Asian Disaster Preparedness Center

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
Name	Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
Formation	1986
Headquarters	Bangkok, Thailand
Region served	Asia and the Pacific

Contents

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center is a regional institution founded in 1986 to strengthen capacities for disaster risk reduction across Asia and the Pacific, connecting expertise from United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and United Nations Development Programme partners with regional actors such as ASEAN and SAARC. It operates from Bangkok and collaborates with national agencies like National Disaster Management Authority (India) and international organizations including International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, World Bank, and United Nations Children's Fund. The center focuses on applied research, capacity building, early warning, and climate resilience aligned with frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement.

History

The center was established in 1986 through collaboration among regional governments and multilateral institutions including United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Office for Project Services, and bilateral donors such as Japan International Cooperation Agency and United States Agency for International Development. Early work drew on lessons from events like the 1985 Mexico City earthquake and the 1987 Super Typhoon Nina, while engaging national counterparts such as Department of Disaster Management (Philippines), Disaster Management Centre (Sri Lanka), and China Meteorological Administration. Over subsequent decades the organization adapted to global milestones including the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015 and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, expanding partnerships with Asian Development Bank, European Union External Action Service, and academic institutions such as Chulalongkorn University, National University of Singapore, and University of the Philippines. Major regional crises including the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, 2015 Nepal earthquake, and 2013 Typhoon Haiyan shaped programmatic shifts toward early warning systems, urban resilience, and community-based preparedness.

The center’s mission aligns with international instruments like the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to reduce disaster risk across member states such as Thailand, India, Indonesia, Philippines, and Pakistan. Core objectives include strengthening capacities of institutions including National Disaster Management Authority (India), improving services from agencies like Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and enhancing interoperability with systems run by Japan Meteorological Agency, China Meteorological Administration, and United States Geological Survey. The institution prioritizes vulnerable populations referenced in reports by United Nations Children's Fund and World Health Organization and integrates climate science from bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Programs span early warning, capacity development, risk assessment, and humanitarian preparedness, implemented in cooperation with partners like the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and national ministries including Ministry of Home Affairs (India), Ministry of Interior (Thailand), and Ministry of Climate Change (Bangladesh). Activities include training courses delivered jointly with universities such as University of Tokyo, University of Oxford, and Columbia University, technical assistance on systems used by Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, simulation exercises modeled on operations of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and research projects with think tanks like International Institute for Environment and Development and Stockholm Environment Institute. The center leads multi-country initiatives on flood management informed by studies from International Water Management Institute and coastal resilience guided by work at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

The governance model includes a board comprising representatives from donor governments such as Japan, United States, United Kingdom, and regional bodies like ASEAN and SAARC, alongside academics from Chiba University and Australian National University. The secretariat operates program units focused on technical domains including hydrometeorology, urban resilience, and humanitarian logistics, staffed by professionals drawn from Asian Disaster Reduction Center, Red Cross Society of China, and Nepal Red Cross Society. Administrative systems follow standards used by United Nations Development Programme and International Organization for Standardization, and oversight mechanisms interact with auditors such as Asian Development Bank and independent evaluators from Overseas Development Institute and Center for Global Development.

Funding originates from bilateral donors like Japan International Cooperation Agency, United States Agency for International Development, Department for International Development (UK), multilateral financiers such as World Bank and Asian Development Bank, and partnerships with UN agencies including UNICEF and WHO. Programmatic collaborations involve research institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, and regional universities like University of Colombo and Kathmandu University. Private sector engagements include suppliers and insurers like Zurich Insurance Group, Munich Re, and technology firms similar to ESRI and IBM for geospatial and data solutions.

Notable interventions include support for tsunami early warning architectures following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, flood forecasting networks in partnership with India Meteorological Department and Bangladesh Water Development Board, and community preparedness campaigns modeled after work by Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in Aceh Province. Project outcomes were documented alongside evaluations by World Bank and case studies in journals such as Disasters (journal) and International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. The center contributed to capacity building before crises like the 2015 Nepal earthquake and supported recovery frameworks used in Typhoon Haiyan reconstruction, influencing policy in ministries like Ministry of Home Affairs (Indonesia) and Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (Bangladesh).

The organization and its partners have received acknowledgements and awards from international bodies including United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction commendations, project recognitions from Asian Development Bank, and citations in global assessments by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and United Nations Development Programme. Peer institutions such as International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery have referenced collaborative achievements in reports and conference sessions at venues like the World Humanitarian Summit and UN Climate Change Conference events.

Category:Disaster risk reduction organizations