ASEAN Plan of Action on Disaster Management

ASEAN Plan of Action on Disaster Management
Name	ASEAN Plan of Action on Disaster Management
Formation	2004
Type	Regional policy framework
Headquarters	Jakarta, Indonesia
Region served	Southeast Asia
Parent organization	Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Contents

ASEAN Plan of Action on Disaster Management The ASEAN Plan of Action on Disaster Management is a regional policy framework adopted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to coordinate disaster risk reduction and emergency response across Southeast Asia. It aligns with international instruments such as the Hyogo Framework for Action and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and links ASEAN mechanisms including the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management with national disaster agencies and partners like the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Background and Development

The plan originated amid increased transnational hazards after events like the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the Typhoon Haiyan impact concerns, and regional outbreaks such as the 2003 SARS outbreak, prompting ASEAN leaders in forums like the ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit to endorse coordinated responses. Early development involved inputs from multilateral institutions including the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank, and bilateral partners such as Japan, Australia, and the United States. Subsequent revisions were influenced by global milestones including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and regional agreements like the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response.

The plan sets priorities to reduce vulnerability to hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, floods, volcanic eruptions, and pandemics across member states such as Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Objectives encompass risk assessment harmonization, early warning interoperability, capacity building for national agencies like Indonesia’s Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana and the Philippines’ National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, and integration with sectoral strategies in bodies such as the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Political-Security Community.

Core components include institutional preparedness through coordination mechanisms in the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management, standardized early warning systems linked to networks like the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, community-based disaster risk reduction exemplified in projects supported by the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Health Organization, and infrastructure resilience initiatives often financed by the Asian Development Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Strategies emphasize risk mapping using geospatial data from agencies such as NASA and the United States Geological Survey, capacity development via training programs with the Australian Agency for International Development and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and contingency planning aligned with international guidelines like the Sphere Project and the International Health Regulations (2005).

Implementation relies on ASEAN entities such as the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management and the ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team, national disaster management agencies, and regional hubs including the ASEAN Center for Humanitarian Assistance. Funding and technical support come from partners such as the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme, the Asian Development Bank, and bilateral donors like China and Republic of Korea. Operational coordination occurs during crises through mechanisms similar to those used in responses to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and collaborations with multinational forces like the Proliferation Security Initiative in logistics, while legal and policy alignment references instruments such as the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response.

The plan institutionalizes partnerships with UN agencies including UNICEF, UNDP, WHO, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, with international NGOs like Médecins Sans Frontières and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and with academic and research institutions such as Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Chulalongkorn University. Cooperation extends to multilateral development banks like the Asian Development Bank and bilateral collaboration with countries including Japan, Australia, United States, China, and Republic of Korea. It also interfaces with regional mechanisms like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation on cross-border hazard issues.

Monitoring uses indicators aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and reporting channels through the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management and national focal points. Evaluation draws on case studies from responses to disasters such as Typhoon Haiyan and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and assessments by actors like the World Bank and United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Outcomes reported include improvements in early warning interoperability, enhanced logistics capacity via the ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team, and expanded capacity building through partnerships with JICA and AusAID, though metrics vary across member states including Indonesia and Philippines.

Challenges include heterogeneous capacities among members such as Myanmar and Singapore, funding constraints despite support from the Asian Development Bank and the European Union, complex governance across platforms like the ASEAN Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum, and emerging threats from climate change highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and transboundary health risks underscored by the World Health Organization. Future directions emphasize integration with climate adaptation agendas referenced by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, enhanced data sharing with agencies like NASA and USGS, private sector engagement including insurers like Munich Re and technology firms, and deeper alignment with international humanitarian standards such as the Sphere Project and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Category:Disaster management in Southeast Asia