|
AUDMP
Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation News - March 2002
This month's issue includes
the following features:
Should you wish to receive
the News by e-mail please send a message to the AUDMP Information
and Networking Coordinator at ccapikul@ait.ac.th
Please
click here to go to AUDMP monthly activity highlights
Experts join
forces to make cities safe from earthquakes
Bangkok, Thailand - Prior to
embarking on the fifth course entitled ‘Earthquake Vulnerability
Reduction for Cities (EVRC)’, ADPC organized a Curriculum Review
Workshop during 6-8 March 2002. The workshop brought together
experts and professionals specializing in Earthquake Vulnerability
Reduction (EVR) and ADPC senior staffs, to discuss and review the
course’s draft curriculum. "We
are people with a vision to make cities safe from earthquakes. We
all share the same motivation. We are here to enhance work in
progress to deliver this course. The purpose of this workshop are to
seek inputs, to engage in dialogue and to elicit feedback and
guidance with an aim to make it the most vivid, compelling and
practical learning experience possible. I believe it is going to be
a significant movement in earthquake vulnerability reduction,"
announced Shirley Mattingly, a well-known urban risk management
advisor, who served as a facilitator of the workshop. Her opening
speech embodied the spirit of the endeavor.
The workshop
formed an international panel of experts and specialists in EVR,
which included Dr. Jamilur R. Choudhury, Vice Chancellor of BRAC
University, Bangladesh; Prof. D.K. Paul, Head of the Department of
Earthquake Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee,
India; Dr. M. Fouad Bendimerad, Chairman of the Earthquakes and
Megacities Initiative (EMI), USA.; Dr. Richard Deane Sharpe,
Principal of the Earthquake Engineering Department, Beca
International Consultants Limited, New Zealand, Prof. Mustafa Erdik,
Chairman of the Department of Engineering, Kandilli Observatory
& Earthquake Research Institute, Bogazici University, Turkey,
Dr. Ravindra K. Pande, Executive Director of the Disaster Mitigation
and Management Centre, Government of Uttaranchal, India.
The draft
course curriculum was collaboratively developed by Mr. Amod Dixit,
General Secretary, the National Society for Earthquake Technology
(NSET) Nepal and Dr. Krishna Pribadi, Project Manager, the Indonesia
Urban Disaster Mitigation Project (IUDMP) under the Institute of
Technology Bandung (ITB), Indonesia. The course development also
involved policy makers, planners and financiers in order to cover
every aspect of EVR.
During the
workshop, many constructive comments emerged from fruitful
discussions. Of major concern were target audience, course logic and
progression, course duration, course flexibility and adaptability,
and content.
The consensus
was that case studies was critical for learning about EVR. More
emphasis should be placed on planning and implementation of
mitigation efforts. Hands-on experience was recommended through
exercises on real-life situations based on Risk Assessment Tools for
Diagnosis of Urban Areas against Seismic Disasters (RADIUS). A
template to present course material that embeds adult learning tools
with visual media integration was also endorsed by the panel.
Another
outstanding outcome of the workshop was the self-offer to be the
fourth collaborator of the course by the Earthquakes and Megacities
Initiative (EMI), USA. Much enthusiasm was visible for EVRC when
experts from Dhaka, Bangladesh and Uttaranchal, India expressed the
desire to run the course at these locations as a follow-up to the
Kathmandu schedule.
The draft
course curriculum will be further reviewed by many other EVR experts
and scholars who did not participate in the workshop in order to
produce the most effective EVRC curriculum.
The first
Regional EVRC workshop is scheduled for 20-31 May 2002 in Kathmandu,
Nepal. The course is a collaborative venture between ADPC, the
National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET-Nepal) and
the World Seismic Safety Initiative (WSSI).
More
information on the EVRC-1 in Kathmandu can be obtain at http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th
The
University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka takes the first step in academic
integration of Natural Disaster Management
Sri Lanka - The Faculty
Board of the Faculty of Architecture, University of Moratuwa has
agreed to integrate the subject of Natural Disaster Management (NDM)
into the curricula of all courses of the Faculty. As a result, a
curriculum development committee has been established to further
consider this initiative.
The need to include the NDM
subject in the postgraduate and undergraduate courses in Town
Planning of the University of Moratuwa's Faculty of Architecture was
felt during the implementation of SLUMDMP, which aims at integrating
risk-based mitigation planning into development process.
As the first
activity in the process, an awareness seminar was conducted on 28
January 2002 for the staff of the 3 departments of the faculty,
namely Town and Country Planning, Architecture, and Building
Economics, and a few MSc students of the Faculty. The seminar was
organized by the Centre for Housing Planning and Building (CHPB) and
National Building Research Organization (NBRO) under the Sri Lanka
Urban Multi-Hazards Project (SLUMDMP).
This was
attended by 26 participants including senior lecturers, Prof. Lal
Balasuriya, Dean of the Faculty, Mr. H.D. Chandrasena, Faculty Board
Member and Mr. M.A.P. Senanayaka representing the Department of Town
and Country Planning. The Resource Faculty for the workshop
comprised Mr. Josh Moga, Senior Program Manager, AUDMP/ADPC, Mrs.
Geethi Karunaratne, Project Director, SLUMDMP, Mr. Lionel Hewawasam,
Project Manager, SLUMDMP, Mr. R.M.S. Bandara, Assistant Project
Manager, SLUMDMP and Mr. Upali Mallawarachchi, Visiting Faculty
Member, CHPB.
The University
of Moratuwa’s Faculty of Architecture has been chosen for the
first integration of NDM subject due to the fact that it is the only
degree granting institute in architectures and town and country
planning in Sri Lanka.
The subject is
expected to be included in three programs, namely MSc in Town
Planning and Architecture, PG Diploma in Housing Development and
Urban Development and BSc in Town Planning, Build Environment and
Building Economics, to different extents as appropriate.
Many further
steps, however, towards the ultimate goal need to be taken,
requiring a full cooperation from all parties involved. This
includes the University’s commitment to explore the extent and
depth of Disaster Mitigation subject to be covered in different
courses. Other important issues are the selection of the appropriate
term/semester within each course to take up this subject as well as
to initiate activities for development of curricula.
At the same
time, the AUDMP is planning a workshop of NDM curriculum development
later this year with other universities in the region.
ADPC
plays a supporting role in establishing a milestone in Thailand's
disaster management
Bangkok,
Thailand- Following the initiative attempt to restructure disaster
management agencies by placing them under one-roof, ADPC, in
collaboration with the Thai Ministry of Interior, will organize a
one and a half day high-level seminar on "Institutional
Arrangements for Total Risk Management" during 3-4 April, 2002
at the United Nations Conference Center, Bangkok, Thailand.
The
establishment of this new national agency responsible specifically
for disaster management will enhance effectiveness of disaster
management planning and implementation by Thai government
departments at all levels. The new integrated department will be in
operation on 1 October 2002.
ADPC, as a
Thailand-based organization working with disaster management in the
Asian region, has been involved in the progress of founding the new
DM department by offering the Thai government assistance in
designing and outlining a number of options for assistance. Amongst
ADPC’s recommendations, the initiative to organize the
high-profile seminar is one of the most interest to the government.
To be attended by national and international experts, as well as
agencies with current responsibility for disaster managements, the
seminar is expected to elicit inputs into the process of developing
this new agency.
The seminar
will provide an opportunity for Thai participants to learn from
lessons of disaster management in different countries, including
Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.A. by an international panel of
speakers.
Approximately
150 senior government officers from Thailand’s government
organizations, including the Parliament, the Ministry of Interior,
the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry
of Education, the Budget Bureau, the National Economic and Social
Development Board and the National Safety Council will be invited to
participate in this seminar.
List
of Safer Cities Case Studies
ADPC recently launched its case study of the Safer
Cities series. Safer Cities series presents strategies
and approaches to urban disaster mitigation derived
from analyses of real-life experiences in Asia
initiated by the AUDMP. Topics highlighted
throughout the Safer Cities series are broad-based
participation, partnerships, sustainability and
replication of success stories.
This user-friendly resource allows readers to
explore
a city’s experience through a pair of "thematic"
spectacles,
providing decision-makers, city and
community
leaders and trainers with an array of
proven
ideas, practices, tools, policy options and
lessons
for urban disaster mitigation.
The following is a list of Safer Cities case
studies. If
you
would like to receive these
publications,
please
contact Christine Apikul
at ccapikul@ait.ac.th
Guidelines for
Safer Cities: Case Studies on Mitigating Disaster in Asian and the
Pacific, January 2002.
ADPC Safer
Cities 1: Community-based initiatives in Kathmandu Valley, January
2002.
Safer Cities To
be published by March 2002
Safer Cities 2:
Coping with Flood in Cambodian Communities
Safer Cities 3:
Mitigating Flood Risk in Cambodian Communities
Upcoming Safer
Cities case studies
-
Community
Based Initiatives in Sri Lanka
-
Nepal
School Earthquake Safety Program
-
Indonesia
School Earthquake Safety Program
Masons from
Nepal Help a Community of Gujarat Rebuild their Lives
In the aftermath of the Gujarat Earthquake on 26
January 2001, many individuals and organizations from India
and worldwide joined forces to ease the hardships faced by
earthquake victims. Two masons from villages
situated in Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, trained by one of AUDMP’s
partners, Nepal’s National Society for
Earthquake Technology (NSET) in earthquake-resistant construction,
were committed to help in Gujarat’s
reconstruction efforts.
In Patanka Village of Gujarat, 250 households were
made homeless by the Gujarat Earthquake. To aid the
reconstruction of Patanka, Nepali masons provided hands-on training
on earthquake-resistant construction
techniques to the local masons in Patanka. This technological
exchange was made possible by the partnership
between NSET and the Sustainable Environment and Eco Development
Society India (SEEDS India).
Houses in Patanka are typically 4 meters by 4 meters
with timber posts, 45 centimeters thick stone masonry
walls in mud mortar and clay tile roof. As part of the technological
exchange between India and Nepal, "stonecretes"
mentioned in last month’s issue, were introduced in Patanka,
especially since stone masonry was common
practice.
Social acceptance of this new building technique
will take time. Patanka villagers are familiar with the thick stone
walls of their house. However, to make stonecretes cost-effective,
the walls need to be thinner. Demonstrations
need to be held regularly to convince local masons that the thinner
stonecrete walls are stronger and more
durable than the thick stone walls.
Changing the mindset of masons as well as local
residents in new techniques and materials such as
earthquake-safe construction and stonecretes takes time but, in the
long-run, is more effective and sustainable
than if the project provided completed stonecrete houses to the
villagers. This exchange was successful largely
because of the similar culture in India and Nepal and there was some
familiarity with the technology introduced.
Recently, during Nepal’s Earthquake Safety
Day in January 2002, Nepali masons had
the opportunity to show Indian masons the
schools they helped to retrofit in their
hometown of Nangkhel and Alapot in
Kathmandu Valley as part of NSET-initiated
School Earthquake Safety Program. This
two-way exchange that took place in Nepal
and India proved extremely valuable to
local masons, families, children and
teachers in the villages. For government
and
non-government
organizations in the two
countries,
it is an example of successful
South-South
Cooperation which we could all learn from.
|
