Last updated: 31 October, 2008    

Disaster Mitigation in Asia
Issue No. 9 
24 December 2003

A. From the Region
B. Calls for Submission 
C. Conferences & Courses
D. Useful Resources

CONFERENCES AND COURSES

First Regional Training Course on Disaster Risk Communication (DRC-1), 2-6 February 2004, Bangkok, Thailand

Developed under the Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program (AUDMP) of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), DRC-1 is an attempt to instill theoretical and practical aspects of communication campaigns to build capacity of development workers for a more effective awareness dissemination. The course is primarily useful to members of government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who work on the communication aspects of development programs. Other development-oriented organizations, however, who may not be directly involved in creating communication messages but have some collaboration with NGOs or other message-making organizations, are considered secondary target for the training program. Outcomes expected are that participants will be able to:

• conduct basic primary and secondary research to inform every aspect of the communication plan
• create effective messages for target audiences using relevant media
• know how to efficiently use time and resources
• know how to effectively implement and evaluate communication campaigns

The course brochure and the registration form are now available online at: <http://www.adpc.net>.

For more information, please write to Dr. Buddhi Weerasinghe
<buddhiwe@adpc.net>.

Public Health and Emergency Management Courses

The Public Health in Emergencies (PHCE) team of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) partners with various health organizations to organize the following health-related disaster management course:

Course on Public Health in Complex Emergencies (PHCE), 19-31 January 2004, Bangkok, Thailand In partnership with the World Education Inc. (WEI), Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), ADPC will organize this course which is aimed at enhancing the capacity of humanitarian assistance workers and their organizations to respond to the health needs of refugees and internally displaced persons affected by these emergencies.

Detailed information and application form regarding this course can be downloaded at the IRC website at <http://www.theirc.org/phce/>
or at the ADPC website at <http://www.adpc.net>.

LEADERS Course in Asia, 29 March-10 April 2004, Bangkok, Thailand

This is an international course on Development and Disasters with special focus on health. The World Health Organization (WHO) and its Southeast Asia Regional Office will tailor the English-language LEADERS Course held last February 2003 in Jamaica, and present it to a global audience, primarily Asia, with support from the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC).

For more information on the LEADERS course, visit the WHO website at
<http://www.disaster-info.net/LIDERES>

The Fourth Inter-regional Training Course on Public Health and Emergency Management in Asia and the Pacific (PHEMAP-4), 19 April-1 May 2004, Bangkok, Thailand

In collaboration with WHO, ADPC will organize this course to help countries of the region develop more effective policy procedures, plans, guidelines and standards of best practices for health sector emergency management.

For more information, please contact Robin D. Willison, e-mail <rwillison@adpc.net>.

Space Technology and Disaster Management Workshops For 2004

the Space Technology and Disaster Management Programme is to organize 3 workshops building upon the previous 5 regional workshops. ** Workshop on the Use of Space Technology for Environmental Security, Disaster Rehabilitation and Sustainable Development, 8-12 May 2004, Tehran, Iran The objectives of this Regional Workshop are: increase the awareness of managers and decision makers dealing with environmental issues and disaster problems of the potential benefits of using space technologies within the area of environmental security, disaster rehabilitation, post-conflict reconstruction, refugee support and sustainable development; strengthen existing Regional Networks; and develop a Plan-of-Action with recommendations that will guide the incorporation of the use of space technologies in the above areas.

- Workshop on the Use of Space Technology for Natural Resources Management, Environmental Monitoring, and Disaster Management, 5-9 April 2004, Khartoum, Sudan The ultimate goal of this workshop is to facilitate the implementation of space technologies into operational programmes in Africa and Western Asia, focusing on increasing the awareness of managers and decision-makers of the potential benefits of using space-based technologies in programmes dedicated to Natural Resource Management, Environmental Monitoring and Disaster Management, and developing a regional plan-of-action that will lead to pilot projects tailored for the specific needs of the region.

- United Nations International Workshop on the Use of Space Technology for Disaster Management, November 2004, Germany This international workshop will wrap-up the previous 5 regional workshops held on space technology and disaster management focusing on a common vision and approach across all regions, setting guidelines for the development of a global disaster management system, building upon the recommendations of Action Team 7 and building upon other international initiatives such as GEO and GMES.

For more information on these workshops, contact Office for Outer Space Affairs, United Nations Office at Vienna <http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/>
E-mail: <oosa@unvienna.org>

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