An earthquake can be a frightening and destructive natural event. With increasing population and the potential encroachment of urban development into areas susceptible to earthquakes, vulnerability to earthquakes could intensify. However, we have begun to challenge the premise that earthquakes present an uncontrollable and unpredictable hazard to life and property. With greater understanding of the causes and effects of earthquakes, we may be able to reduce damage and loss of life from these destructive events. The course on Earthquake Vulnerability Reduction for Cities has been designed to achieve this goal. With healthy experiences in providing similar courses for natural disaster mitigation within the Asian Region, ADPC provide a model training experience in this latest course by integrating well compiled study material, case studies, audio visual enhancement and interactive adult learning strategies.
The course builds on past and enduring endeavors such as Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative (EMI), UN, IDNDR, ISDR initiative for Risk Assessment Tools for Diagnosis or Urban Areas against Seismic Disasters (RADIUS) and Global Earthquake Safety Initiative (GESI) launched by UNCRD , the Geo-Hazard International and from the rich lessons learnt and experiences from the Kathmandu Valley Earthquake Risk Management Project (KVERMP) and Indonesian Urban Disaster Mitigation Project (IUDMP) under the Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program (AUDMP) of ADPC implemented with local partner organization National Security for Earthquake Technology (NSET), Nepal and Institute of Technology- Bandung (ITB), Indonesia.
The course aspires to provide: Training on earthquake vulnerability reduction strategies; Know-how for the development of organized approaches for earthquake vulnerability reduction
Knowledge and skills for implementation of mitigation initiatives; Appreciation of risk communication; Analysis of the need to develop multi-sectoral partnerships for successful implementation of mitigation measures; Field exposure to ongoing mitigation work
Course content are: Overview on Urbanization; Urban Hazards, Vulnerabilities, Risk and Disaster Management; Earthquake Hazard and Risk Assessment Methods; Earthquake Vulnerabilities; Earthquake Vulnerabilities Reduction Methods; Collateral Hazard, Vulnerability Assessment for liquefaction, fire, landslide Tsunami etc.; Planning for Vulnerability Reduction of Earthquake and; Implementation of Vulnerability Reduction Programs.
This course is particularly useful for those engaged with reduction of vulnerabilities to earthquake in the urban areas. It is open to all countries; however priorities will be given to the participants from the Asia-Pacific region.
The targeted audiences of the course are:
Administrators and officials from provincial and city administration, development and planning authorities, National level ministries, departments and institutions dealing with urban planning development, housing, infrastructure, public works, utilities, waterworks, drainage,Private sector corporations, builders, infrastructure developers, insurance companies and others,Elected representatives from cities and towns,Emergency response agencies and emergency planners,Relief and rehabilitation agencies,UN agencies and international organizations, NGOs working on disaster mitigation, especially on earthquake mitigation, Advocacy and public awareness campaigners, and etc.,
All teaching and course materials are in English. It is essential that participants are fully conversant in English.
International experienced practitioners and experts from different organizations will complement ADPC's in-house expertise to conduct and facilitate the course.
The tuition fee is US$ 2000 with a registration fee of US$40. For the convenience of participants, ADPC provides a Full Package Course Fee which includes tuition fee, registration fee, 13 days (25 Jan-6 Feb 2009) for all meals (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) with a choice of alternative accommodation. A Full Package of Course Fee with a twin-share accommodation is at US$ 2820 per participant while a Full Package with a single accommodation is at US$ 3140 per participant. ADPC will try to fulfill all participants' accommodation requests but cannot guarantee providing a twin-share accommodation package if there are no partners available or willing to share a room. In such a case, we will inform the participant in advance that he or she is required to pay for the course fee with single accommodation package.
Travel cost is not included in the course fee. All participants are responsible for arranging their own travel and visa expenses, including transportation from and to airport, and also for health/accident insurance and other personal expenses.
For further information please visit to our website www.adpc.net
CONTACT ADDRESS
Mr. Falak Nawaz,
Manager,
Training Resource Group
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)
979/66-70, 24th Floor
SM Tower, Paholyothin Road
Samsen Nai, Phayathai
Bangkok, 10400
Tel : (66-2) 298 0681-92
Fax : (66-2) 298 0012-13
E.mail: tedadpc@adpc.net
Website: http://www.adpc.net
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
A survivor of the May 12 earthquake cleans a chair outside his tent, located opposite the badly damaged Middle school of Yingxiu, in Sichuan province, June 2, 2008. REUTERS/Nir Elias (CHINA) ...
