Training Course on Disaster Management

The Asia-Pacific region continues to face human tragedy and heavy economic losses from disasters--the frequency and intensity of which have escalated in recent years. The Indian Ocean Tsunami and the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami; recent earthquakes in Kashmir, China and New Zealand; cyclone Nargis; typhoon Haiyan; the floods in Pakistan and Thailand; and the Afghanistan blizzards highlight the level of devastation that disasters can bring to the region.

This training course aims to provide necessary and useful fundamental knowledge and skills in disaster risk management in order to enhance the capabilities of disaster managers who wish to reduce the impact of disastrous events in communities.

The topics covered cut across multi-hazard, multi-level, multi-agency, and multi-disciplinary facets, and address both event-related activities as well as those activities that need to be undertaken on a daily basis in order to mitigate the impact of natural hazards.

Course contents

Conducted over a period of two weeks, the course is divided into eight modules following the flow of the disaster risk management process:

Module 1: Introduction to Disaster Risk Management

• Global disaster risk situation
• Basic concepts and terminologies used in disaster risk management
• Overview of disaster risk management

Module 2: Disaster Risk Identification and Assessment

• Introduction to disaster risk management processes
• Introduction to hazards, vulnerability, and capacity
• Hazard, vulnerability, capacity and risk assessment

Module 3: Disaster Risk Reduction

• Disaster risk mitigation framework
• Disaster and development
• Mainstreaming DRR in development planning process

Module 4: Disaster Preparedness Planning Process

• Overview of preparedness planning processes and concepts
• Preparedness planning processes in key areas such as:
• Setting up a preparedness planning committee
• Achieving agreement on preparedness arrangements
• Documenting preparedness arrangements
• Conducting preparedness training
• Testing preparedness arrangements

Module 5: Emergency Response

• Emergency response management principles and concepts
• Key response implementation considerations
• Use of emergency coordination centers
• ICT in emergency responses and management

Module 6: Disaster Recovery

• Damage and loss estimation in recovery planning
• Disaster recovery and reconstruction: concepts, practice, and guidelines

Module 7: Making Disaster Management Work

• Cross-cutting considerations
• Working with multi-agency teams
• Policy, legal and institutional frameworks
• Media in disaster management

Module 8: Re-entering the Real World: Making a Difference

• Development of personal action plans
• Course evaluation

Note: The above contents are shown for general reference only. ADPC's ongoing course improvement process may lead to some changes in topics and structure.

Target participants

The course will benefit government officials responsible for disaster management policy and planning; IFRC/ ICRC; international and local NGOs; NGOs involved in the areas of disaster risk reduction, response and recovery; staff from training institutes and other agencies responsible for knowledge dissemination on disaster risk reduction and management as well as training of trainers; persons involved in coordination of disaster management activities (e.g., defense forces and emergency services); UN agencies.

The contents of the course focus on the Asian context with some references to other regions. However, also participants from outside the Asian region are welcome. All representatives from the different regions, organizations, and backgrounds are encouraged to interact, discuss, and make connections to ensure the greatest benefit is gained from attending the course.

The class size is limited to 25 people. ADPC accepts nominations on a first-come first-served basis provided the applicant meets the course requirements

Course fee

The standard course fee of USD2,375 covers course tuition, registration fee, training materials, study visit, and training kit.

Participants will be responsible for their own travel expenses and arrangements, accommodation, airport transfers, visa application, all meals, health and accident insurance, and other personal expenses.

Discounted accommodation can be arranged by ADPC.

Registration

Interested persons can apply as individuals although preference will be given to those sponsored by an organization. The application can be submitted online at www.adpc.net/apply. The registration and payment should be made at least one month before the course commence.

Payment

If you are selected to attend the course, the payment should be transferred to ADPC's account through a bank transfer at least one month before course commence. Otherwise, your participation will be cancelled. Please note that personal checks are not accepted as a form of payment.