Since its establishment, ADPC has steadily built its capacity to manage regional programs in disaster management. These programs, which now constitute a major element of ADPC's activities, work in close collaboration with national partner institutions, building their capacities and drawing upon ADPC's strength in the key functional areas of training, information, research, networking and technical assistance. 

Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program (AUDMP)

The AUDMP, launched in 1995, is ADPC's largest regional program. The program, with its core funding from USAID/OFDA, currently works in eight countries of the region. The program was designed to make cities safer from disasters, with a goal of reducing the disaster vulnerability of urban populations, infrastructure, critical facilities and shelter in targeted cities in Asia, and to promote replication and adaptation of successful mitigation measures throughout the region. Towards this end, the program conducts national demonstration projects, information dissemination and networking activities, and policy seminars and professional training in the target countries of Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis Program (DANA)

The DANA program was implemented from September 1998 to December 2000. The aim of the program was to develop a standard methodology and protocols, appropriate to the needs of disaster managers in countries in Asia, for assessing and reporting post-disaster damage and needs so as to facilitate response by optimizing the mobilization and utilization of resources for relief. The project was implemented by ADPC, in collaboration with disaster management officials from selected countries in Asia and the Pacific and representatives of international organizations. The target audience of the DANA Program was national officials involved in planning or organizing post-disaster relief in Asian countries. An important output of the program was an agreed methodology and protocols incorporating guidelines for conducting post-disaster needs assessments, and standard report performae, which could subsequently be translated and disseminated by national authorities for national trials and, if required, for use in training programs.

Disaster Reduction Program for Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam (DRP-CLV)

The DRP-CLV program started its implementation in January this year, with financial support from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), the Royal Danish Embassy. The program aims to strengthen disaster management institutions' capacities in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam to reduce the impact of disasters, to improve disaster management decision-making support mechanisms, and to increase accessibility to disaster management information.

Program for Understanding Extreme Climate Events (ECE)

The ECE Program is a follow-up initiative to the Asian Regional Meeting on El Nino Related Crises held by ADPC in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and with support from United States Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) in February 1998. The goal of the program is to significantly improve the understanding of the impacts of extreme climate events such as El Nino and La Nina on society and the environment in selected Asian countries and to reduce the disaster impacts of such events through effective application of climate forecast information. The program, supported by OFDA, currently runs in Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam and, in its next phase, is likely to be extended to Bangladesh and Thailand.

Partnerships for Disaster Reduction - South East Asia (PDR-SEA)

The PDR-SEA Project, funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) under the Second DIPECHO (Disaster Preparedness program of ECHO) Action Plan for South East Asia, provides technical support for regional information exchange, networking and capacity building for DIPECHO target countries namely, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines and Vietnam. The project aims to improve the way in which ECHO-financed activities are matched to priority needs in the region, within a framework consistent with existing disaster mitigation and preparedness systems.

Program for Enhancement of Emergency Response (PEER)

The PEER program, a collaborative initiative of ADPC, USAID/OFDA, and the MiamiĞDade Fire Rescue's Disaster Preparedness and Response Bureau, was started in October 1998. The main purpose of the program is to develop and strengthen search and rescue training capabilities in Asia at regional, sub-regional and national levels. This is the first initiative of its kind in that it will impart skills and enhance the expertise of the four target countries (India, Indonesia, Nepal and the Philippines) to provide effective and coordinated on-scene management of rescue and medical response needs following a disaster.