PROJECT PROFILE Life of Project: Six year program, commenced on October 1995. Funding: Original core funding from USAID/OFDA. Management: Implemented by ADPC with management oversight from USAID/RUDO for Southeast Asia. Project Description Asia is the most disaster-prone region of the world, where loss of life and property from natural hazards is very high, hindering sustainable, broad-based development. As population and economic activity concentrate in rapidly-growing cities, urban areas become increasingly vulnerable to disasters. Where properly managed, however, cities also represent a critical opportunity to mitigate the damage from natural hazards. The Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program (AUDMP) is a six-year program designed to respond to the need for safer cities. The ultimate goal of the program is to reduce the disaster vulnerability of urban populations, infrastructure, critical facilities, and shelter in targeted cities throughout Asia. The purpose of the program is to: establish sustainable public and private sector mechanisms for disaster mitigation that will measurably lessen loss of life, reduce the amount of physical and economic damage, and shorten the post-disaster recovery time; and promote replication and adaptation of successful mitigation measures within target countries and throughout the region. Working in conjunction with collaborating institutions in each target country, the program strategy takes a three-tiered approach: National demonstration projects in each of the target countries will serve to provide a working example of urban hazard mitigation. In a selected urban area in each country, a hazard or set of hazards will be assessed, followed by the design and implementation of appropriate disaster mitigation measures. The Information and Networking component aims to help build public and private networks as a forum for exchanging information and experience on urban disaster management, with the goal of replicating successful hazard mitigation practices from the demonstration projects throughout the region. The Training, Resource Materials, and Continuing Education component provides an opportunity to further institutionalize hazard mitigation practices through seminars for national level decision makers, as well as by using an in-country and regional 'train the trainers' approach for passing on technical skills via a core curriculum in hazard assessment and mitigation. Courses will be offered by in-country partner institutions and on a distance learning basis. Target Countries & Hazards THE PHILIPPINES: Floods in Naga City & Multiple Hazards in San Carlos The objective of the Philippines project is to reduce the vulnerability of two cities to natural hazards: flood mitigation in Naga City and multiple hazards in San Carlos. INDONESIA: Earthquakes in Bandung In Indonesia, the project strives to reduce the vulnerability of Bandung, West Java to natural disasters, particularly to earthquake hazards. Special attention will be paid to critical facilities such as schools and hospitals. INDIA: Technological Hazards in Calcutta and Baroda The objective of the India project is to reduce the vulnerability of the population within the Calcutta and Baroda metropolitan areas to technological/industrial hazards. NEPAL: Earthquakes in Kathmandu Valley This project will assist the three municipalities of Kathmandu Valley to understand the risk of earthquakes and the vulnerabilities of communities to earthquake hazards. Under the project, an appropriate mitigation plan will be developed and implemented. The project will focus on school safety. SRI LANKA: Multiple hazards in Ratnapura The Sri Lanka project aims to assist municipal officials in the growing town of Ratnapura, Kandy and Nawalapitiya to develop improved tools and skills for development planning. In turn, such planning will reduce the risk of multiple hazards. CAMBODIA: Floods in Vulnerable Districts The Cambodia project aims to use a community-based preparedness and mitigation approach to reduce the vulnerability of flood-prone areas of the country. LAO PDR: Fires and Other Urban Emergencies in Vientiane The objective of the Lao project is to reduce the vulnerability of the population and built environment of Vientiane to fires and other urban hazards. BANGLADESH: Floods in Tongi and Gaibandha The Bangladesh project will reduce the vulnerability of Tongi, Gaibanhda and other Bangladeshi urban areas to floods through community and municipality-level mitigation activities. Recent Achievements and Upcoming Initiatives The national demonstration projects in Cambodia, Nepal and Sri Lanka will be completed in February 2000 and the Indonesia project in March 2000. In these national projects and in the regional program activities, the AUDMP is entering a phase of replication. Proposals for replication are being finalized in four countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal and Sri Lanka. CARE Bangladesh submitted a proposal for an urban flood mitigation project and a proposal for Lao PDR that focuses on urban fire and emergency services is being finalized. Under Information and Networking, the Urban Mitigation Collection and the AUDMP Networking Guide are currently being transferred to database format for remote access via the AUDMP homepage. Under the Training, Resource Materials, and Continuing Education component, the Urban Disaster Mitigation Curriculum and the three new courses - the Urban Flood Mitigation, Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction for Cities and Technological Hazard Risk Mitigation for Cities - have been developed and are currently being reviewed by ADPC staff and consultants. The Asian Disaster Mitigation Training Network (ADMIT) was launched on May 17, 1999. Four MoUs have been finalized between ADPC and the following institutions: the Nepal Administrative Staff College (NASC) in December 1999; the National Safety Council of India (NSCI) in January 2000; the Sri Lanka Development Administration (SLIDA) in January 2000; and the Centre for Housing, Planning and Building (CHPB), Sri Lanka in January 2000. In Sri Lanka, the two NPTIs SLIDA and CHPB - have successfully conducted their first course on Natural Disaster Mitigation (NDM1) on 25 - 30 October 1999. Institutional Involvement All divisions of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) are involved in the design and implementation of the AUDMP, including the Training and Education Division and the Technical Services Division. An array of other organizations are involved in the program, including NGOs, academic institutions, disaster management organizations, and regional and national governments. Management of the program has recently been transferred from USAID's Regional Urban Development Office for South East Asia (RUDO/SEA) in Jakarta to RUDO/South Asia in New Delhi. Implementation by ADPC in Bangkok, Thailand transferred to the new ADPC Foundation upon its establishment in June 1999. Core funding for the AUDMP comes from USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), and increased support to extend the program from four years to six has already been approved. Program Accomplishments National Demonstration Projects National Demonstration projects are implemented in six countries and two additional projects are actively in the design phase. Following is an overview of the projects and a status review. Philippines Overview: Many natural hazards, including cyclones, floods, and earthquakes, seriously threaten urban areas of the Philippines. The objective of the Philippines project is to reduce vulnerability to natural hazards in two cities, beginning with flood mitigation in Naga City and followed by multiple hazard mitigation in San Carlos. In addition to hazard mapping and mitigation planning, the project emphasizes land use planning, the formation of disaster management standards, and the training of urban professionals. A Cascade City component promotes the replication of lessons learned to other Philippine municipalities. The lead project institutions are the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP). Status: Phase 1 of the Philippine Cities Disaster Mitigation Project (PCDMP) in Naga City and San Carlos was completed at the end of August. The Phase 2 Proposal has been submitted and is being reviewed. Indonesia Overview:Although the City of Bandung in West Java is subject to numerous natural hazards, it is considered to be at especially high risk to earthquakes. Not only does the city sit on sedimentary soils close to an active fault, but it also has the highest population density of any urban area in Indonesia. The objective of the Indonesia project is to reduce the vulnerability of the city of Bandung to natural disasters. The project focus on reducing the susceptibility of the urban population, infrastructure, critical facilities, and shelter to natural disasters, particularly to earthquake hazards. Special attention is paid to critical facilities such as schools and hospitals, as they typically suffer from poor construction and have a history of ismic vulnerability. The first phase consists of hazard mapping and vulnerability assessment of the city. During the second phase, mitigation strategies are developed and implemented. Activities include the review of the Bandung Spatial Planning and Local Building Regulation with regard to seismic safety; the preparation of technical guidelines for implementation by the Municipality of Bandung; the development and implementation of a monitoring system; the development of an emergency response mechanism and the shift from a single hazard to a multi hazard mitigation process. Other activities include public awareness campaigns, networking and training. Status: The seismic hazard and vulnerability assessment of the Bandung area is complete, marking the end of phase 1 of the project. A report summarizing the findings of the assessment has been prepared in Bahasa Indonesia, and an abridged version is available in English. IUDMP staff is now working on the Guidelines for City Operational Emergency Plan for Earthquakes in the Bahasa Indonesia language. Discussions about the guidelines were held with SATLAK PB, PT. Telkom (National Telecommunication Company, PT. PLN (National Power Supply Company) and Bandara Husein Sastra Negara (Bandung Airport). From these discussions, a draft report of a study on the establishment of a City Emergency Unit was being developed. The project now incorporates a multi-hazard approach with the addition a new mitigation team for La Nina-related disasters in the Bandung Basin. The team works in coordination with the Municipality of Bandung and the Regency of Bandung for the collection of data and information to prepare flood and landslide hazard maps as well as in disseminating new information to the public. The project has also developed a sophisticated networking tool, KOMPAK, to further collaboration among urban disaster mitigation organizations in Indonesia and beyond. The KOMPAK website is:http://www.kompak.or.id/ which continues to be updated. The project has also worked with schools to educate students on earthquake safety, trained journalists for public awareness on seismic risk, and organized policy workshops. IUDMP has submitted a draft proposal for replication, which will be reviewed in the 5th Working Group Meeting in February 2000. India Overview: India's rapid urban growth, coupled with industrial expansion spurred by recent economic liberalization, has exacerbated the vulnerability of many Indian cities to technological/industrial hazards. Many manufacturing and hazardous storage sites are located in or near cities, often adjacent to dense concentrations of people. The India project aims to reduce the vulnerability of several Indian cities (two or three municipalities in the Calcutta Metropolitan Area and the city of Baroda) to technological/industrial hazards. The first phase includes the development of hazard maps and a vulnerability assessment for each target municipality, as well as a hazard map for the Calcutta Metropolitan Area and the development of guidelines for incorporating technological hazards into urban planning and development control. In the second phase, a mitigation plan and an off-site emergency plan will be prepared and implemented in one of these cities. Status: The Vulnerability Assessment for Calcutta has been complete and Phase II proposal has been submitted. The project in Baroda is developing the mitigation strategy and preparing the mitigation plan. The Phase II Proposal is expected to be submitted soon. Sri Lanka Overview:Urbanizing areas in Sri Lanka are often vulnerable to a number of hazards. The town of Ratnapura is an urban growth center subject to landslides, frequent flooding, erosion, pollution and contamination of water supplies, subsidence, and other hazards. The objective of the Sri Lanka project is to reduce the vulnerability of Ratnapura to such hazards. The project identifies hazards and selects appropriate strategies to avoid or reduce hazard-related losses. In this way, the project assists municipal officials to develop improved tools and skills for development planning and risk management. Two "replicating cities" awalapiatiya and Kandy are involved in the second phase. The project has three major components: Multi-Hazard Mapping, Training, and Networking/Policy Development. Phase 1 of the Multi-Hazard component focused on multi-hazard mapping, vulnerability and risk assessment, and generation of mitigation options. Phase 2 involves the selection of appropriate mitigation strategies and implementation of them through a municipal action plan, land use guidelines, and public awareness campaigns. Status: In Ratnapura, a Disaster Management Council has been established. Guidelines for construction in disaster prone areas, and Disaster Management and Mitigation Plan for Ratnapura have also been published and distributed. In both Nawalapitiya and Kandy - the two replicating cities, a Disaster Management Steering Committee has been set up. Urban development plan, incorporating hazard prone area maps, for both cities have also been developed. A policy workshop was held in July 1999. Two workshops on integration of natural disaster aspects in urban planning and development for urban development planners have been conducted. Several training courses/workshops relating to disaster management and mitigation have also been conducted for local government officials, teachers, journalists and boy scouts. The first National Course on Natural Disaster Mitigation (NDM1) was held between 25 and 30 October 1999 in Colombo. Public awareness campaigns using various kinds of media--radio, video, publications were carried out. SLUMDMP has submitted a draft proposal for replication which will be reviewed in the 5th Working Group Meeting in February 2000. Nepal Overview:Nepal has a long history of destructive earthquakes. With a burgeoning population of almost a million people, uncontrolled development, and building construction techniques that have changed little in the past century, Kathmandu Valley becomes increasingly vulnerable to catastrophic earthquakes with each passing year. The objective of the project is to reduce the earthquake vulnerability of Kathmandu Valley. The project has four main components: 1) Scenario and Action Plan; 2) School Earthquake Safety; 3) Public Awareness; and 4) Institution Building and Training. The Scenario and Action Plan component involves putting information on earthquake risk and consequences in a form that is understandable to public officials and citizens, information gathering from operators of critical facilities, presentation of a likely earthquake scenario to public and private decision-makers, and generation of an action plan. The School Earthquake Safety component establishes an Advisory Sub-Committee on school safety, design earthquake preparedness curriculum, conduct a participatory evaluation of the vulnerability of schools, and produce proposals for retrofitting the most at-risk buildings. The Public Awareness component combines public outreach in the form of various information pieces and public talks. The highlight of the project so far has been the establishment and celebration of the first annual Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Awareness Day on the anniversary of the devastating earthquake in 1934. Finally, the Institution Building and Training component seeks to build the capacity of NSET-Nepal and establish an office of Disaster Management in Kathmandu. Status: Under the Earthquake Scenario and Action Plan component, the Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Scenario and Earthquake Risk Management Action Plan have been published and distributed in both Nepali and English. The Action Plan is being implemented in close collaboration with partnering institutions. Under the School Earthquake Safety Component, the project established a School Earthquake Safety Advisory Committee, drawn from the education system in the Valley, the Ministry of Education, NGOs and INGOs, municipalities and NSET-Nepal. The project staff has also conducted a series of seminars for raising awareness of earthquake hazards and introducing methods for vulnerability reduction in schools. Vulnerability assessments of school buildings have been conducted and the survey and conceptual retrofit design of ten different building typologies have been completed. These activities have been followed by the retrofit of an existing building of a lower secondary school in Bhaktapur district, involving the local community, the government education system, the Nepalese private sector and expatriate funding agencies. Another building of the same school is being reconstructed with earthquake resistant elements. A meeting was held with the community during Earthquake Safety Day 2000 in January. Models of the school building of 1:10 scale were tested on a shake table demonstrating the importance and affordability of seismic resistant construction. As for Public Awareness, NSET-Nepal has produced numerous information products aimed at increasing awareness about seismic risk and preparedness measures, including posters, fliers with construction tips, newspaper articles and television and radio programs. KVERMP has submitted a draft proposal for replication which will be reviewed in the 5th Working Group Meeting in February 2000. Cambodia Overview:Many Cambodian communities have proven to be extremely vulnerable to the effects of recurrent flooding, particularly in the eastern part of the country that borders the Mekong River and the northwestern area around Tonle Sap. The goal of the project is to reduce the vulnerability of the population to floods using an integrated, community-based disaster preparedness and mitigation process at the village level. The process addresses the susceptibility of the general population and its critical facilities, infrastructure, livelihoods, and shelter. The project targets several communities within three highly flood-prone provinces bordering the Mekong River: Kompong Cham, Prey Veng, and Kandal. Status: A Disaster Preparedness Delegate (funded by American Red Cross and stationed at IFRC) was identified to work with the Cambodian Red Cross in carrying out the program implementation in Kandal, Prey Veng and Kampong Cham provinces. Training in the 3 provinces took place between March and July 1999. After training, the Red Cross Volunteers return to their communities to develop flood mitigation solutions. The Cambodian Red Cross conducted meetings in December 1999 in the three provinces to discuss hazard and vulnerability identification and mapping. Pact initiated fund raising activities with various NGOs and donors. In November 1999, Pact received a grant award under AusAID's "NGO Small Activities Scheme" to support community solutions of Prey Veng and Kampong Cham Provinces. The AusAID funds benefited seven communities in Prey Veng and two communities in Kampong Cham. Another grant for a community in Kampong Cham was funded by Inner CHANGE, House of Hope. The committee organized site visits for OXFAM to consider funding to the community mitigation activities in Kandal and Kampong Cham. Pact also received a major donation from the American Red Cross to support community based disaster preparedness activities. CBFMP has submitted a draft proposal for replication which will be reviewed in the 5th Working Group Meeting in February 2000. Lao PDR Overview:Fires have been identified as the largest cause of loss of life and property in the capital city of Vientiane. The objective of the Laos project is to reduce the vulnerability of the Vientiane population and built environment to fires and related man-made urban hazards. To accomplish this, the project will focus on building capacity for prevention and response within the city's emergency service departments, establishing a community outreach program, and improving the regulatory environment and incentive system for fire mitigation and accident prevention. The lead institution is the Lao Red Cross Society in collaboration with key government ministries and Vientiane municipal officials. Status: The design work has almost completed with some final tuning to be made, while the management structure for the project is being explored. However, invitation has been extended to the Urban Research Institute (URI) of Lao to join ADMIT for conduct of the Urban Disaster Mitigation Training course, as a component of the AUDMP Lao PDR Urban Fire and Emergency Management Project. ADPC will also cooperate with URI to conduct the risk-based planning module in March as part of their curriculum for the advanced urban planning and management program. Bangladesh Overview:The Disaster Management Unit (DMU) of CARE-Bangladesh submitted a concept paper for a Bangladesh urban flood mitigation project. The project will build on three experiences and capabilities of CARE Bangladesh: (i) successful flood mitigation program ongoing in rural areas; (ii) recent experience in flood relief in urban areas and the upcoming USAID SHAHAR project targeting urban areas; and (iii) the expanding role and capacity of the DMU itself. Proposed project activities include activation of municipal disaster management committees, use of participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques to assess community resources and flood impact, and the development of community mitigation plans and measures. CARE plans demonstration activities in two urban areas: Tongi, an industrial municipality in the Dhaka metropolitan area; and Gaibhanda, a northern district town on the bank of the Brahmaputra River. Status: The Grant Agreement for the Bangladesh Urban Disaster Mitigation Project (BUDMP) will be signed by March 2000. Information and Networking During the month of December 1999, a meeting was organized in Bangkok to discuss AUDMP replication strategy. Based on the discussions and consultations, the following are proposed: World Wide Web: The AUDMP home page at http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th/audmp/audmp.html, part of a larger ADPC initiative, has developed into a valuable resource to disseminate information to all the project partners and to all those interested in disaster mitigation. Currently, the AUDMP web site provides background on all components of the AUDMP, full-text project information, scanned photographs, and access to a public discussion "forum" regarding the program. The AUDMP home page is also linked to other Divisions of ADPC and to project partners who have their own web sites. During the replication phase, it is proposed to develop the AUDMP web site to include the updates and outputs from the projects to enrich the existing information base. The work on this front has already been initiated by setting up web site for the 5th Working Group Meeting WGM) and is continuously being updated. The WGM web site can be accessed at . Networking and Information Sharing Events: The following events are proposed: Regional Policy Workshop: to discuss gaps in the existing legal and institutional frameworks for disaster mitigation in selected countries and suggest policy changes needed for institutionalization of disaster mitigation. Regional Lessons Learned Workshop: to highlight and share lessons learned from the AUDMP country projects and to share the best practices from other regional initiatives. Information & Networking Products: AUDMP has developed and made available to its project partners a number of products, which include: an urban disaster mitigation bibliography, a disk of selected WWW links for disaster management, a list of professional conferences, and an AUDMP program networking guide. These are intended to assist project partners in building their capacity to access the necessary resources to make their communities safer. Proposed products are: Newsletter, Working Papers Abstracts, Videos. Primer on Urban Disaster Mitigation. It is also proposed to provide the publications, outputs from country projects on the AUDMP web site and on CD-ROMs to allow wider dissemination of information.