1. Promoting Urban Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation: Making Asian Cities Safer
By A.J. Rego & Arambepola (ADPC)
7th IIASA-DPRI Forum
Coping with Disaster: Challenges for the 21st Century and Beyond
20th September Stresa, Italy

2. Growing Cities at Risk from Natural and Technological Hazards
By 2004 half world’s population living in urban areas
At least 80% of population growth in the 1990s occurred in urban areas
17 of the 20 largest cities in the world are in developing countries - many exposed to EQ, landslide, flooding hazard
25 largest cities have over 8 mill. inhabitants
Average number of victims in disaster is 150 times greater in developing world mega city than in a developed country mega city
Road accidents, industrial, chemical and transport accidents are a growing threat

3. Cities are vulnerable to disaster risk because of -
Rapid urbanization
Rural - urban migration
Growing population - already stretched resources
Poor living standards - build without consideration of safety (time pressures) + in hazard prone areas
Lack of public awareness to hazards/risks
Building codes are poorly enforced or non-existent
Environmental degradation - resource depletion - lowers resilience

4. Cities are vulnerable to disaster risk because of - (2)
Increased risk of industrial/technological hazards - (secondary impacts eg. fire/radiation)
Densely packed housing - health risk
Disruption to draining channels due to uncontrolled urban growth - flooding
Inadequate management or provision of services - waste + sewage disposal, clean water access…
The poor building informal settlements on low quality land; which are important …. banks

5. Vulnerability of the Asian Region
Asia is famous for its great diversities and also for disparities .
Half of the total world population live in Eight disaster prone countries
China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand

6. Top Two Worst Disasters in Asia 2004
Typhoon Nanmadol, Philippines (November) winds of 220 km/hr - at least 412 deaths
Indian Ocean Tsunami and EQ (December) - Affecting: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, Maldives - death toll at least 212,000

7. Top Two Worst Disasters in Asia in 2006
The 2 deadliest disasters of 2006 were both in Asia
-Indonesian EQ (May) killing 5,778
-Typhoon Durian (Philippines, Dec.) killing 1,399

8. Earthquake Vulnerability in Asia
Exposure (People/year)     > 100'000     10' '000     1' '000     '000    

9. Earthquakes in Asia
The Pacific rim experiences 90% of all the world’s earthquakes.
In 1976, China had the most deadly earthquake ever known. It killed 800,000 people.
More than 50 cities in Asia with a population greater than 1,000,000 are at significant risk for an earthquake.
Recent major events are Iran in 2003, Indonesia in 2004,2005,2006, Pakistan in 2005,

10. Flood Vulnerability in Asia
Exposure (People/Year)
    > 100'000     10' '000     1' '000     '000    

11. Flooding in Asia
The year 2000 saw the worst flooding in 60 years for Vietnams’ Mekong Delta region, 40 years for Cambodia, 35 years for Laos, and in a century for western Bangladesh and West Bengal, India.
Year 2007 August Floods in India, Nepal and Bangladesh caused significant economic losses
Recent events in 2007 show major threat is from flash floods which is evident from Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Philippines

12. Cyclones/Typhoon Exposure in Asia
Exposure (People/year)
> 100'000     10' '000     1' '000     '000    

13. Cyclones/Typhoons in Asia
There were 95 major storms in SE Asia and the Pacific regions between
Since 1970, cyclones have killed an estimated 1.5 million in Bangladesh.
The October 1999 storm surge in Orissa, India, affected 15 million people, killed 9,500 people, destroyed 3 million homes, and left seven million people homeless.
Recent major events were in Karachci Pakistan in 2007, Vietnam and Philippines in 2006

14. Volcano Occurrence

15. Volcanoes in Asia
Of the 16 largest eruptions in the last two centuries, five occurred in Asia. Three of these, all in Indonesia, killed 130,000 people.
The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 was the second largest eruption of the 20th century.
The Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea are all at significant risk for volcanic eruptions.
Mt. Pinatubo 1991

16. Asian Cities at Risk
37% of Asia’s population lived in cities by 2000; this will rise to 60% by 2025
More than 50 cities in Asia with a population greater than 1,000,000 are at significant risk from an EQ
Rural to urban migration accounts for 64% of city growth in Asia
Of the 10 largest Asian cities; 7 are prone to multi hazard risks and are awaiting a catastrophic event

17. Making Cities Safer Promote household vulnerability reduction measures
Build capacity of local government + emergency services
Decentralization of resources + decision making
Democratic means of DRR planning
Build capacity of community/social groups
Create institutional framework for action
Enforce appropriate building codes + urban planning guidelines
Hazard assessments - physical/social/economic
Environmental management

18. UN-HABITAT Agenda 1996 Agenda actions for disaster prevention:
Appropriate laws & standards for land use, building & planning
Encourage multi stakeholder participation in DM planning especially vulnerable eg. elderly/disabled
Continued mobilization of domestic & international resources for DRR activities
Distribute information on disaster resistant construction methods for public works etc.
Facilitate voluntary move of people to less disaster prone areas -ensuring access for all

19. UN-HABITAT Agenda 1996 (2)
Training on disaster resistant construction for builders/designers/contractors
Upgrade resistance of current infrastructure/critical facilities
Risk mapping and vulnerability assessments
Community focused vulnerability reduction programs
Improve information dissemination on potential hazards
Strengthen technological, scientific & engineering capacity for monitoring -EWS
Decentralization of authority & resources to enable capacity building for greater resilience

20. Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program (AUDMP) 1995-2004
Implemented by ADPC in 20 secondary cities of 8 countries-
Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal,
Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand
Aim: reduce disaster vulnerability of urban populations, infrastructure & lifeline facilities & shelter in Asia
facilitate development of sustainable mechanisms for disaster mitigation
build capacity of all stakeholders to mitigate disaster risks
promote replication and adaptation of successful mitigation measures elsewhere

21. AUDMP Project Locations
Safer Cities 12: Demonstration Housing Construction for Landslide and Flood Prone Areas (Sri Lanka)

22. Why Secondary Cities are a Priority for DRR Programs
Secondary versus Mega Cities -
Greater vulnerability - from rapid uncontrolled urbanization
High migration rates -greater need for housing & services
Economic growth attracts investment
In mega cities problems difficult to identify & solutions complex to implement
Greater chance of success & measurable change
More manageable communities & simpler institutionally

23. AUDMP Measurable Results
5 of 8 targeted city emergency preparedness & response plans written or revised
95% of the 75% targeted public & private sector professionals working with AUDMP initiated disaster mitigation training
43,000 households benefited from AUDMP sponsored disaster vulnerability reduction activities
5 regional networks, 209 organizations & 1,760 disaster mitigation professionals participating in AUDMP regional information network -started with 33 organizations only
In 2002 ADPC’s Urban Strategy Asia 2020 expanded ADPC’s outreach from 30 to 100 cities

24. Program for Hydro-Meteorological Disaster Mitigation in Secondary Cities in Asia (PROMISE) Phase I
5 highly vulnerable urbanizing cities: Chittagong (Bangladesh),
Hyderabad (Pakistan), Dagupan (Philippines), Kalutara (Sri Lanka) & Da
Nang (Vietnam) - linked to watersheds, river basins or at risk coastal belts
Aim: to reduce vulnerability of urban communities to hydro-
meteorological disasters in S + SE Asia to measurably alleviate human
suffering, prevent loss of life, and reduce the potential for physical and
economic damage through:
City demonstration projects
Regional + national capacity building
Advocacy for mainstreaming of risk management in urban governance
Regional network + information dissemination

26. PROMISE - Philippines: Dagupan City
Problem: reduced capacity of rivers due to heavy rains, upstream bank erosion clogging channel & transport of lahar material - causing floods (eg. 1990)
Solutions:
Technical Working Group -plan, monitor, document, train and maintain
Capacity building of community & authorities
Work with stakeholders
Risk Communication Plan
Institutional change - Disaster Preparedness Day (July 16th)

27. ADPC Urban Strategy Asia 2020
ADPC and partners working with 100 cities to reduce urban vulnerability and build disaster resilient communities through 4 strategies:
Planning and Building Safer Cities
Emergency Management & Response Planning for Cities
Public Awareness Campaigns
Knowledge Development & Capacity Building:

28. Specific Action
‘How- to’ resource toolkits that translate awareness into action
Specific UDRM focussed courses targeted at city & national officials & private sector developers
Partnerships with urban authorities & regional city networks (Citynet, ICMA, IULA, ICLEZ)
Safer sister city partnerships & network

29. Linking Climate Change to Urban Risk Reduction
Study areas where improvement to governance structure is needed to enhance resilience of the poor communities in the urban coastal low-lying areas
Analyse trends in primary (meteorological) events and secondary impacts (health hazards, slope destabilization etc) in built up areas to assess consequences of sea level rise & impact in urban coastal areas
The scientific community in Asia has not yet undertaken adequate interest in conducting multi- sectoral studies to understand & prepare inventories of the climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems

30. Long Term Strategies for DRR
There is an urgent need to make risk mitigation one of the essential components of urban governance and creating policy, legal and institutional arrangements to ensure safer urban communities
The city level risk maps, using GPS and RS techniques transforming the community knowledge into formal products, can be integrated in other maps to see the changing risk scenario
Ensure access to information by public
Urban community based approach to convert the victimized communities to a resource

31. Long Term Strategies for DRR (2)
Participatory approach for scenario building, risk assessment & action planning can also generate much needed awareness
Ensuring safer housing & shelter, capable of withstanding hazard events, require quality assurance of housing construction and infrastructure as an essential part of urban risk reduction
Making the private sector partner in development means it should also shoulder some responsibility in urban DRR

32. Long Term Strategies for DRR (3)
Activating poor and motivating them to become resilient against natural calamities is an answer to the key issue of poverty reduction
Vulnerability reduction should be integrated into the development process so that it can contribute to sustainability, empowerment & community resilience
Support the implementation aspects of Hyogo Framework of Action & create more awareness about HFA
Advocate strongly for decentralization of disaster risk management functions to local government sector & integrating in other sector based programs as a routine practice to facilitate building safer communities
Mainstream DRR into local governance