Who ADPC Is

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) is a non-profit organization supporting the advancement of safer communities and sustainable development, through implementing programs and projects that reduce the impact of disasters upon countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific, by:

Developing and enhancing sustainable institutional disaster risk management capacities, frameworks and mechanisms, and supporting the development and implementation of government policies;

facilitating the dissemination and exchange of disaster risk management expertise, experience and information; and

raising awareness and enhancing disaster risk management knowledge and skills.

At the recommendation of UN Disaster Relief Organization (UNDRO) - now known as UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) - ADPC was established in 1986 as an outreach activity of the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok , Thailand , with the aim of strengthening the national disaster risk management systems in the region. In 1999, ADPC became an independent entity, which is governed and guided by a Board of Trustees (21 members representing 15 countries) and advised by a Regional Consultative Committee (29 members from 24 countries) and Advisory Council (56 members from a wide range of agencies, representing 16 countries).

What is ADPC’s Vision, Mission and Goals

ADPC’s vision is “Safer communities and sustainable development through disaster reduction”.

ADPC’s mission is to reduce the impact of disasters on communities and countries in Asia and the Pacific by:

raising awareness and enhancing knowledge and skills
strengthening sustainable institutional mechanisms, and
facilitating exchange of information, experience and expertise.

ADPC’s goals are to:

Mainstream Disaster Reduction in Development
Build and Strengthen Capacity
Facilitate Partnerships and Exchange of Experiences
Be recognized as a Proactive and Responsive Regional Resource
Achieve Quality Service Through a Team Approach

How ADPC Accomplishes its Mission

In accomplishing its mission, ADPC develops and implements cross-sectoral programs and projects in the following disaster risk management thematic areas:

Climate Risk Management
- reducing the vulnerabilities of communities to climate risks and using climate as a resource by applying climate information to crop and water resource management
- institutionalizing and building capacity of partner institutions to generate, interpret, translate and communicate climate forecast information with sufficient lead time to enable communities and governments to anticipate and manage risks instead of responding to recurring disasters
Community-Based Disaster Risk Management
- Institutionalization of the community based disaster risk management in the policy, planning and implementation of the government ministries and departments and the that of the donors in target countries
- Implementation of innovative programs to explore new dimensions in the CBDRM practice;
- Development of frameworks and tools to support the work of decision-makers and practitioners
- Development of databases and publications to map the CBDRM practices in various regions
- Development of new training tools to enhance the capacity of practitioners
- Development of a regional information and technical support center on CBDRM practices
- Continued support to the ACDM and other regional entities for promoting CBDRM practice

Disaster Risk Management Systems
- Strengthening and building the capacities of national, provincial and local disaster management systems, and promoting regional cooperation by supporting and enhancing the effectiveness of existing mechanisms

Public Health in Emergencies
- Developing more effective policy, procedures and guidelines for emergency management by the health sector
- Assisting health agencies, both government and non-government, in health emergency preparedness, mitigation and response

Training Resources
- Regional courses, which ADPC conducts every year periodically, to improve the knowledge and skills of professionals on various aspects of disaster management in the light of regional disaster management needs
- Program based courses, under which ADPC develops and institutionalizes courses at the national level in different countries with the collaboration of national level training organizations on specific aspects of disaster management
- Special courses tailored to suit the needs of particular groups of professionals to enhance their capabilities to meet the requirements of their disaster management programs; typically developed upon request from governments, international and UN agencies, NGOs and private sector

Urban Disaster Risk Management
- Reducing human, social and economic losses in cities, resulting from disasters
- Building stakeholders’ capacity
- Facilitating structural and non-structural interventions
- Effective emergency response planning process

Towards strengthening its operational efficiency and effectiveness, ADPC has enhanced its capacity to develop and manage regional disaster risk management programs, which now constitute a major component of its operational activities, working in close collaboration with and building the capacities of national and local partner institutions.

Where ADPC Operates

ADPC’s work is primarily focused on the Asian region, where it has implemented programs and projects, and provided technical services and training in the following countries in Asia:

- Afghanistan	- Bangladesh	- Bhutan	- Brunei
- Cambodia	- China	- India	- Indonesia
- Japan	- Korea	- Laos	- Maldives
- Malaysia	- Mongolia	- Myanmar	- Nepal
- Pakistan	- Philippines	- Singapore	- Sri Lanka
- Thailand	- Vietnam

ADPC’s disaster management training courses, however, have also received participation from Africa , Australia , Europe , New Zealand , Latin America , the Middle East , the South Pacific and the United States .

What ADPC Does

Programs and Projects

ADPC develops and implements disaster risk management programs and projects by providing technical and professional services in formulating national disaster management policies, capacity building of disaster management institutions, program design for comprehensive disaster risk management, post-disaster assessment, public health and emergency management, land-use planning, disaster-resistant construction and the planning of immediate relief response and subsequent rehabilitation activities. Examples of past and ongoing programs and projects, funded by international development agencies, developed and implemented by ADPC include:

Climate Forecast Applications for Disaster Mitigation ( USAID-OFDA, US NOAA-OGP)
Improved Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change for Sustainable Livelihoods in the Agriculture Sector (FAO)
Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program (USAID)
Strengthening Disaster Management and Mitigation at the State Level in India (ADB)
Improving Damage & Cost Assessment Methodology for State of Gujarat (World Bank)
Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Management into Development Practice (AUSAID)
Improving Cyclone Early Warning & Response Mechanisms in Asia (EU)
Flood Emergency Management Strengthening Lower Mekong Basin (GTZ)
Mine Risk Education Program for Building Awareness and Disseminating Knowledge on Dangers of Mines and on Basic Safety Procedures (UNICEF)
ECHO ADPC-MRC Capacity Building for Preparedness, Planning and Response through the Use of Flood Information Products in the Lower Mekong Basin ( ECHO)
Extreme Climate Events Program (USAID-OFDA)
Capacity Building for Disaster Management in Cambodia, Sri Lanka & Timor Leste (UNDP)
Disaster Reduction Program for Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam (DANIDA)
Program for Enhancement of Emergency Response (USAID-OFDA)
Partnership on Disaster Reduction in South East Asia ( ECHO)
Adapting to Climate Change by Managing Climate Variability in SE Asia ( US NOAA-OGP)

In the implementation of some of its programs and projects, ADPC has partnered with international development agencies; such as, Cooperation Assistance for Relief Everywhere (CARE), Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Mekong River Commission (MRC), International Research Institute for Climate Prediction (IRI), UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank, World Vision, etc.

Training

ADPC provides a wide range of training and learning opportunities for managers and practitioners, who wish to improve and develop their disaster management skills and knowledge. ADPC conducts regular courses and workshops on a range of topics, such as disaster management fundamentals, urban disaster mitigation, seismic and cyclone hazards mitigation, flood hazards mitigation, technological hazards, public health emergencies, crisis management and community-based approaches to disaster management. ADPC also designs and conducts program-based and customized training courses at the request of governments and donors. Some examples of regular training courses that ADPC conducts are:

Community Based Disaster Risk Management
Flood Risk Management
Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction for Cities
Disaster Management
Public Health and Emergency Management in Asia and the Pacific
Public Health in Complex Emergencies

To date, ADPC has an alumni base of more than 4,500 senior and middle management level professionals in national and provincial governments, national and international non-governmental organizations, academia and the private sector. The extent and scope of their participation contribute substantively to the development and implementation of effective disaster management capabilities, policies and practices in their respective countries.

Information and Knowledge Management

ADPC disseminates and shares the knowledge, skills and experiences gained from its operations by:

acting as an information-clearing house for specialized information pertaining to disaster management policies and practices in Asia;
maintaining a specialized library on disaster management with over 7,000 publications, supplemented by an unique collection of gray and unpublished literature from ADPC’s programs and projects;
publishing a newsletter - " Disaster Risk Management in Asia”;
maintaining an interactive website (www.adpc.net), listservs and discussion forums; and
providing training support on information management for disaster managers and disaster management organizations in this region

Our Future Priorities

As a result of its involvement in its ongoing operations and interactions with national, provincial and local authorities, international organizations and development agencies, ADPC has identified a number of disaster risk management priorities that the countries in the Asia region must address in their attainment of sustainable development. These include:

Mainstreaming of disaster risk management into national development policies and processes (e.g., planning, staffing, budgeting, etc.).

Assisting provincial and district governments in developing disaster risk management plans and supporting national governments in developing their national disaster risk management information systems.

Encouraging appropriate legislation and policies for enforcing the incorporation of disaster risk management into development strategies and programs.

Developing financing mechanisms to support the financial sustainability of disaster risk management outcomes and activities.

Reducing vulnerabilities of urban population in Asia projected to increase from 30% to 45% of the population by 2015, increasingly putting urban centers at risk.

Developing and supporting implementation of regional programs on disaster risk management, specifically, ASEAN and SAARC.

Encouraging and developing increased community participation in mine risk education activities; and providing greater support to victims assistance.

Converting vulnerable communities into a resource for undertaking disaster management intervention.