Asia Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC)　Archives: Apr. 2013

Activity Report

Workshop on Recovery Planning for GCC Member States

29 April - 1 May 2013 (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretariat has collaborate had with IRP/ADRC in organizing a Workshop on Disaster Recovery Planning held at GCC Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from April 29 to May 1, 2013. The workshop was an initial stage of creating a pool of recovery experts in the region. The idea is to have a standby capacity at GCC to support any country in the region desiring assistance　for disaster recovery planning.

During the workshop, various aspects of recovery planning were discussed including hazards from neighboring countries like Iran (which was recently struck by earthquake) that might have effects on GCC member states. While IRP/ADRC served mainly as facilitators, partners from the World Bank in Washington, DC and UNISDR in Egypt came to the workshop to share their expertise.

With about 50 high level participation from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates, no less than H.E. Abdul Latif Bin Rashid Al Zayani, Secretary-General of GCC, came at the opening to grace the event. The Secretary-General highlighted the importance of activities and programs that strengthen "preparedness", "planning", and "governance" to achieve effective and resilient disaster management and recovery. The League of Arab States (LAS) had also sent delegations to the workshop.

As way forward, the workshop participants through the leadership of Dr. Abdul Aziz Yousif Hamza, who is the Head of GCC Emergency Center, identified the key next steps. Firstly, a follow-up Workshop on Disaster Recovery Planning for GCC will be organized sometime in June or September 2013. This workshop will be participated primarily by the same set of participants, who will serve as resource persons to senior level officials. In the follow-up workshop, an additional one-day activity will be devoted on the "Role of Media in DRR". Secondly, Case Studies on DRR will be collected by each GCC member state. In doing this, an international template will be utilized (e.g. IRP/ADRC case studies template). Each member state is expected to submit at least one case study to GCC Secretariat within two months. The development of these case studies will also be coordinated with LAS, as there are similarities of hazards. Finally, a Workshop on Risk Assessment will be organized in each GCC member state which will later culminate in a regional workshop to be held in Kuwait or Riyadh to share experiences and come up with a Regional Risk Assessment Framework.

(2013/05/10 14:40)

Workshop on Recovery Planning for SAARC

10-13 April 2013 (New Delhi, India)

In coordination with South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Disaster Management Center (SAARC DMC), the International Recovery Platform / Asian Disaster Reduction Center (IRP/ADRC) has facilitated a Workshop on Disaster Recovery Planning held at SDMC Conference Hall, National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) Bldg., New Delhi, India on April 10 to 13, 2013. The event was part of the European Commission (EC) funded project "Strengthening Region-based Capacities in Disaster Recovery Planning". The workshop was aimed at creating a standby capacity for SDMC and SAARC member states to support any high risk country in the region desiring disaster recovery planning support. In particular, the workshop was intended to create a pool of experts on disaster recovery planning in SAARC region who will serve as resource persons when needed. Various aspects of recovery planning were discussed during the four-day workshop through the facilitation of IRP/ADRC and partner organizations, including WHO India, UNDP India, SEEDs India, and SDMC.

About 30 officials, primarily government officials, participated in the event. The participants were high-level, including Deputy Minister Fathimath Thasneem of Maldives along with other officials from Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and India. Participants have been engaged in recovery planning - from the national platform as well as from supporting ministries such as public works, health, education, and environment. In addition, staffers from international and other national agencies also participated, making sure that the policymaking process encapsulates local knowledge, regional experience, and international expertise.

The workshop resulted in potential cooperation for several planned activities. First, SDMC intends to facilitate the development of "Regional Recovery Framework for SAARC" with essential next step of initiating dialogues with other regional organizations, specifically with the Coordination for Natural Disaster Prevention in Central America (CEPREDENAC) and South Pacific Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) to share lessons and experiences. Secondly, SAARC Member States expressed some options on how to take recovery planning forward. The options include: (i) organizing a Training of Trainers (ToT) at the national level; (ii) developing a national recovery framework, using as reference the consolidated strategic recommendations for disaster recovery plans that came out from the workshop; and (iii) initiating specific projects such as pre-disaster agreements or identification of recovery support functions among various ministries (e.g. fast-tracking environmental impact assessments with support from Ministry of Environment in the reconstruction of infrastructures such as roads and bridges) in SAARC member states. Finally, IRP/ADRC, NIDM, and SDMC are discussing future cooperation in collecting and sharing more information on recovery as well as partnership in providing technical assistance and capacity building programs.

(2013/04/16 14:40)