Archives Asia Pacific Regional Working Group of GDIN

Coordinator:

Jonathan Abrahams, Acting Director, Development, Emergency Management Australia Email: jabrahams@ema.gov.au Loy Rego, Senior Manager, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, Bangkok, Thailand Email: ajrego@ait.ac.th

Goal:

The aim of the Asia-Pacific Regional Working Group of GDIN was to improve the range of products and information available to emergency managers from international resources. We will do this by: Increasing awareness of existing disaster information management capabilities and activities. Fostering development of national and other disaster information networks. Facilitating collaboration on projects of mutual benefit. Promoting sharing of information for disaster management. Membership of the Working Group was open to participants of GDIN and any other interested countries, and public and private organizations.

Deliverables at GDIN2001, Canberra, Australia. March 2001:

The Working Group agreed to develop the following eight projects with the first four being the highest priority: Simulation exercise Survey of existing DMIS/DIN capacities and resources Planning next Working Group meeting Donor funding Historical events database Lessons learned database Predictive cyclone climatology for the Pacific Post-disaster assessment The next meeting of the Working Group was held on 20 March 2001 immediately before the next GDIN Conference in Canberra.

Decisions Taken at GDIN2000 in Ankara, Turkey.

There should be a working meeting to explore opportunities for regional collaboration. The meeting is to be held in Canberra in August and to be chaired and supported by EMA. The meeting would be expected to be about 2 days. Travel and accommodation costs to be borne by participants The meeting would be attended by two to three delegates from each organisation Invitations would be issued by EMA to: Asian Disaster Reduction Center, Japan Ministry of Science and Technology, China Asian Disaster Prevention Center, Thailand South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission, Fiji Ministry of Emergency Management and Civil Defence, New Zealand Pacific Disaster Center, Hawaii Centre of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, Hawaii Emergency Management Australia/Australian Geological Science Organisation The agenda needs further consideration but should include: Role and relevant activities of organisations Disaster information network developments: achievements, directions, challenges, organisational networks and relationships How and when to engage other organisations Specific partnering activities to be undertaken between organisations Developments to be reported to GDIN 2001 Conference Further meetings

Disscussions:

Asia Pacific Exercise 2001 08/16-18/00 Draft Agenda 08/16-18/00 Participants 08/16-18/00 Executive Summary

Reports and Links:

Executive Summary of the August, 2000 Meeting in Canberra, Australia of the Asia Pacific Regional Working Group Report on Activities at GDIN2000

Former Participants

Mr. Jonathan Abrahams (*), Emergency Management, Australia Mr Masanori Araki, ADRC, Kobe, Japan. Mr. Peter Colvin (*) Pacific Disaster Center, Hawaii, USA Dr Robin Falconer(*) Mr Sun Hong (*)Director, Department of Rural and Social Development, Chinese State Science and Techology Commission Dr. David Johnson (*) Australian Geological Survey Organization Mr Pervaiz Meer (*)Information Research Analyst, Center of Excellence in Disaster Mgmt. & Human. Mr. Masahiko Murata (*) Asian Disaster Reduction Center, Kobe, Japan Mr Jonathan Root, Manager, Geoscience Data Management, Australian Geological Survey Organization Dr. Graham Shorten (*) South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commision, Fiji Professor Yu ZhouwenNational Marine Environment Forecasting Centre, China (*) - indicates primary contacts