U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
CENTRAL ASIA TASK FORCE
ASIA - Ongoing Mitigation Initiatives
Fact Sheet #1 (FY02)    November 15, 2001


Background

The Asia and Pacific region is extremely vulnerable to natural hazards
such as earthquakes, typhoons, floods, landslides, volcanoes, droughts,
and wildfires.  In fact, the Asia and Pacific region is more prone to
natural disasters than any other region in the world, according to
research conducted by the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of
Disasters.  The vulnerability of Asia is confounded by socio-economic
conditions that are steadily increasing the impact of disasters.  These
conditions include 1) population pressures, which have resulted in more
persons affected and an increasing number of people inhabiting marginal
lands, such as flood plains and steep slopes; 2) environmental
degradation, which has negatively affected the Earth's natural resiliency
to disasters; and 3) large investments in infrastructure, which have
resulted in greatly increased economic loss.  Because disaster response
organizations in Asia are, for the most part, still in the developmental
stage, the impacts of natural disasters have a further reaching impact
than they otherwise would.

USAID/OFDA is committed to developing the response mechanisms of countries
and assisting to implement mitigation programs that will lessen the impact
of natural disasters in the Asia and Pacific region in the future.  A
summary of ongoing USAID/OFDA mitigation programs in the Asia and Pacific
region are outlined below.  All of the programs are multi-year
initiatives, with funding levels highlighted for the total implementation
cost.  In total, USAID/OFDA is spending more than $21 million for ongoing
mitigation projects throughout the region.


USAID/OFDA Mitigation Assistance

Regional

- Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program (AUDMP):  The AUDMP, a program
implemented by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), has received
USAID/OFDA assistance since its inception in September 1995.  The program
aims to make cities safer, with the goals of reducing the disaster
vulnerability of urban populations, infrastructure, critical facilities,
and shelter in targeted, secondary cities throughout Asia, and promoting
replication and adaptation of successful mitigation measures throughout
the region. Towards this end, the program conducts national demonstration
projects as follows:  earthquake risk management in Kathmandu, Nepal and
Bandung, Indonesia; urban fire management in Vientiene, Laos;
technological hazard management in Calcutta and Baroda, India; flood
management in the eastern provinces of Cambodia and in Naga City,
Philippines; and volcano and earthquake management in San Carlos,
Philippines.  In addition, the AUDMP promotes sharing of disaster related
information, including lessons learned, and networking of disaster
managers throughout the region.  Another objective of the AUDMP is to
develop and conduct courses on different aspects of urban disaster
mitigation.  The AUDMP ends in June 2003.
$11,929,436

- Program for the Enhancement of Emergency Response (PEER):  The PEER
program, which is a collaborative initiative between ADPC, USAID/OFDA, and
the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department (MDFRD), began in September 1998 and
will end in September 2002.  Its objective is to assist agencies in India,
Indonesia, Nepal, and the Philippines to organize and conduct their own
training for emergency medical response, search and rescue operations, and
hospital preparedness.  The program, focusing on earthquake preparedness,
also develops, adapts, and translates training courses and materials that
are relevant to the local context.  The MDFRD receives separate funding,
not highlighted here, in support of the program.
$2,248,117

- Extreme Climate Events (ECE) Program:  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), with support from USAID/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 is being implemented in Indonesia, the
Philippines, and Vietnam.  ADPC is researching application possibilities
in Bangladesh and Thailand, where the project may be expanded at a future
date.  The program commenced in September 1998 and ends in March 2002.
$713,311

- South Pacific Disaster Training Program:  USAID/OFDA has supported
disaster management training in the South Pacific since 1995, through the
implementation of the South Pacific Disaster Training Program, which is
managed by The Asia Foundation.  The training program aims to improve the
capacity and performance of disaster management agencies and individuals
to better plan for and manage disaster mitigation programs and disaster
responses; develop and adapt training materials relevant to the region;
and strengthen the capacity of South Pacific countries to organize and
conduct disaster management courses.  The first phase of the project (1995
to 1998, with extensions through 1999) focused on providing regional
training and technical assistance to the target countries of the Cook
Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands,
Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Palau.  The second phase of the project, which
runs from May 2000 through September 2003, aims to revise and expand the
courses offered under the program and to institutionalize them at the
country-level.  Phase I of the project cost $1,041,412 and phase II will
cost $1,218,729.
$2,260,141

- Strengthening of Local Seismic Monitoring Efforts:  USAID/OFDA funds the
U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP)
to provide technical assistance to seismic monitoring organizations
throughout the world, including the Philippines Institute of Volcanology
and Seismology.  USGS/VDAP assistance includes risk assessment,
development of early warning plans, transfer of seismic monitoring
equipment, and training on the use of transferred technology.  The cost of
this assistance is not included in this fact sheet since the funding is
provided to USGS as a world-wide initiative.


South Asia

- Flood-Forecasting Technology Transfer and Application in Bangladesh:
USAID/OFDA is funding a flood-forecasting project in Bangladesh through
the University of Colorado's Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
(PAOS).  The program aims to develop a comprehensive flood-forecasting
technology for Bangladesh, transfer it to local institutions, and provide
guidance to appropriate people on application of the resulting data.  The
project began in September 2000 and ends in September 2003.
$1,166,994

- Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Risk Management Plan Implementation Project:
USAID/OFDA supports the National Society for Earthquake Technology, Nepal
(NSET) to undertake the Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Risk Management Plan
Implementation Project.  The initiative seeks to implement a variety of
earthquake risk mitigation measures that were identified as priorities
during the implementation of the Nepal component of the AUDMP.
Specifically, NSET will work with schools, NGOs, the government, and
communities to increase earthquake preparedness and awareness, and will
coordinate and monitor the Valley's long-term earthquake risk reduction
plan.  In addition, NSET will work to strengthen its own funding
sustainability and agency capacity.  The project began in September 2000
and ends in August 2003.
$441,860


Southeast Asia

- Training Program to Strengthen the Cambodian Red Cross (CRC): USAID/OFDA
has funded the American Red Cross (ARC) since December 1997 to develop the
community-based disaster preparedness capacity of the CRC. Specifically,
USAID/OFDA funds the ARC to train and develop the disaster assistance
capacity of the CRC at both the headquarters and provincial level; support
the development of a CRC disaster preparedness unit; assist in the
training of community-based Red Cross volunteers and leaders; and conduct
vulnerability assessments and implement flood mitigation measures in
flood-prone communities.  In 2001, CRC began replication of these measures
in seven additional provinces beyond the initial target areas of Kandal,
Kampong Cham, and Prey Veng.  The project is slated to end in November
2001.
$524,350

- Development of a Flood Early-Warning System in Vietnam:  USAID/OFDA has
funded the U.N. Development Program (UNDP) since June 2000 to develop a
flood early-warning system in seven flood-prone provinces of central
Vietnam.  The project is scheduled to end in June 2004.
$994,000

- Development of a Coastal Storm Early-Warning System in Vietnam:
USAID/OFDA also funds the UNDP to implement a radio- and pager-based storm
early-warning system for fishing boats at sea in all 25 coastal provinces
of Vietnam.  The project began in May 2001 and ends in May 2004.
$1,440,000



U.S. Government Mitigation Assistance by Sector

        Capacity          Hydro    Geo-Hazards    Other
        Building          Met                     Crosscutting
AUDMP                                             $11,929,436
PEER    $2,248,117
ECE                     $713,311
SOPAC   $2,260,141
PAOS                  $1,166,994
NSET                                $441,860
ARC       $524,350
UNDP1                   $994,000
UNDP2                 $1,440,000
Total   $5,032,608    $4,314,305    $441,860     $11,929,436

GRAND TOTAL:  $21,718,209

The above figures, as noted in the text, reflect the total amount of
funding to implement the various mitigation programs over the multi-year
duration of the initiatives.


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