The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) is a non-profit organization supporting the advancement of safer communities and sustainable development, through implementing programs and projects that reduce the impact of disasters upon countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific, by:

• Developing and enhancing sustainable institutional disaster risk management capacities, frameworks and mechanisms, and supporting the development and implementation of government policies;
• facilitating the dissemination and exchange of disaster risk management expertise, experience and information; and
• Raising awareness and enhancing disaster risk management knowledge and skills.

At the recommendation of UN Disaster Relief Organization (UNDRO) - now known as UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) - ADPC was established in 1986 as an outreach activity of the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok , Thailand , with the aim of strengthening the national disaster risk management systems in the region. In 1999, ADPC became an independent entity, which is governed and guided by a Board of Trustees (21 members representing 15 countries) and advised by a Regional Consultative Committee (32 members from 26 countries) and Advisory Council (55 members from a wide range of agencies.)

As a result of its involvement in its ongoing operations and interactions with national, provincial and local authorities, international organizations and development agencies, ADPC has identified a number of disaster risk management priorities that the countries in the Asia region must address in their attainment of sustainable development. These include:

• Mainstreaming of disaster risk management into national development policies and processes (e.g., planning, staffing, budgeting, etc.).
• Assisting provincial and district governments in developing disaster risk management plans and supporting national governments in developing their national disaster risk management information systems.
• Encouraging appropriate legislation and policies for enforcing the incorporation of disaster risk management into development strategies and programs.
• Developing financing mechanisms to support the financial sustainability of disaster risk management outcomes and activities.
• Reducing vulnerabilities of urban population in Asia projected to increase from 30% to 45% of the population by 2015, increasingly putting urban centers at risk.
• Developing and supporting implementation of regional programs on disaster risk management, specifically, ASEAN and SAARC.
• Encouraging and developing increased community participation in mine risk education activities; and providing greater support to victims assistance.
• Converting vulnerable communities into a resource for undertaking disaster management intervention.

ADPC’s Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program (AUDMP) developed in recognition of increased disaster vulnerability of populations, infrastructure, critical facilities and shelter in Asian cities. In an environment where good governance and decentralization are high in most countries’ political agenda and where local stakeholders are beginning to see an increasing need to better prepare against disasters, AUDMP centers on strategic approaches to disaster mitigation as part of the urban development planning process in targeted cities of Asia.

Through AUDMP, ADPC supports the capacity building of local authorities, national governments, non-government organizations and others. AUDMP facilitates knowledge sharing and dialogue between key stakeholders to promote replication of its approaches to other cities and countries worldwide. Since 1995, the AUDMP approaches have been introduced, sustained and replicated by national partner institutions in targeted cities of Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Regional Consultative Committee (RCC)

The RCC comprises of members who are working in key government positions in the National Disaster Management offices of countries of the Asian region. To date, 26 countries are represented by 30 RCC members from the Asia and Pacific regions, namely, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam.

RCC Program on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into development Policy, Planning and Implementation in Asia (RCC MDRD)

A key priority identified by the RCC is the integration of Disaster risk considerations into development planning. To initiate action on this agreed direction, the RCC program on mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into development policy, planning and implementation (MDRD) was launched at the 4^th RCC meeting in Bangladesh in March 2004. The RCC 5 adopted the Hanoi RCC 5 statement on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into Development in Asian countries which prioritizes mainstreaming of DRR to be initiated in National development planning process as well as Sectoral development. It identified six priority sectors namely Agriculture, Education, Health, Housing, Urban Planning and Infrastructure and financial services for mainstreaming of DRR. The program has five components for implementation:

·         Component 1: Developing Guidelines and Tools for MDRD

·         Component 2: Undertaking Priority Implementation Partnerships (PIP) in MDRD in RCC Member Countries

·         Component 3: Showcasing good practice on MDRD and Monitoring Progress

·         Component 4: Advocacy for Building awareness and Political Support to MDRD

·         Component 5: Mobilizing Partnerships for ongoing and sustainable implementation

The Hanoi RCC 5 statement identified the following sub themes within the Urban Planning and

Infrastructure to initiate mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction:

·         Introducing Disaster Risk Reduction into the construction and development of new houses in urban, rural and estate sector;

·         Promoting the use of hazard resilient housing designs

ADPC work in Sri Lanka:

At present ADPC implement various projects with contractual agreement with the Ministry of Disaster Management & Human Rights, Disaster Management Centre. ADPC as the secretariat for RCC and it’s implementation in Asia, has started Mainstreaming DRR into housing sector since November 2008 under the priority implementation partnership project, supported by AusAID.

Housing Sector a priority for mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction -

BACKGROUND

The Regional Consultative Committee (RCC) on Disaster Management under its program on mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into development (MDRD) has identified Housing Health, infrastructure, Agriculture, Education, and financial services as priority sectors to initiate mainstreaming disaster risk reduction (DRR). With the massive development projects in Asia underpinned by the investment in individual housing units and large scale housing developments and condominiums prioritizing the housing sector is certainly a necessity.

In the RCC which comprises of heads of the National Disaster Management offices of 26 Asian Countries, members had submitted expression of interest (EoI) to initiate mainstreaming of DRR  into particular sectors depending on the development priorities of their country.

Disaster Management Centre (DMC) under the Ministry of Disaster Management & Human Rights of Sri Lanka which is a member of RCC had expressed interest in initiating mainstreaming DRR into Housing sector in partnerships with the Ministry of Housing & Common Amenities and agencies responsible for Housing planning, construction and approval agencies in Sri Lanka.

The PIP was initiated by DMC in the second half of 2008 with technical support from Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) and with financial support from Australian agency for International Development (AusAid).