The ADRC joined the JICA Follow-Up Seminar "Comprehensive Disaster Management" held at the Center of Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction (CESDRR) in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 14-15 August 2013. This seminar was held to follow up the efforts of JICA training course "Comprehensive Disaster Management for Central Asia and the Caucasus" that ADRC has been conducting together with JICA Kansai. In addition, for further transferring Japan's experience and expertise regarding disaster risk management, it focused on a few themes, namely "Seismic Safety of Buildings," "Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM)" and "Operation of regional disaster management center," which Kazakh Government is interested in. Approximately 40 participants including the Vice Mayor of Almaty City, national and local government officials of Ministry of Emergency Situations and Almaty City, and researchers from KazNIISA (Agency for Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Republic of Kazakhstan) and other institutions.
In the seminar, the ADRC introduced the efforts for CBDRM taken place in Japan, including voluntary organizations for disaster prevention, disaster education and awareness raising activities. Furthermore, the ADRC shared the information on its activities since its establishment in 1998, as well as the management of a regional center as a humble guide for operating the new CESDRR which was agreed with the establishment between the governments of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in May 2013.
Seminar participants might have a difficulty to understand Japanese disaster management system, however we believe that they understand well the importance of retrofitting of buildings, as well as the concept of "Self Help," "Mutual Help" and "Public Help." The ADRC also learnt a lot from the Kazakh experiences on DRR through this seminar. We are looking forward to further working with JICA and the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan, as well as CESDRR in the near future.
(2013/09/05 16:50)