THE ASIAN URBAN DISASTER MITIGATION PROGRAM (AUDMP)
- AN OVERVIEW |
Asia is the most disaster prone region in the world.
With rapidly increasing concentration of population, economic activity, infrastructure and critical facilities, Asian cities represent even greater vulnerability to disasters. By the year 2000, half the world's
population would have lived in urban areas, crowded into 3% of the earth's land. At least thirteen cities around the world, which are prone to natural hazards, have a population in the 10-25 million range. Of them, nine are in Asia! Disaster management experts all over the world believe that the current pattern of urban development does not give sufficient consideration to disaster reduction. This is making cities more and more vulnerable to disasters.
The Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program (AUDMP) is an eight-year program designed to respond to the need for safer cities. The ultimate goal of the program is to reduce the natural disaster vulnerability of urban populations, infrastructure, lifeline facilities, and shelter in targeted cities in Asia. The program is managed by ADPC with core funding support from United States Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (US-OFDA). At present, the AUDMP covers selected cities in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Philippines and Sri Lanka. The program takes a three-tiered approach, which comprises National Demonstration Projects; Information and Networking; and Training, Resource Materials and Continuing Education (TRMCE).
| TRAINING AND EDUCATION FOR URBAN DISASTER MITIGATION |
Under the TRMCE component, AUDMP is developing five courses on different aspects of urban disaster mitigation. The Urban Flood Mitigation course is one of these five courses. These courses are being delivered by ADPC at the regional and national levels in collaboration with selected institutions of specific countries.
These institutions are encouraged to be members of the Asian Disaster Mitigation Training Network (ADMIT), which was established by ADPC in 1999. The ADMIT is a collaborative partnership among academic and professional organizations from government and non-government sectors, engaged in training, consultancy, research & information services on disaster management. ADMIT members presently come from India, Indonesia, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The Philippines, Cambodia and Bangladesh will be joining soon..
| TRAINING ON URBAN FLOOD MITIGATION |
Of all the natural hazards, floods are the most destructive because they occur most frequently. Floods are excessive accumulations or flows of water which result from heavy rainfall, cyclones, snow melt, high tides or other causes. Although flooding is primarily a natural phenomenon, human interventions such as deforestation, poorly developed land drainage systems, greater agricultural land use and rapid urbanization have exacerbated the occurrence and severity of flood disasters. Mitigation offers the best and most cost-effective approach to deal with floods. The Urban Flood Mitigation (UFM-2) course has been designed with a view to support flood mitigation initiatives in Asian cities. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, UFM-2 integrates engineering, settlements development and public administration to afford a wholistic view to the flood problem and mitigation planning.
- To improve knowledge on the causes of flooding; risk analysis, mapping and flood policy; assessment of flood damages; and to provide information on flood mitigation measures and their advantages and disadvantages.
- To develop administrative, managerial and professional skills in the practice of urban flood hazard mitigation.
- To raise the level of awareness of the necessity of integrating urban flood hazard mitigation measures in the urban planning and management processes.
- To motivate participants to initiate actions for flood risk analysis, implement mitigation measures, and analyze the status of flood risk and mitigation measures in cities.
- To learn from successes and failures by mutual sharing of experience among participants and with resource persons.
- Nature and Causes of Flood
- Flood Risk Analysis
- Damage Assessment and Failure Analysis
- Flood Hazard Mitigation
- Flood Protection Measures
- Structural Flood Proofing
- Flood Preparedness
- Flooding and Infrastructure
- Urban Growth and Invasion of the Wetlands
- Affordability and Costs of Mitigation Measures
- Disaster Locations and Hazard Mapping
- Flood Mitigation Policy Search
- Flood Mitigation Programming
- Field Visit to Mitigation Works
All teaching and course materials are in English. It is essential that participants are fully conversant in English.
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This course is particularly useful for those concerned with reduction of vulnerability to floods in urban areas. It is open to all countries in Asia-Pacific region.
The targeted audience of the course is:
Administrators and officials from provincial and city administrations, development and planning authorities.
Water engineers and flood control professionals
National level ministries, departments and institutions dealing with urban planning, development, housing, infrastructure, public works, utilities, water works and drainage, water resources planning etc.
Private sector: corporations, builders and infrastructure developers, re-insurance agents.
Elected representatives from cities and towns
Emergency response agencies and emergency planners
Relief and rehabilitation agencies
UN agencies and international organizations
NGOs working on disaster mitigation, especially on flood mitigation
| ELECTRONIC FORUM ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB |
To promote pre and post course learning ADPC has established a special electronic forum on different aspects on the World Wide Web at
http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th/forum. This forum facilitates the pre course orientation of interested and registered participants and post course serves as an ongoing mechanism for communication between ADPC, the course participants and resource persons.
The course fee is US$2,000 per participant. Costs of books and materials are included in the fee. Course fee should be paid by money transfer/international demand draft (DD) in advance or by cash at the time of course registration. Kindly confirm your mode of payment.
All participants will stay at the SEAMEO INNOTECH Center during the course. The room rate is US$34 per night for a single room and US$17 per person for shared accommodation. Participants who prefer to stay in single rooms should inform ADPC in advance.
A limited number of partial scholarships may be available to deserving candidates from national government organizations or national NGOs paying from their own budgets. Applications for such support will be considered subject to confirmation of payment of 80% of the course fee.
Interested
persons can apply directly but preferably be nominated by their employers, sponsoring
agencies, NGOs and private organizations. Applicants should complete the application form, or apply on line at http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th/training/form.html, or send a letter either by fax or by mail to ADPC that should include the following-
- Name, address, telephone, fax and email.
- Organizational affiliation.
- Resume, stating job title, present responsibilities and past
experience.
- A statement of reasons for attendance.
- How training relates to professional responsibilities and past experience.
- Letter of support from employer.
- Confirmation regarding payment of fees by your sponsoring
organization.
The cut off date for applications is 17 August 2001. ADPC will get applicants informed once their nomination is accepted.
Resource persons are selected experts from International Organizations, Educational and Research Institutions, National and Local Governments, Water Resource Specialists, Flood Hazard Mitigation Specialists and ADPC.
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