My name is Muhammad Faisal Anshory, and I am a fresh graduate in Geodetic and Geomatics Engineering at the Bandung Institute of Technology. During my studies, I have been passionate about map-making, a.k.a cartography. I also learned about the role of my degree in multiple areas, one of them is the disaster field.

This is why I was intrigued when I learned about HELiX, the Humanitarian and Emergency Logistics Innovation Expo, hosted by the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) and Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority (VNDMA) in 2021.

My curiosity led me to participate in the AHAckathon competition as part of the HELiX event in October 2021, where my team and I had the chance to learn about the efforts of various disaster relief organisations. With the guidance of our mentor, Ms. Smriti, we were trying to come up with a solution to two common problems relief workers face: a lack of centralised real-time information to monitor and coordinate relief efforts and the slow identification processes for needs assessments. Our solution was an application prototype called Holigistics, which targeted actors in the field to quickly assess the supply needed by impacted demographic data and give recommendations for the optimised route service for the supply chain. Our team’s efforts paid off when we were awarded second place among various teams in ASEAN. This experience taught me about the AHA Centre generally and its role in coordinating logistics assistance for natural disasters in ASEAN.

A few months later, I saw a social media post by the AHA Centre announcing an internship opportunity as a Disaster Monitoring and Analysis (DMA) intern. As I had finished my undergraduate thesis, I applied without hesitation and was eventually invited for an online interview. I started my new journey on September 5th, under the guidance of DMA Officers Mr. Keith Paolo and Mr. Sadhu Zukhruf. As a DMA intern, my main responsibilities were assisting in daily DMA activities. The task included monitoring the daily development of natural disasters in ASEAN, data cleansing and analysis of disaster data records, and assisting in developing incidental and routine reports, including maps. Those responsibilities presented unique challenges. The first one is when navigating language barriers when monitoring disaster development in the ASEAN region, where as a multicultural region, each ASEAN country has its own language. The second is that AHA Centre’s products are often reposted by global organisations, meaning the information presented must be accurate, data-oriented, and reliable. Despite these challenges, I am grateful for the opportunity to make a positive impact and they raise my awareness about the relationship between humans and nature.

During my internship journey, I was fortunate to be exposed to various valuable experiences that helped me develop new skills and knowledge. One of the most significant aspects of my internship was gaining exposure to cutting-edge technologies used for disaster monitoring activities. Not only did this expand my technical skill set, but it also provided me with a new perspective on the intersection of technology and disaster management. In addition, I also had the opportunity to participate in important events such as the AHA Centre Information Management Network (AIM-Net) and First Aid and Survival on Disaster Training, which helped me develop a deeper understanding of disaster management from a practical standpoint. The meetings with the Centre partners were also a great learning opportunity, as they allowed me to gain insights into how the AHA Centre collaborates with national disaster management organisations of ASEAN member states and international organisations to develop ASEAN’s resilience towards natural disasters.

All in all, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the internship program at the AHA Centre. The experiences and knowledge I have gained during this time have truly broadened my perspective on natural disasters and emergency response and working in a multicultural environment. I am especially thankful to my supervisors, Mr. Keith and Mr. Sadhu, for their guidance and unwavering support throughout my internship. They always challenged me and gave constructive feedback that has pushed me to try new things and exceed my expectations. I also appreciate Mr. Lawrence Anthony Dimailig who has been an incredible source of positivity and encouragement during daily activities. This internship has been a valuable learning experience that has equipped me with the knowledge and skills needed to make a positive impact in the future. I look forward to utilising these skills in my future endeavors and continue to grow as an individual.

Written by: Muhammad Faisal Anshory, Disaster Monitoring and Analysis Intern

One of the crucial components in ARDEX 2023 was the involvement of referees. When all the SOPs and procedures were tested and exercised during ARDEX 2023, referees played an important role to ensure that the exercise was on the right track. Mr. Mati Raidma, an expert from Estonia, is one of the referees who were involved in ARDEX-23 since the beginning. The Column had the opportunity to speak with him on his experience in ARDEX-23.

You were involved in ARDEX in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, as a trainer during the Referee Training in May 2023. You also directly observed the conduct of the actual ARDEX in August 2023. If you may briefly share with us, how did you become involved in this simulation exercise?

“My first involvement with ASEAN was in February 2020 when I was involved in a meeting between the AHA Center and the civil protection authorities of two EU member states, the Swedish Civil Aid Agency (MSB) and the Estonian Rescue Board (ERB). From there, the project “Leveraging ASEAN Capacities for Emergency Response” (LACER) began, which as one component belongs to the general EU program “Integrated Program in Enhancing the Capacity of AHA Center and ASEAN Emergency Response Mechanisms” (EU support to the AHA Center).

Right after that, I had the opportunity to participate as a LACER expert in the Referees Training for the ARDEX 2020 in Manila, Philippines and helped conduct the course. Unfortunately, ARDEX 2020 was canceled due to COVID-19.

This year, when the preparations for ARDEX 2023 started, I was invited to conduct the Referee Training again and I am very happy and proud about it. And then ARDEX itself – a large and complex exercise that visualised the principle “One ASEAN One Response” and brought this feeling to all the hundreds of participants.”

If you may share with us, knowing that ASEAN is a disaster-prone region, how do you see disaster management sector in this region?

“The Disaster Management system in the ASEAN region is definitely in a phase of rapid development. The base, principles and structural logic have been created. The AHA Center, which has an important role to play in this, is doing its best and the progress is impressive.

In such fast processes, the bigger picture is also important. Getting to know the experience of other regions and participating in global networks gives new ideas and confidence in this development process. And at the same time share your valuable experience – that’s how we make the world a safer place to live.”

Based on your observations during the exercise, what can participants learn from ARDEX 2023 and regional disaster management mechanisms?

“In Yogyakarta I saw the great commitment of the organisers, the resource-intensive preparation of the host country and the satisfaction of the participants – the opportunity to practice together, better understand each other and exchange experiences is especially important here.

Regional cooperation in disasters and adherence to agreed protocols is critical and can be trained in exercises – in a controlled and safe environment. ARDEX plays a unique role in this sense. It is very useful and instructive for the all participants to understand the complexity of the whole operation and the various coordinating bodies.

One of the main ideas of organising exercises is to test the functioning of the agreed procedures (SASOP in the case of ARDEX) and to find ideas and opportunities for development. The work of the Referee team was targeted to support the fulfillment of this task. I hope that the after exercise report contains several useful recommendations for the future.”

Did you see any particular lessons learned that may distinguish this exercise compared to other similar disaster simulation exercises??

“The idea of comprehensiveness can distinguish ARDEX from other similar international exercises. It is great. At the same time, balancing the national and international proportions of the exercise, synchronising the simultaneous execution of CPX and FTX and thereby keeping all the different participants interested and active are very big challenges that I would recommend to analyse when planning the next exercises.”

Could you also please share with us your first experience working in disaster management?

“My experiences in the field of disaster management are divided into two. Probably my first experience relates to the national level, where I have built and led the national system of the Estonian Rescue Service and the Disaster Management Agency in the 90’s. Internationally, I have been a member of the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team (UNDAC) since 2000, which has given me the opportunity to participate in coordination mechanisms for several natural disasters and in the organising teams of UN Earthquake Response Exercises (UN ERE).”

Written by: Mati Raidma, Moch Syifa