Asian Disaster Preparedness Center and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) organized a regional training-of-trainers workshop on technological hazards and environmental emergencies between 19 and 21 August in Bangkok.
The workshop, belonging under UNEP’s Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at Local Level (APELL) program, was developed to build the capacity of government officials, academia and private sector in Asia to prepare for and mitigate technological hazards and environmental emergencies, and establish a regional network of trainers in the region.
The workshop brought together participants from Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
The workshop was based on the 10-step APELL process, and provided the participants from 11 Asian countries with an opportunity to share experiences of industrial disasters and emergency preparedness at the local level. The workshop also equipped them with skills to continue raising awareness and improving preparedness for emergencies in their respective countries.
Handbook on technological hazard preparedness
The second edition of the APELL handbook to build capacities in communities on awareness and preparedness for technological hazards and environmental emergencies was launched in Bangkok before the workshop. It builds on the rich experiences gained from the program over the past years, and presents the step-by-step APELL process, which is adaptable to the relevant preparedness goals of each community.
Tim Gablehouse, author of the handbook, and lead trainer of the workshop; Shane Wright, Executive Director ADPC; and Kaveh Zahedi, Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific, UNEP were present at the launch.
The APELL program was developed by UNEP in 1988, responding to requests from governments to develop a response system for severe industrial accidents that were taking place in highly industrialized and industrializing countries. APELL has been developed in partnership with industry associations, communities and governments, and provides guidance to local industry, authorities and the population to implement multi-stakeholder preparedness efforts.
Asia has undergone rapid industrialization over the recent past, and there is a prominent shift of global companies moving their industrial operations to the continent. The huge number of disasters faced by Asia, and the increased number of operations and industrial processes in developing countries make industrial disaster preparedness particularly relevant, as weak regulation and enforcement of the law continue to increase the likelihood and impact of accidents.
Links:
Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at Local Level - Handbook