatives from Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Nepal and researchers from Japan who were part of the project attended the conference. On Day 1, representatives from Myanmar and Nepal presented the outcomes of their local platform activities and joint research activities to the 200 attendees at Yangon City Hall. Highlights included the presentation of the urban resilience action plans of the two pilot wards in Yangon, an open forum on how to move forward with action plan implementation, and a choreographed presentation by high school students about the disaster risk management cycle. Posters showing the outputs of different workshops in the past two years were displayed at the venue. The event was attended by Mayor Maung Maung Soe of Yangon and Mayor Chiri Babu Maharjan of Lalitpur and was covered by six local media organizations. about a possible disaster in his community On Day 2, a research symposium attended by 90 experts, practitioners, graduate students, ward-level stakeholders, and government officers was held at t the MES Building. Representatives of the different joint research teams presented in detail their findings and recommendations. There were presentations on urban seismic risk assessment, disaster education, wind vulnerability, risk perception and housing safety, and social fairness of action plans. One professor and two PhD students from YTU also gave a presentation related to urban resilience. Side events of the international conference included a courtesy call of the Mayor of Lalitpur to the Mayor of Yangon, where they exchanged tokens and discussed potential collaborations between the two cities; meeting between the President of MES and the delegations from Nepal and Japan; and Disaster Mitigation Card game among the ward stakeholders at the end of the conference. The international conference program is in Annex 3 . participants of the closing conference
E.  Collaboration between the Two Cities
In order to promote collaboration between Kathmandu and Yangon, three experts of Yangon were invited to the kick-off conference in Kathmandu and two experts of Kathmandu were invited to the kick-off conference in Yangon. In addition, one Yangon expert was invited to participate in the GEM training workshop, which was held for two days in October 2015 in Pavia, Italy. In January 2017, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City and the Municipal Engineer of Karyabinayak Municipality attended a workshop in Yangon to present the progress of the GGS Project implementation in Nepal. They were also able to learn about the activities of their counterparts in Yangon. During the GGS Project International Conference in Yangon in January 2018, the Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City personally gave an overview of the GGS Project implementation in Nepal. The delegation from Nepal also included a representative from NSET and the city engineer and three ward chairmen of Lalitpur, two oof whom were not involved in the GGS Project. The travel expenses of the ward chairmen were borne by the government of Lalitpur, indicating the city's strong desire to replicate the GGS Project in the other wards by allowing the ward chairmen to learn from the various local platform and joint research presentations.
😊 Achievements
At the end of the GGS Project, all four of the pilot wards in Kathmandu and Yangon were able have a working local platform for DRR activities and to conduct various types of risk assessments and earthquake disaster scenario planning, which were then used as bases for their urban resilience action plan. To our knowledge, this is the first time in both Nepal and Myanmar that this kind of participatory and evidenced-based ward-level action plans had been prepared. Many interactive activities, such as meetings, consultations, workshops, and trainings, were conducted over a period of two years before the ward stakeholders could finalize their action plans. Because of the amount of effort poured into the preparation of the action plans, we believe that there is a high chance that many of the activities in the action plans will eventually be implemented. In the case of Ward 21 of Lalitpur, they had implemented three priority actions even before the end of the GGS project. Part of the capacity-building component of the GGS Project was the transfer of knowledge and skills from Japanese researchers to the local counterparts in Kathmandu and Yangon. By the end of the project, eight teams were able to conduct joint research in five different topics. Although the amount of progress achieved by each team varies (some were able to complete their work while others will have to continue beyond the GGS Project), there is agreement among the various participants that, overall, the experience had been positive and that everyone learned a lot in the course of two years. Hopefully the knowledge of what worked and what did not work will be useful in guiding similar future endeavors of all the researchers involved. Specially in the case of Myanmar, many young researchers (Master’s and PhD students) were actively participating in the different joint research activities, such as in field visits and data-gathering. The guidance provided by experienced researchers from Kyoto University will be beneficial to them even beyond the GGS Project, as they continue in their career in the academe.
A.  Local Platform Activities
Between January 2016 and February 2018, a total of 28 workshops were conducted under the GGS Project, 16 in Kathmandu and 12 in Yangon. All the workshops were well attended, with the number of participants ranging from 35 to 108 per workshop. The cities made sure that different groups of stakeholders, including women, youth, and children, were represented in the workshops. In addition to the workshops, there were also five trainings (3 in Kathmandu and two in Yangon) conducted under the GGS Project. A total of 132 persons were able to obtain different kinds of training, contributing to the enhancement of their DRR-related knowledge and skills.
WORKSHOPS
Myanmar March 16-17, 2016: workshop by Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation (Resilience Performance . Scorecard) . March 18-19, 2016: 1 x1 local platform workshop (meeting with partners; international kick-off conference; site visit) . June 22, 2016: 2 nd local platform workshop (formation of local platform in two wards) . July 15, 2016: 3 d local platform workshop (simultaneous town-watching in two wards) October 19, 2016: 4 h local platform workshop (progress of risk assessment in two wards) . January 25, 2017: 5 th local platform workshop (school action planning) . . January 26, 2017: 6 h local platform workshop (earthquake disaster scenario planning) . June 15-16, 2017: 7 h local platform workshop (formation of Disaster Management Committees) . August 11, 2017: Disaster Education workshop (image scenario workshop for teachers and students) . August 15, 2017: 8 h local platform workshop (drafting of urban resilience action plan) . November 30-December 1, 2017: 9th local platform workshop (finalization of action plan) . January 16-17, 2018: international closing conference Nepal January 21-22, 2016: 1 81 local platform workshop (meeting with partners; international kick-off conference; . site visit) . May 18, 2016: 2 nd local platform workshop in Karyabinayak (Resilience Performance Scorecard) . May 19, 2016: 2nd local platform workshop in Lalitpur (Resilience Performance Scorecard) . August 5, 2016: 3 d local platform workshop in Lalitpur (update of vulnerability and capacity assessment) . November 27-28, 2016: 4 h local platform workshop in Karyabinayak (school-centered action planning) February 11, 2017: 4 h local platform workshop in Lalitpur (orientation on youth's role in DRM) . . March 6-7, 2017: 5 th local platform workshop in Karyabinayak (municipal DRM planning) . August 11, 2017: Disaster Education workshop (image scenario workshop for teachers and students) . August 12, 2017: 7 h local platform workshop in Ward 16 (earthquake scenario planning) . August 22, 2017: 6 h local platform workshop (CBDRM orientation for newly elected officials) . September 9, 2017: 7 h local platform workshop in Ward 21 (earthquake disaster scenario planning) . November 23, 2017: 8 h local platform workshop in Ward 16 (action planning) . November 24, 2017: 8 h local platform workshop in Ward 21 (drafting of disaster resilience action plan) . December 15, 2017: 9th local platform workshop in Ward 21 (finalization of action plan) . December 18, 2017: 9th local platform workshop in Ward 16 (finalization of action plan) . February 22-23, 2018: final conference in Lalitpur
TRAININGS
August 8-12, 2016: CBDRM training by NSET (Karyabinayak), 29 participants (15 female) . March 1-3, 2017: Non-structural disaster mitigation training by NSET (Lalitpur), 22 participants (18 female) . . March 10-12, 2017: Community search and rescue training by Armed Police Force and NSET (Lalitpur), 24 participants (10 female) . June 15-16, 2017: DRR Training by SEEDS Asia (Yangon), 27 participants (16 female) August 15, 2017: Training on fire-fighting by Fire Service Department and on emergency first aid by . Myanmar Red Cross Society (Yangon), 30 participants (11 female) The Final Report of Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC) and of Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) showing the details of the workshops and trainings that they conducted can be found in Annex 4 and Annex 7, respectively. These local platform activities from 2016 to 2018 are summarized in Annex 17 . The Urban Resilience Action Plan of the four pilot wards are in Annex 19 to 22. The Final Report of the two NGOs supporting the local platforms, NSET in Nepal and MES in Yangon, are in Annex 5 and Annex 8 . These reports show the technical and practical assistance that the NGOs provided to the cities.
B.  Joint Research Activities
During and after the kick-off conferences, the Japanese researchers and local experts discussed the research topics and elaborated on how the research should be conducted. They also identified the local joint research participants such as professors, students, and government officers. There are a total of eight joint research teams (five in Myanmar and three in Nepal) covering five research topics.
Urban Seismic Risk Assessment
The joint research team on urban seismic risk assessment (led by Prof. Junji Kiyono and Assoc. Prof. Aiko Furukawa) focused on the vulnerability of existing masonry buildings in Kathmandu. The material properties of bricks and mortar, such as density, Young’s module, Poisson’s ratio, tensile strength, bond strength, friction angle, and compression strength, with and without the reinforcement, were obtained through the experiments. The loading tests of masonry walls with and without reinforcement were conducted for both in-plane and out-of-plane directions. The team also did the microtremor observations to grasp the characteristics of the ground in Kathmandu. The results can be used for the estimation of input ground motion to assess the risk of the structures. After obtaining expected earthquake ground motion, the collapse simulations using the obtained material properties were done by numerical simulation. In Yangon, the team investigated the damage patterns of local structure and characterized the damage grades to allow easy classification of damaged structures. By combining the seismic intensities with damage degrees due to past earthquake, fragility curves for local structure were constructed. Prof. Kiyono attended both kick-off conferences in Kathmandu and Yangon and met with local members of his team. He also met with his team members in Yangon and in Kathmandu on separate occasions in June 2016. In November 2016, Prof. Furukawa and two o her students conducted a field survey in Kathmandu and had a meeting with CDS. Here are some of the findings and recommendations of the joint research on urban seismic risk assessment:
Nepal
Findings: Although the community building did not collapse during the Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake, several cracks were . found by the visual inspection. . From the microtremor observation, it was found that the natural frequencies of the lowest 8 modes decreased by 3.46 to 11.86%, indicating structural damage. . Though the damage identification using the FEM, it was found that the stiffness of the members decreased from 8%-13.8%. . The lateral out-of-plane vibration at the center of the long side wall is significant for the both acceleration response and story drift. . The computed maximum story drift assessed by this simulation using the acceleration at PTN is approximately 0.2% at Point C. The allowable design story drift specified in the provision of the National Building Code of India (Bureau of Indian Standards, 2016) is 0.4%. Considering that the National Building Code is applied in the design of Nepalese buildings, this simulation indi-cates that the response of the building to the Gorkha earthquake is marginally within the collapse limit state. . The location of structural damage found in the post-earthquake inspection is s successfully explained by the shear strain distribution. Recommendations: Although many heritage structures collapse during the Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake, many residential buildings . could survive with no damage or slight damage. The reason was that the predominant frequency of the ground acceleration was far from the building's natural frequency. If the ground acceleration had same natural frequency as building, there could be a high possibility that the building had been severely damaged. . Seismic risk evaluations of buildings are indispensable for the mitigation of the future earthquake risk. . Essences of strengthening/retrofitting techniques are following: Restriction of materials use o Limitations of unreinforced masonry o Planning and configuration o Detailed seismic vulnerability assessment o Confinement of structural URM walls o Vertical upright posts and horizontal ties of timber at strategic locations o To survive the traditional historical structures, the engineering interpretation of traditional technology should . be made clear detailed damage and vulnerability assessment should be conducted.
Myanmar
Findings: Field investigations were conducted in some damage-affected areas to collect information on the scale of . building damage caused by the Thabeikkyin earthquake. Damage statistics for physical building damage in affected areas were collected. Available photographs were used to classify buildings in terms of their height and structural type. Through this procedure, the damage condition of each building was obtained with a focus on factors that included the location of damaged members, the range of damage in these members, and the structural type according to the photographs. . Damage patterns and grades were developed for local buildings. Damage patterns of brick-nogging buildings were categorized by observing photographs that captured the scale of damage inflicted on buildings. Damage grades were classified after reviewing previous damage scales. The level of damage was categorized into three grades (slight, moderate, and heavy damage) to develop the damage patterns of brick-nogging buildings. . A questionnaire survey was administered in the most-damaged areas. The questionnaire method modified was used in this survey to estimate MSK seismic intensity. With respect to the questionnaire survey results, the highest and lowest average QMSK seismic intensities existed in Thabeikkyin and Kyauk Myaung, respectively. However, most buildings, except for wooden construction types, experienced the highest intensity in Ma Lae, which is located close to the epicenter. . Depending on the questionnaire survey data and damage levels, the percentage of damage for each building type was classified into four levels: heavy, moderate, slight, and no damage. The damage ratio for brick-nogging . buildings was calculated depending on the damage levels. The highest percentage of severe damage in brick- nogging buildings existed in Ma Lae. Fragility curves were constructed using the relationship between the damage ratio of brick-nogging buildings and the estimated QMSK seismic intensity from the Thabeikkyin earthquake. Fragility curves will be a useful tool to predict damage to brick-nogging buildings in rural areas of Myanmar resulting from future earthquakes.
Recommendations:
Yangon is one of the major regions that has a high potential of earthquake risk because population and . infrastructures are densely concentrated. The people should be aware of the risk that they are facing. . Local buildings such as brick-nogging would sustain more severe damage than R.C. frame and wood frame buildings in a future large earthquake. . To know the seismic environment of their own city (seismicity, surface ground characteristics, building types, construction materials, etc.) is a crucial issue for preventing loss of lives from a natural disaster.
Wind Vulnerability
The joint research team on wind vulnerability (led by Assoc. Prof. Kazuyoshi Nishijima and Assoc. Prof. Seitaro Tajiri) wanted to bring attention to non-structural components of buildings such as roofing materials, fasteners, etc. Wind-induced damages to non-structural components can be significantly reduced by improved construction and maintenance, such as using appropriate roofing materials with sufficient thickness, narrowing the intervals of fasteners, and replacing corroded roofing sheets. In their survey, team members used two methods: investigation by drone and direct visual investigation. Prof. Nishijima and Prof. Tajiri attended the kick-off conference and first experts' meeting in Yangon in March 2016. In July 2016, Prof. Nishijima and one of his doctoral students conducted a preliminary survey on contruction quality at selected constructions sites in Yangon. Prof. Nishijima attended a local platform workshop and the second experts' meeting, as well as conducted a pre-survey at a construction site, in January 2017. In October 2017, Prof. Nishijima and one of his Master's students conducted a joint field survey on residential and schools buildings in two townships in Yangon with MES and YTU staff. Prof. Nishijima also gave a public lecture during this visit on wind load modeling in the structural design code.
Findings:
. The construction quality is reasonable and proper construction quality management system seems functioning, so long as the constructions that we have visited. However, the construction sites we have visited may not be representative of construction sites in Yangon due to possible biased selection of the sites. . YCDC has its inspection protocol. It is partly based on the guideline developed for quality control for high-rise buildings, which was developed by the committee for quality control of high-rise buildings construction project. . Not many practitioners and engineers well understand the background and theory behind the structural design code; especially for what concerns wind-resistant design. . Less attention is paid for non-structural components such as roofing materials, fasteners etc., which is subjected to wind-induced damages. It concerns not only the design and construction (such as thickness and intervals of fasteners), but also the maintenance (most of (galvanized) iron sheets and nails are found corroded). Recommendations: Development of inspection manual for mid/low-rise buildings that less-experienced construction workers can . understand may be useful. Such inspection manual should include basic background and theory behind the inspection protocols. . Awareness toward wind-induced damages to non-structural components should be emphasized. Wind-induced damages to non-structural components can be significantly reduced by improved constructions and maintenance such as using appropriate roofing materials with sufficient thickness, narrowing the intervals of fasteners, replacing corroded roofing sheets. It is also useful to remove sources of flying debris such as stones, bricks, unfixed parabolic antenna; otherwise fix. . Design specifications should be prepared especially for non-structural components especially for types of structures that are built by less-experienced workers.
Disaster Education and Action Plan
The joint research team on disaster education and action plan (led by Prof. Rajib Shaw and Dr. Koichi Shiwaku) applied two assessment tools, the Climate Disaster Resilience Index (CDRI) and School Disaster Resilience Assessment (SDRA), in the pilot wards in Kathmandu and Yangon. They investigated how to engage communities Prof. Shaw attended the kick-off conference in Kathmandu in January 2016. Dr. Shiwaku conducted surveys, workshops, and interviews in February, August, and November 2016 in Kathmandu and in March and July 2016 and in January 2017 in Yangon. Prof. Shaw conducted an Image Scenario Workshop for teachers and students in both Kathmandu and Yangon in August 2017. Dr. Shiwaku gave a presentation at the international closing conference in January 2017 in Yangon. Here are some of the findings and recommendations of the joint research on disaster education and action plan: Nepal Findings: In CDRI, Lalitpur has the higher resilience in physical and Karyabinayak's social resilience is higher than . Both municipalities have lower resilience in institutional issues and external relationships in SDRA. . . SDRA results are reflected to the results of the action planning, which means SDRA can be acceptable, understandable, and effective assessment tools for school. . Some of important experiences were derived from the image scenario workshop. Recommendations: . The process of activities in this research topics is a part of school disaster management planning, which is the process of assessment, planning, and implementation. Image scenario workshop can be regarded as disaster learning for students and teachers as one of important actions for school disaster risk reduction. The workshop can also be expected as the beginning part of school disaster management planning. Teachers and other related persons need to understand the disaster situation including recovery process and expected problems. Reviewing and imaging disaster situation is important process for planning, which aims not only to save lives but also achieve early and effective recovery process. . To improve school disaster management, cooperation with community is one of the important issues and in other words, it can be useful for community people for their disaster management. Both school and community are require to share knowledge and lessons and to implement necessary measures for them. But some of them can not be achieved due to lack of fund, lack of resources, and others. School and community need to share their own needs to other stakeholders to be considered as a part of the works of a government, a university, and an NGO. A university and an NGO are expected to integrate field-based activities and researches with the policy suggestion. In the future, it is hoped that school-community platform is established and connected to the local platform developed in this project.
Myanmar
Findings: In CDRI, Tamwe has the higher resilience in physical and institutional resilience of Pazundaung has higher. . . Both municipalities have lower resilience in institutional issues and external relationships in SDRA. . More kind explanation and facilitation are necessary to achieve the assessment-based planning for school teachers. . Some of important experiences were derived from the image scenario workshop. . The image scenario activity can be the tool for motivating students and teachers.
Recommendations:
. . The process of activities in this research topics is a part of school disaster management planning, which is the process of assessment, planning, and implementation. Image scenario workshop can be regarded as disaster learning for students and teachers as one of important actions for school disaster risk reduction. The workshop can also be expected as the beginning part of school disaster management planning. Teachers and other related persons need to understand the disaster situation including recovery process and expected problems. Reviewing and imaging disaster situation is important process for planning, which aims not only to save lives but also achieve early and effective recovery process. In the research activities, government: both townships, university: Yangon Technology University, and NGO: Myanmar Engineering Society joined. Figure 10 shows the expected relationship among stakeholders. To improve school disaster management, cooperation with community is one of the important issues and in other words, it can be useful for community people for their disaster management. Both school and community are require to share knowledge and lessons and to implement necessary measures for them. But some of them can not be achieved due to lack of fund, lack of resources, and others. School and community need to share their own needs to other stakeholders to be considered as a part of the works of a government, a university, and an NGO. A university and an NGO are expected to integrate field-based activities and researches with the policy suggestion. In the future, it is hoped that school-community platform is established and connected to the local platform developed in this project.
Risk Perception and Housing Safety
The joint research team on risk perception and housing safety (led by Prof. Kenji Okazaki and Assoc. Prof. Hirohide Kobayashi) aimed to better understand the earthquake risk perception of people and their lifestyles in order to develop policies and strategies to motivate people to construct and maintain safer buildings. In Kathmandu, the team investigated how the houses and communities have been reconstructed after 2015 Gorkha Earthquake. Both Prof. Okazaki and Prof. Kobayashi attended the kick-off conference in Kathmandu while Prof. Okazaki and Dr. Fernandez attended the kick-off conference in Yangon. The team had conducted a pre-survey in Kathmandu in May 2016 and a pre-survey in Yangon in July 2016. The full surveys were conducted in October 2016 in Yangon and in November 2016 in Kathmandu. The final fieldwork was conducted in both cities in June 2017. Here are some of the findings and recommendations of the joint research on risk perception and housing safety: Nepal Findings: . The researchers used statistical tests (Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test) to compare the ratings given by the survey respondents (n=106) on risk perception items before and after the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake. Results showed that there are significant changes (p<0.05 at 95% level of confidence) on the following: perception of likelihood of earthquake, knowledge of disaster mitigation actions, anticipated financial loss due to a destructive earthquake, and fear of earthquake. By reporting the effect size, we can provide empirical information on by how much each of the risk perception items changed.
Before earthquake
After earthquake
Before earthquake
After earthquake
Before earthquake
After earthquake
Before earthquake
After earthquake
Recommendation:
. The local government should take advantage of the heightened earthquake risk perception of the residents and conduct awareness and education campaigns that can help incorporate resilience into the recovery and reconstruction of Khokana.
Myanmar
Findings: Very few of the survey respondents (n=199) believed that a destructive fire, earthquake, or cyclone was likely . to happen in the next ten years. What is surprising is that 39% of the respondents perceived that a fire is very unlikely, even though fire is the most frequent disaster in Myanmar, accounting for 71% of all the disasters based on data from 1983 to 2009. A possible explanation for this is that because of greater levels of exposure to and experience of fire hazards, residents of Yangon are now less sensitive to fire risk. Another possible explanation is that because there had been more fire drills compared to earthquake drills (there had been no cyclone drill), the respondents might be in a false sense of security when it comes to fire hazard. . When we asked the respondents what kinds of impacts they anticipated from a destructive fire, earthquake, and cyclone, their answers were similar across the three hazards. Most of the respondents anticipated a loss of property. Half expected injuries but only a quarter to a third believe that a destructive fire, earthquake, or cyclone will result to death in the family. Previous studies have found that experience with hazards can have the effect of lowering perceived risk of future occurrences of those hazards. So while most of the respondents believe that a strong earthquake will likely destroy their property, not as many anticipate more serious impacts like injury or death. . The ratings for dread are almost the same across the three hazards. Around two-thirds of the respondents are either afraid or very afraid of fire, earthquake, or cyclone. Among the seven risk perception items, the respondents gave the highest rating to dread. . Very few of the respondents claim to have knowledge of mitigation actions against fire, earthquake, and cyclone. What is interesting is that the fewer respondents said that fire mitigation actions are unclear, compared to earthquake and cyclone. This might be because there are more fire drills and fire prevention outreach activities conducted in the wards by the Fire Service Department. . Majority of the respondents believed that they have little or no control on the impacts of fire, earthquake, and cyclone. However, the mean rating for controllability of the impacts of fire is significantly higher than that for earthquake and cyclone. This might be due to the nature of a fire disaster (human-induced, not natural) and due to the higher perceived knowledge of mitigation actions against fire. . One surprising finding of this study is that, in contrast to several previous studies, none of the socio- demographic and experiential factors seem to influence or are related to the perceived ability to control the impacts of fire, earthquake, and cyclone. Recommendations: In Myanmar, disaster risk management plans were prepared at various administrative levels, often without a . good understanding of how local people perceived risks and what preparations they had adopted to be safe from disasters. To promote disaster preparedness among local people, it is necessary to first understand what factors motivate them to take precautionary measures. . Some of the findings of this study can have important implications for disaster risk management policy makers and implementers. For example, the finding that very few of the survey respondents believe that a destructive fire, earthquake, or cyclone is likely to happen in the next ten years will affect public support for disaster risk management initiatives of the government and will undermine efforts to increase insurance coverage among at- risk residents. This and other findings such as the high dread for fire, earthquake, or cyclone and the low knowledge of disaster mitigation actions are compelling justifications to organize education campaigns in Yangon to enhance the residents' understanding of and preparedness for disasters. The joint research team on social fairness of policies and action plans (led by Prof. Makoto Usami) conducted a normative analysis of measurement problems concerning stakeholders' needs and studied justice in distributing goods and services among people who might have conflicting. Prof. Usami had attended the kick-off conference in both Kathmandu and Yangon. He was able to visit Yangon and met with his team members in July 2016 and January 2017. Prof. Usami gave a presentation at the international closing conference in Yangon in January 2018. Here are some of the findings and recommendations of the joint research on social fairness of policies and action plans in Myanmar: Findings: In Myanmar and Nepal, where traditional values, beliefs, and customs seem to persist among general people, it . is predictable that many people's discursive attitudes are not immune from biases based on the values, beliefs, and customs. . In the process of group discussion in some local participatory platform meetings and school student workshops held in Yangon, it was observed that the discursive behaviors of adults and school students were under the influence of traditional authority of seniors. Elderly men and women more frequently spoke than the younger led the group's discussion. They occasionally stood and spoke loudly and confidently, while the youth tended to listen to the elderly silently. School students preferred to wait for their teachers' directions and to follow them rather than to take the initiative in discussing and doing assigned works. Interestingly, these tendencies are much less salient in local platform discussions in Kathmandu, where traditional values seem to sustain. However, no rigorous quantitative measurement of discursive bias among local people was conducted in either of the two cities in the project's period, which would go beyond the purpose of the Social Fairness project. Therefore, the question remains open what the exact degree is to which local young and old in Yangon and Kathmandu follow social norms of seniority system compared with those living in other cities and other countries. . The questionnaire survey conducted in Yangon by the project of Risk Perception and Safety of Reconstructed Houses reveals that the ratio of tenants in the population of Pazundaung is higher than that of Tamwe. This arguably implies that the probability of dispute over the repair of rented property is higher in the former township than the latter. As regards the rights and duties of residents, owners, and contractors in the case a building is damaged, the disadvantage of a resident in his/her relationship with the building contractors or carpenters/masons seems relevant. As illustrated by the result of the survey, many residents in the two townships have only limited knowledge on their owned or rented properties. Such limited knowledge of the residents, along with their lack of legal expertise, would predictably leave them disadvantageous in the relationship with their counterparts. Recommendations: The authority of elderly people in group discussion, which was observed in local platforms in Yangon, . encourages young people to learn the elderly's wisdom. On the other hand, it may hinder the youth from deliberating by themselves the causes of and remedies for public problems in a changing society. However, given the rapid change of local housing situation and the development of relevant technology, it is crucial that young people actively get involved in platform discussion. . To remedy the discourse bias based on the sense of seniority system, facilitators in a discussion group can play an important role. For instance, it is recommendable to induce young members of the group by asking them simple questions. Given the significance of the facilitator, it is also occasionally advisable to form a discussion group only consisting of young people. In the context of school workshop, teachers are advised to promote students' free remarks rather than to lead the discussion according to their own opinions and agenda. . Given the fact that many residents have limited knowledge on their owned or rented properties and lack expertise on relevant legal rules and procedures, it is recommendable for stakeholders including municipalities, researchers, those of legal profession, and NGOs to cooperate in order to institute a local system intended to help the residents. It is advisable to provide information on the current legal rules governing the distribution of rights and responsibilities between the owner and the tenant of property. and in Yangon in July A Final Report has been prepared for each of the five research topics. These reports are in Annexes 10 to 14. The Final Report of the two local universities, Tribhuvan University in Nepal and Yangon Technological University in Myanmar, are in Annex 6 and Annex 9 , respectively. The list of members of the joint research teams are in Annex 15 (Nepal) and Annex 16 (Myanmar). The joint research activities from 2016 to 2018 are summarized in Annex 18.
ß  Status of Knowledge Transfer to Counterparts
The Japanese researchers and international experts imparted their knowledge to the municipalities, NGOs, and universities in Kathmandu and Yangon. For example, Japanese researchers demonstrated to local counterparts how to properly conduct surveys and interviews and emphasized the importance of high-quality primary data. In the case of the joint research on risk perception and housing safety, the members of the Japan team checked the answers to the completed pre-survey questionnaires and provided feedback to the local university students on how to correctly record responses and how to elicit more detailed answers from the respondents through the use of examples or by asking follow-up questions. In terms of preparing house drawings, Japanese researchers showed the local university professors and students how to use the laser measuring device. They were also provided instructions and feedback on house drawings rendered in AutoCAD, to help them improve their proficiency in the use of the design software. In the other joint research topics, the local counterparts are exposed to the updated theories and methodologies being followed by the Japanese researchers. In the case of the joint research on wind vulnerability, a lecture on the background and theory behind the wind load modeling in the structural design code was conducted for the public by the team leader at the MES Building. Briefing and de-briefing meetings were frequently held by the joint research teams to explain the tasks to be carried out and to review if the tasks had indeed been performed properly. The local counterparts were given opportunities to share their knowledge and opinion or to ask questions. The local counterparts mentioned that the joint research topics were new to them and that they were interested to be involved in the joint research because they wanted to learn more and because they believed that the topics would be useful in their own research and work. The international experts also transferred knowledge to the local counterparts. By learning from GEM, NSET was already able to conduct the Resilience Performance Scorecard workshop by itself. What GEM may need to do next in the future is to help the NGOs and municipalities on how to analyze data and write a report. These skills will be helpful and useful to the NGOs and municipalities, not just for the GGS Project but also for their other current as well as future projects. GEM had also previously offered to provide online training to the local counterparts in Yangon on the use of the GEM tools in earthquake risk assessment. Both Japanese and international experts shared their experiences from previous similar projects (e.g., RADIUS) and from  disaster risk management in Japan to the local counterparts during the workshops or in conversations. In return, the Japanese researchers and international experts were able to know more about the situation in Nepal and Myanmar from the local project partners. The GGS Project allowed all the participants to learn from each other. At the end of the GGS Project, the local counterparts learned and understood well how to conduct and develop transdisciplinary joint research in several topics involving foreign and local universities, NGOs, local governments, and local residents. Their experience in the GGS Project will hopefully be useful to them when they initiate their own or participate in similar joint research projects in the future.
®  Unforeseen Circumstances
Organizing workshops had been challenging due to the busy schedule of the participating organizations. For example, June and July are extremely busy months in Nepal as government offices are closing the fiscal year and preparing for the next one. In Nepal there were also several other post-2015 Gorkha Earthquake projects involving the GGS Project partner organizations there. For example, Lalitpur was involved in a JICA project on preparing a build back better recovery plan. Our GGS Project focal person has been handling all DRR-related projects in Lalitpur so it was very challenging for him to meet with local platform members and organize workshops with them. The 2016 Chauk Earthquake on August 24 in Myanmar which damaged nearly 400 pagodas in the ancient city of Bagan had preoccupied our partner NGO in Yangon. MES had been very busy in the earthquake damage assessment. There was a three-week delay in the submission of the Interim Report of the participating organizations based in Yangon. On the other hand, however, the earthquake was a wake-up call for earthquake disaster risk management for the people of Yangon. There was a renewed interest to get involved in GGS Project activities by the local stakeholders. In Myanmar, the joint research team led by Assoc. Prof. Kazuyoshi Nishijima and Assoc. Prof. Seitaro Tajiri initially aimed to develop an approach to assess connections of structural elements and effects of construction quality as well as develop a simplified method to evaluate local technology to reinforce the structural performance. However, after two fieldworks in Yangon, they realized the existing construction manuals are already adequate. They shifted their research to wind vulnerability, which was eagerly welcomed by the local counterparts as this topic is still unfamiliar to them. In Nepal, the joint research team on risk perception and housing reconstruction was supposed to investigate the safety issues of the reconstructed houses. However, being a cultural heritage site, reconstruction in Khokana has been very slow. As of February 2018, the residents were still waiting for instruction and assistance from the government for reconstruction. With the assistance of GGS Project seed money and funds from other donors, the ward officials and residents of Khokana were able to initiate the removal of debris in early 2018. This can pave the way for reconstruction by the residents. The participation of the Japanese researchers in local platform workshops had also been hindered by the tight schedule of classes and meetings in the university. Not all Japanese researchers were able to visit Kathmandu and Yangon as often as recommended. The political situation in Myanmar and Nepal had changed since the GGS Project started. Myanmar elected a new president on 15 March 2016 (just before the kick-off conference in Yangon) while Nepal's prime minister resigned on 24 July 2016. The kick-off conference in Yangon could not be organized earlier because of the anticipated political change in Myanmar, causing a slight delay in the start of the local platform and joint research activities. The scheme of the GGS Project in Myanmar was different from that in Nepal. In Myanmar, the conditional grant for the three local partners had to be remitted only to MES as it would be complicated and time-consuming to spend the grant if it had to pass through the administrative procedures of YCDC and YTU. Being an NGO, MES is more flexible in managing the grant on behalf of the three organizations. In Nepal, the grant was remitted directly to each of the three partner organizations. Local elections were held in Nepal in May 2017. Local platform workshops could not be organized until the elected officials were declared. There were no GGS Project activities from April to July 2017. Fortunately, with constant follow-up and with the very capable facilitation of NSET, the pilot wards in Lalitpur were able to catch up and were able to manage to complete all planned activities as initially scheduled.
3.
Impact and Sustainability the Project
Through the collaboration among partners promoted by the GGS Project to establish the local platforms in the two pilot cities and through the various activities of the local platforms in the past two years, the stakeholders now have a better understanding the disaster risk in their communities. Through the risk assessments, scenario planning, action planning, and DRR-related training, it is expecteded that city and ward officials as well as ward residents now know what will be happening in case of a disaster and what kinds of actions should be taken to reduce disasters. Through the GGS Project, the stakeholders were able to develop an Action Plan and some of the activities in the Action Plan are already planned to be implemented. According to NSET, this is the first time in Nepal for scenario planning and action planning to be implemented at the ward level. Impressed by the activities in Ward 16 and Ward 21, the Mayor of Lalitpur repeatedly promised to continue what the GGS Project had started. The experience of Ward 16 and Ward 21 will be replicated in the other 29 wards of Lalitpur using local funds. The Mayor of Yangon likewise mentioned during the international closing conference that the momentum created by the GGS Project will be sustained by continuously working the MES, YTU, and other stakeholders involved in the project to conduct similar activities in other townships. In the presentation of the YCDC focal person at the international closing conference, they intend to conduct additional assessments of existing vulnerable buildings in other townships similar to the rapid visual screening (RVS) survey conducted in Pazundaung and Tamwe under the GGS Project. During the courtesy call of the Mayor of Lalitpur to the Mayor of Yangon, both mayors discussed possible collaboration between the two cities. Yangon can learn many things related to disaster preparedness, emergency response, and disaster recovery from Lalitpur, which recently experienced the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake. The Mayor of Lalitpur extended an invitation to the Mayor of Yangon to visit Lalitpur in the near future. During the final conference in Lalitpur, the last local platform activity under the GGS Project, the partner organizations in Nepal, LMC and NSET, toured Prof. Okazaki and Dr. Fernandez of GSGES, Kyoto University, around Ward 21 (22 February 2018) and Ward 16 (23 February 2018) to present the on-going activities of the two pilot wards, which were part of the implementation of their Urban Resilience Action Plan. The group observed the removal of debris in different areas of Ward 21. Residents also showed their tools for emergency response. In the case of Ward 21, the tools were kept inside one of the schools. In Ward 16, the tools were on the ground floor of the ward office. The ward officials and residents expressed enthusiasm in continuing the activities started by the GGS Project. There are plans of procuring more equipment and supplies for their stockpile, as well as providing training to more volunteers in the ward. Everyone was pleased that they were involved in the GGS Project and could acquire knowledge and skills related to DRR. In Yangon, the active and unwavering participation of school principals, teachers, and students was very noticeable right from the start of the GGS Project. The Disaster Education team was the first to conduct fieldwork in Yangon, even before the kick-off conference in that city. All activities to which the schools were invited always had a large number of participants. The principals and teachers in the pilot wards are very committed to educate their students about natural hazards and about disaster risk management. They also encourage their students to share what they have learned in school and in the GGS Project activities with their family members and with their friends and other schoolmates. Because the principals in Yangon were themselves involved in the creation of the school-centered disaster risk management action plans (in addition to the ward's urban resilience action plan), there is a high probability that some of the activities in the action plans will be implemented. This is very important as schools are usually designated as evacuation areas or temporary shelters in Yangon. Given the central role of the schools in the action plans of the pilot wards in Yangon and the strong involvement of the principals, teachers, and students, the contribution of the GGS Project will have a long-lasting impact. The Mayor of Yangon has expressed interest in conducting activities similar to GGS Project activities in the other downtown wards of the city. As a final output of the GGS Project, a universal model to enhance urban resilience against disasters has been developed and it will be available on the Internet via the dedicated project website. A draft of the universal model is shown in Annex 23 . It is expected that other cities will try to apply the model with assistance from international organizations. The pilot cities are also expected to transfer their experiences to other cities in their country. The outputs of the joint research teams in the form of journal articles; conference abstracts, presentations, and papers; and workshop presentations are also posted on the GGS Project website. Anyone interested in learning more about the research process can refer to the step-by-step guidance prepared by the different teams on how to conduct similar joint research projects in other cities.
Scientific Significance and Policy Contribution
4.
① Scientific Significance
The outputs of the different joint research teams are expected to contribute to the scientific literature on disaster risk management related to Myanmar and Nepal by providing sound empirical data gathered in a transdisciplinary approach. At the moment, two journal articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals. The concept of the GGS Project was presented in four international academic conferences. The different joint research teams will continue submitting papers for publication in scientific journals in the coming months using data gathered under the GGS Project. Future publications will be shared on the GGS Project website, which will be maintained even after the end of the project.
② Policy Contribution
The contribution of the GGS Project can be classified as policy development and policy implementation at the sub- city level. For example, in the case of Nepal, each ward is required by law to come up with is own Local Disaster Risk Management Plan (LDRMP). The ward-level urban resilience action plan created under the GGS Project can be considered as the LDRMP of Ward 16 and Ward 21. In the case of Ward 21, some of the priority activities listed in their action plan had already been implemented before the end of the GGS Project, using seed money provided by the GGS Project, their own resources, and contributions from other people and organizations. These priority activities include the demolition of damaged houses and removal of debris; promotion of awareness of disaster- resilient reconstruction practices; and provision of first-aid training to volunteers. Although no city-level policy has been made during the implementation of the GGS Project, there is a possibility that a directive can be issued to require all wards in Lalitpur to conduct similar activities as those carried out under the GGS Project, as the Mayor of Lalitpur is very keen to promote DRR in his city.
5.
Overcoming Issues on Project Implementation
As mentioned earlier, conflicting schedules was a major concern in the implementation of local platform activities and joint research activities. Through the use of a master calendar showing the activities until March 2018 and through constant follow-up with local partners, we were able to complete all activities by February 2018. Learning from lessons from the first few workshops conducted in each city, the local platforms and supporting organizations were able anticipate the optimal duration of the workshops. For example, in both Karyabinayak and Lalitpur, the number of participants drastically dwindled in the afternoon when the workshop was whole-day long. An issue had also been raised that the amount of the conditional grant was too small for implementing local platform projects. The cities were encouraged to secure additional funds from other sources and to implement projects at the ward level only, not city-wide. During the final conference in Lalitpur, the Mayor heaped praises on the Chairman of Ward 21 (Khokana Village) for being able to initiate several activities despite the small seed money provided to them. They were able to conduct debris removal, first-aid training, and awareness campaign on resilient reconstruction, which are among the priority activities in their action plan. They were able to demonstrate that there financial constraints should not be a hindrance to conducting DRR activities if the officials and residents are creative and resourceful.
6.
Implementation of Project Results
There was some apprehension that short-term projects such as this GGS Project would only come up with action plans with no further support for the actual implementation of the action plans. For example, in Lalitpur, several action plans had been prepared in the past with assistance from Red Cross and from Oxfam. After the previous projects ended, the municipality was left on its own to act on the action plans. In the end, very little was implemented. We therefore encouraged discussions among local platform members and supporting organizations regarding the preparation and implementation of the action plans during and after the implementation period of the GGS Project. We tried to enhance the feeling of "ownership" of the project among the local stakeholders. During the international closing conference in Yangon, the mayors of Yangon and Lalitpur expressed their commitment to continue prioritizing DRR in their city. During the final conference in Lalitpur, the Mayor of Lalitpur reiterated his desire to have all the other 29 wards of their city conduct activities similar to the ones implemented under the GGS Project in Ward 16 and Ward 21. Their first activity will be to conduct a community search and rescue training to be attended by three representatives from each ward. Facilitators for this training will include NSET and Ward 16 representatives who underwent this training in March 2017 under the GGS Project.
7.
Contribution toward the realization of SDGs, toward Japan's increased presence, etc.
This GGS Project aimed to contribute to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 ( Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all ), Goal 11 ( Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable ), and Goal 17 ( Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development). Some of the local platform and joint research activities involved the promotion of safe and resilient housing through the participatory planning and management of human settlements with the aim of helping reduce the number of deaths and injuries due to earthquakes and cyclones. Through this GGS Project, organizations based in Japan and Italy assisted cities in Nepal and Myanmar in preparing disaster resilience action plans. The GGS Project also aimed to contribute to the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 (SFDRR), particularly in Priority 1 (Understanding disaster risk) and Priority 2 ( Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk ). The GGS Project promoted the collection, analysis, and use of risk data and information, as well as facilitate the assessment of vulnerability, capacity, and exposure of the pilot wards in Kathmandu and Yangon. By working with the municipalities, the GGS Project helped build the disaster risk management (DRM) capacity of government officials through sharing experiences, lessons learned, and good practices and through training and research. Local participatory platforms were established to promote and improve dialogue and cooperation among government officials, residents, NGOs, university researchers, and other stakeholders in order to facilitate effective decision-making in DRM. The GGS Project likewise aimed to contribute to the “Human Security”, which the Japanese Government is taking lead in promoting. Protecting human lives from disasters is one of the most important issues under "Human Security". The GGS Project had contributed to Japan's increased presence in Nepal and Myanmar and complemented efforts made by JICA and the embassies of Japan in the two countries as well as those of the Japanese civil society organizations. The joint research component helped the professors and students in the partner local universities and hopefully encouraged them to be interested and to be engaged in research conducted by and in Japanese universities, such as Kyoto University.
8.
Future Plans
The pilot wards in the two cities have plans of implementing some of the activities in their urban resilience action plans. The Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC) has expressed his intention to replicate the experience of Ward 16 and Ward 21 to the other 29 wards of LMC. Their first step will be to hold a training on community search and rescue to be facilitated by Ward 16. Three representatives from all the wards of LMC are expected to attend. NSET staff are expected to act as resource persons. Collaboration among the local government and NGO, which were strengthened by the GGS Project, will be able to promote such kind of activities even after the end of the GGS Project. In Yangon, YCDC intends to conduct additional assessments of existing vulnerable buildings in other townships similar to the rapid visual screening (RVS) survey conducted in Pazundaung and Tamwe under the GGS Project. The Mayor of Yangon has expressed interest in conducting activities similar to GGS Project activities in the other downtown wards of the city. Some of the joint research teams are in the process of preparing manuscripts for submission to scientific journals for publication and of preparing abstracts for submission to academic conferences.
Project Outreach
9.
① Research Papers
PUBLICATIONS (with peer review) Fernandez, G., Tun, A. M., Okazaki, K., Zaw, S. H., & Kyaw, K. (2018). Factors Influencing Fire, . Earthquake, and Cyclone Risk Perception in Yangon, Myanmar. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2018.02.028 . Furukawa, A., Kiyono, J., Parajuli, R. R., Parajuli, H. R., & Toki, K. (2017). Evaluation of Damage to a Historic Masonry Building in Nepal through Comparison of Dynamic Characteristics before and after the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake. Frontiers in Built Environment, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2017.00062
WORKING PAPERS
Earthquake Risk Perception in Khokana, Nepal before and after the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake (partial research . results presented at the GGS Project Final Conference in Lalitpur in February 2018) . Earthquake Risk Perception Research in Asia Post-2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake (partial research results presented at the International Symposium on Global Environmental Studies Education and Research in Asia, Mahidol University, Salaya, Thailand in November 2016) . Grant for Global Sustainability Project: Enhancing the Urban Disaster Resilience of Kathmandu and Yangon through Local Participatory Platform Activities (poster presentation with extended abstract at the 3 rd Global Summit of Research Institutes for Disaster Risk Reduction in Kyoto in March 2017; oral and poster policy and practice presentation at the 7 th International Conference on Building Resilience in Bangkok in November 2017)
② Presentations and Media Coverage
PRESENTATIONS
Domestic . . . . . July 15, 2016: 3rd Local Platform Workshop, Yangon City Hall, Yangon, Myanmar "Earthquake Disasters and Risk Assessment" o Prof. Kenji Okazaki (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Fairness Issues on Local Participatory Platform: Theoretical and Practical" o Prof. Makato Usami (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Assessment to Action" o Dr. Koichi Shiwaku (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Risk Perception and Housing Safety in Yangon" o Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Current Research Progress and Future Plan by Yangon Team" o Mr. Saw Htwe Zaw (Myanmar Engineering Society / Myanmar Earthquake Committee) "Earthquake Hazard and Risks" (presentation in Tamwe during the town-watching) o Mr. Saw Myat Min (Myanmar Earthquake Committee) August 5, 2016: 3rd Local Platform Workshop, Dhapagal, Lalitpur, Nepal "Risk Perception and Housing Safety" o Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University) October 19, 2016: 4th Local Platform Workshop, MES Building, Yangon, Myanmar "GGS Project: Progress and Way Forward" o Mr. Saw Htwe Zaw (Myanmar Engineering Society / Myanmar Earthquake Committee) “GGS Project: Research Progress” o Mr. Wai Yar Aung (Myanmar Earthquake Committee / Yangon Technological University) "Existing Buildings Appraisal of Earthquake Risk Assessment in Kyauktada Township" o Ms. Hnin Ei Win (Yangon Technological University / Yangon City Development Committee) “Housing Safety Survey” o Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Proposed Screening Method for Seismic Evaluation of R.C. Buildings" o Mr. Phyo Hein Kyaw (Yangon Technological University) "Preparation for Risk Perception and Housing Safety Survey" o Mr. Aye Min Tun (GSGES, Kyoto University) November 25, 2016: Action Planning Workshop on School Disaster Risk Reduction, Clock Building, Bhaisepati, Karybinayak, Nepal (4th Local Platform Workshop) Result of School Disaster Resilience Assessment o Dr. Koichi Shiwaku (GSGES, Kyoto University) January 11, 2017: Social Gathering at GSGES, Kyoto University “Outline of the GGS Project” o Prof. Kenji Okazaki (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Urban Seismic Risk Assessment" o Prof. Junji Kiyono (GSGES, Kyoto University) “Disaster Education” o Dr. Koichi Shiwaku (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Risk Perception and Housing Safety in Kathmandu and Yangon" o Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University) January 25, 2017: Action Planning Workshop on School Disaster Risk Reduction, MES Building, Yangon, Myanmar (5th Local Platform Workshop) “Hazards and Risks in Yangon” o Mr. Saw Htwe Zaw (Myanmar Engineering Society / Myanmar Earthquake Committee) "Result of School Disaster Resilience Assessment" o Dr. Koichi Shiwaku (GSGES, Kyoto University) January 26, 2017: 6th Local Platform Workshop, MES Building, Yangon, Myanmar "Overview of the GGS Project" o Prof. Kenji Okazaki (GSGES, Kyoto University) “GGS Project: Progress and Way Forward” o Mr. Saw Htwe Zaw (Myanmar Engineering Society / Myanmar Earthquake Committee) "Implementation of the GGS Project in Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City" o Mr. Bharat Mani Pandey (CEO, Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City) "Implementation of the GGS Project in Karyabinayak Municipality" o Ms. Shubha Amatya (Karyabinayak Municipality) "Urban Seismic Assessment of Byane Kwet Thit Ward and Pazundaung Ward 2" o Mr. Wai Yar Aung (Myanmar Earthquake Committee / Yangon Technological University) "Development of Disaster Scenario" o Prof. Kenji Okazaki (GSGES, Kyoto University) January 26, 2017: Experts' Meeting, MES Building, Yangon, Myanmar "GGS Project Joint Research: Progress and Way Forward" o Mr. Saw Htwe Zaw (Myanmar Engineering Society / Myanmar Earthquake Committee) “Disaster Education and Action Plan” o Dr. Koichi Shiwaku (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Disaster Resilience and Social Fairness: Legal Issues" o Prof. Makato Usami (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Joint Research on Risk Perception and Housing Safety in Yangon" o Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Toward Inspection Manual Development: Survey and Follow-up Activities" o Assoc. Prof. Kazuyoshi Nishijima (DPRI, Kyoto University) June 15, 2017: 7th Local Platform Workshop, MES Building, Yangon, Myanmar “GGS Project Outline” o Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Earthquake Risk and Vulnerability Assessment for Yangon" o Mr. Saw Htwe Zaw (Myanmar Engineering Society / Myanmar Earthquake Committee) "Urban Seismic Assessment of Byane Kwet Thit Ward and Pazundaung Ward 2" o Mr. Wai Yar Aung (Myanmar Earthquake Committee / Yangon Technological University) August 15, 2017: 8th Local Platform Workshop, MES Building, Yangon, Myanmar “GGS Project Outline” o Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Contributions and Achievements of Myanmar Earthquake Committee in the GGS Project" o Mr. Saw Htwe Zaw (Myanmar Engineering Society / Myanmar Earthquake Committee) "Interpretation of RVS and Town Watching Program and Resilience Scorecard Survey Results" Mr. Wai Yar Aung (Myanmar Earthquake Committee / Yangon Technological University) January 17, 2018: GGS Project International Conference on Urban Disaster Resilience, Yangon City Hall, Yangon, Myanmar “GGS Project in Lalitpur Metropolitan City” o Mr. Chiri Babu Maharjan (Mayor, Lalitpur Metropolitan City) "Overview of of the Grant for Global Sustainability (GGS) Project" o Dr. Riyanti Djalante (Academic Program Officer, United Nations University, Tokyo) "Overview of the Pilot Projects in Kathmandu and Yangon" o Prof. Kenji Okazaki (GSGES, Kyoto University) “Local Platform Activities in Yangon” o Ms. Hlaing Maw Oo (Secretary, Yangon City Development Committee) “Local Platform Activities in Lalitpur” o Mr. Harish Chandra Lamichhane (Lalitpur Metropolitan City) “Joint Research Activities in Yangon” o Mr. Saw Htwe Zaw (Myanmar Engineering Society / Myanmar Earthquake Committee) "Role of NSET in the Implementation of the GGS Project in Kathmandu, Nepal" o Mr. Bijay Krishna Upadhyay (National Society for Earthquake Technology – Nepal) "Action Plan of Ward No. 2 of Pazundaung Township" o Mr. Ko Oo (Pazundaung General Administrative Department Officer) "Action Plan of Byaing Kwet Thit Ward of Tamwe Township" o Ms. Maw Maw Win (Principal, Basic Education High School No. 10 Tamwe) January 18, 2018: GGS Project International Conference on Urban Disaster Resilience (Research Symposium), Yangon City Hall, Yangon, Myanmar "Disaster Risk Reduction: Progress in Implementing the Sendai Framework for DRR" o Dr. Riyanti Djalante (Academic Program Officer, United Nations University, Tokyo) “Urban Seismic Risk Assessment in Yangon” o Dr. Kyaw Kyaw (Yangon Technological University) “Disaster Education and Action Plan” o Dr. Koichi Shiwaku (GSGES, Kyoto University) “Urban Seismic Risk Assessment in Kathmandu” o Prof. Kenji Okazaki (GSGES, Kyoto University) “Risk Perception and Housing Conditions” o Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Disaster Resilience and Social Fairness: A Legal Perspective" o Prof. Makoto Usami (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Acquisition of Ground Information for Development of Disaster (Earthquake) Response Support o System in Yangon" Prof. Tun Naing (Yangon Technological University / SATREPS Project) “Current Activities and Future Plans of YCDC” o Ms. Hnin Ei Win (Yangon City Development Committee) “Rapid Visual Screening Survey” o Mr. Wai Yar Aung (Myanmar Earthquake Committee / Yangon Technological University) "Wind Vulnerability of School and Residential Buildings in Yangon" o Mr. Wai Yar Aung (Myanmar Earthquake Committee / Yangon Technological University) "Seismic Performance Evaluation of Existing Reinforced Concrete Buildings in Yangon" o Mr. Phyo Hein Kyaw (Yangon Technological University) "Total Quality Management for Construction Projects in Myanmar" Ms. Hsu Wutyee Htun (Yangon Technological University) February 22, 2018: GGS Project Final Conference, Lalitpur Metropolitan City Hall, Lalitpur, Nepal "Overview of the Pilot Projects in Kathmandu and Yangon" o Prof. Kenji Okazaki (GSGES, Kyoto University) "Risk Perception and Housing Recontruction" o Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University) “Disaster Education and Action Plan” o Dr. Basanta Adhikari (Center for Disaster Studies, Tribhuvan University) "Evaluation of Damage to a Community Masonry Building in Nepal by Comparing Vibrational o Characteristics Before and After the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake" Dr. Basanta Adhikari (Center for Disaster Studies, Tribhuvan University) “Local Platform Activities in Ward 21 of Lalitpur” o Mr. Rabindra Maharjan (Ward Chairman) "Local Platform Activities in Ward 16 of Lalitpur" o Mr. Dilip Joshi (ward representative) .
International
. . . . . December 13, 2015: 6 th International Conference on Science and Engineering, Yangon Technological University, Yangon, Myanmar "For Safer Houses and Resilient Communities" (keynote speech) o Prof. Kenji Okazaki (GSGES, Kyoto University) November 14, 2016: International Symposium on Global Environmental Studies Education and Research in Asia, Mahidol University, Salaya, Thailand "Earthquake Risk Perception Research in Asia Post-2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake" (poster and oral o presentations) Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University) March 20, 2017: 3 rd Global Summit of Research Institutes for Disaster Risk Reduction: Expanding the Platform for Bridging Science and Policy Making (GSRIDRR 2017), Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University, Uji Campus, Japan "GGS Project: Enhancing the Urban Disaster Resilience of Kathmandu and Yangon through Local o Participatory Platform Activities" (poster presentation) Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University) October 17, 2017: Invited Seminar Presentation, Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction (IDMR), Sichuan University, Chengdu, China "Enhancing Urban Disaster Resilience through Participatory Local Platform Activities" o Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University) October 30, 2017: 12 th Inter-University Workshop on Education and Research Collaboration in the Indochina Region, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam "Grant for Global Sustainability Project: Enhancing Urban Resilience in Kathmandu and Yangon" o Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University) . . October 31, 2017: HUST and KU International Symposium on the Education and Research of the Global Environmental Studies in Asia, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam "Factors Influencing Fire, Earthquake, and Cyclone Risk Perception in Yangon, Myanmar" (poster o presentation) Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University) November 27, 2017: 7 th International Conference on Building Resilience: Using Scientific Knowledge to Inform Policy and Practice in Disaster Risk Reduction, Swissotel Le Concorde Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand "Grant for Global Sustainability Project: Enhancing the Urban Disaster Resilience of Kathmandu and o Yangon through Local Participatory Platform Activities" (oral and poster presentations) Dr. Glenn Fernandez (GSGES, Kyoto University)
MEDIA COVERAGE
The announcements and news about the GGS Project are on the website of the partner organizations and of the media organizations, such as the following: . International kick-off conference in Kathmandu NSET website: http://www.nset.org.np/nset2012/index.php/event/eventdetail/eventid-309 GSGES website: http://www2.ges.kyoto-u.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/SNL_No13.pdf . . . Third local platform workshop in Yangon on 15 July 2016 was covered by Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV). A copy of the news segment can be viewed using this link: https://www.facebook.com/mrtvwebmediaportal/videos/1139106822801809/ International Conference in Yangon on 19 January 2018 was covered by Eleven Broadcasting. A copy of the news segment can be viewed using this link: https://www.facebook.com/elevenbroadcasting/videos/2046037382319402/ Reports of the activities of the joint research on risk perception and housing safety are uploaded to the website of the Global Environmental Architecture Laboratory headed by Prof. Okazaki: http://www.gea-lab.ges.kyoto-u.ac.jp/news.html . The GGS Project has a dedicated website for sharing updates and announcements: https://ggsurbanresilience.org/
List of Annexes
Annex 1 Annex 2 Annex 3 Annex 4 Annex 5 Annex 6 Annex 7 Annex 8 Annex 9 Annex 10 Annex 11 Annex 12 Annex 13 Annex 14 Annex 15 Annex 16 Annex 17 Annex 18 Annex 19 Annex 20 Annex 21 Annex 22 Annex 23 International Kick-off Conference Report (Nepal) International Kick-off Conference Report (Myanmar) International Closing Conference Program Final Report of Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC) Final Report of National Society for Earthquake Technology – Nepal (NSET) Final Report of Center for Disaster Studies (CDS) Final Report of Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) Final Report of Myanmar Engineering Society (MES) Final Report of Yangon Technological University (YTU) Final Report of the Joint Research Team on Urban Seismic Risk Assessment Final Report of the Joint Research Team on Disaster Education Final Report of the Joint Research Team on Wind Vulnerability Final Report of the Joint Research Team on Risk Perception and Housing Safety Final Report of the Joint Research Team on Social Fairness of Policies and Action Plans List of Joint Research Team Members (Nepal) List of Joint Research Team Members (Myanmar) GGS Project Activity Calendar (Local Platform Activities) GGS Project Activity Calendar (Joint Research Activities) Urban Resilience Action Plan of Ward 16 (Lalitpur) Urban Resilience Action Plan of Ward 21 (Lalitpur) Urban Resilience Action Plan of No. 2 Ward, Pazundaung Township (Yangon) Urban Resilience Action Plan of Byane Kwet Thit Ward, Tamwe Township (Yangon) Universal Model on Enhancing Urban Disaster Resilience