APMN

In her interview with the Nepali Times, Helen Clark, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Chair of the UN Development Group, talks about the lessons learnt by the UN about disaster preparedness and response from the Haiti earthquake last year and the effect this has had in helping Nepal prepare for a disaster that one day is sure to come. "Haiti was a tragic reminder of the importance of building resilience to disaster.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) wishes to collaborate with Earth Institute of Columbia University for the development of a disaster management framework reports the Times of India. One of the goals is to set up a knowledge centre, for increasing lead-time for flood warning.

Climate change raises concern about water flows from melting Himalayan glaciers, which can break the natural ice dams that hold it in place and result in devastating floods, reports The Time. With 24 of its 2,674 glacial lakes considered unstable, Bhutan is preparing in the coming years for deadly "mountain tsunamis," as the phenomenon is sometimes referred to.

It warned that with the beginning of a monsoon period, country may face another flood disaster for which it is ill prepared. Such warnings were ignored by our government at the cost of hundreds of lives, destruction of 1.5 million homes, inundation of 0.88 million hectares of crops and reduction of country’s GDP growth rate by 0.5 percent.

Bangladesh, a low-lying deltaic country of South Asia, is currently facing many climate change related challenges -- sea-level rise, floods, drought, cyclone, saline inoculation, river bank and coastal erosion and water-logging. The Earth Policy Institute predicted that 1m rise in sea level will lead to landlessness of 14.8 million people, 29,846 sq. km. area of land will be lost and 40 million people will be displaced.

Community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) approach could be a reliable vehicle to identify and use the resources at the community level. At present, the flow of resource for CBDRM is ‘trickling down’, and it is not community owned, identified and governed, therefore, it isn’t providing any significant advancement in resilient buildings. Resource flow has to be ‘horizontal’, and approach should be participatory. The top-down resource flow for CBDRM is never participatory, and most of the time mandatory.

Cyclones, earthquakes, floods and drought combined with poverty have spurred the Myanmar government into complete acceptance of the need for a radical overhaul of its approach to disaster management and risk reduction.

According to People's Daily Online, more than 70 percent of Chinese cities and upwards of half the country's population are exposed to natural hazards, such as extreme weather events plus seismic, geological and marine disasters, said a Chinese scientist.

The municipality of Kristianstad in Southern Sweden, one of over a thousand cities that have now joined UNISDR’s World Disaster Reduction Campaign (2010-2015) - Making Cities Resilient: "My city is getting ready" was recently awarded role model status by UNISDR. 

Taiwan should learn from Japan's disaster preparedness to reduce the damage caused by tsunamis and other natural disasters, since both countries are prone to earthquakes, National Cheng Kung University President Huang Huang-hui said, as reported by Focus Taiwan. Huang made the remarks at a disaster prevention conference in which several Japanese seismology experts were invited to share their research on earthquakes, tsunamis and landslides.

Timor-Leste is prone to floods and landslides and prolonged dry spells, which can trigger insect infestations and diseases and cause food insecurity. Furthermore, experts consider the northern and southern coasts as high-risk areas for earthquake hazards and associated tsunamis. In the last decade alone, the country suffered from 470 disaster events. 

The Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) was inaugurated by ASEAN on 17 November in Indonesia reports The Nation.

The New York Times reports on the United Nations panel realized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which took place in Kampala, Uganda, on 18 November. The IPCC SREX summary for policymakers states that extreme weather events will get more intense in the coming years. 

Thai authorities are considering the construction of a super-express waterway through Bangkok to prevent future floods. A team of disaster experts from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok is now investigating permanent solutions to the disaster that has left hundreds dead. 

The Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) will help Viet Nam manage and reduce landslide disaster in the transport sector through the development of new risk assessment technologies in monitoring and forecasting ground movements as well as enhancing early warning system and disaster preparedness, according to Viet Nam News agency.

The conference is launched to understand the dynamics of groundwater resources under changing climate and hydrological conditions as well as to address the challenges in groundwater use. The conference will serve as a platform for the exchange of experiences, ideas and concepts on the hydrogeology of arid environments. It focuses on the assessment of the water cycle and its interactions, the assessment of groundwater resources, economic processes, and aspects of water resources engineering and management.

The Symposium is dedicated to themes relevant to water and wastewater technologies in ancient civilizations. The event will bring together research scientists, historians, archaeologists, engineers from academic to industries around the world. Its objectives are to foster interactions, stimulate discussions and promote co-operation among the global water community.

In recognition of the fact that the most active countries in the field of hydropower and water resources development are in Asia, and that many of the world’s largest projects are currently under way or planned in the region, ASIA 2012 will include presentations and discussions on the opportunities, development targets, accomplishments and challenges with regard to water resources and hydro development in the Asia Pacific region.

Coastal aquifers are perhaps the most need of proper management, because they are the ones that are closer and more accessible to the risk of disease that could affect to the quality of its waters and those with usually a greater demand as a result of profitability irrigation and urban development and tourism in coastal areas, especially those with favourable climate.

The various floodproofing methods, products, techniques, programs, funding sources, and issues that have developed since the first four triennial conferences in 1999, 2002, and 2005, and 2008 will be highlighted. Exhibitors will showcase the state-of-the-art in materials, services, equipment, accessories and techniques Tuesday through Wednesday.