GIZ
SUPPORTING THE AHA CENTRE’S INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
The Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany supports the process of regional integration in the ASEAN region with capacity development aiming at strengthening the AHA Centre. It has entrusted Germany’s GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit Gmb) with the implementation of its most recent project in cooperation with the AHA Centre, aimed to strengthen the capacities and work processes of the AHA Centre’s corporate units by supporting institutional and capacity development efforts.
The German Federal Government had previously developed the Global Initiative on Disaster Risk Management (GIDRM), under the responsibility of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as a network that brought together German and international disaster stakeholders from government, the private sector, academia and civil society. Its objective was to develop customised solutions to specific challenges in disaster risk management and to meet global demand by devising high-quality, innovative and sustainable approaches, with several of ASEAN Member States engaged in the pilot project.
More recently, Germany has developed a new programme with the AHA Centre focused on Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Development (Capacities4AHAC), that is a stand-alone measure implemented through the agreement between the ASEAN and the Federal Republic of Germany. This regional project works alongside the AHA Centre and selected national civil protection authorities and civil society organisations, and aims to support ASEAN Member State integration and cooperation, contributing to stability, peace and security in the ASEAN region.
To become the leading organisation for ASEAN’s disaster management – including leading capacity building and becoming a knowledge and information centre – the AHA Centre needs to be equipped with strong institutional capacities and corporate units. Therefore, the project will support the AHA Centre to strengthen the capacities and work processes of the corporate units of the AHA-Centre.
The project approach incorporates various elements of capacity development, with a focus on personnel development of specialists and executives, long-term and short-term expert assignments, study tours, eLearning, and expert dialogues. Capacity development needs and instruments are identified and applied in close cooperation with the AHA Centre in order to achieve the best possible results and impacts. Through the cooperation with other relevant projects commissioned by the German Foreign Office, this project ensures synergy and a strengthening of the German contribution and its visibility in the ASEAN region.
The project implementation will be carried out in close cooperation and coordination with the AHA Centre in Jakarta, other dialogue and development partners working in ASEAN, as well as with the German Embassy in Jakarta and Foreign Office in Berlin. It will run throughout 2020 and 2021, and delivered under a budget of € 800,000 managed by GIZ.
Written by : Ina Rachmawati | Photo : Private collection
DISASTERS DURING A PANDEMIC:
ARE COUNTRIES MORE WILLING TO ACCEPT INTERNATIONAL AID?
This month’s Insight article comes from the AHA Centre’s own Deputy Executive Director, Arnel Capili.
What if another major earthquake triggers a tsunami somewhere along the vast coastline of Indonesia? Or a super typhoon devastates one of the many islands of the Philippines? Would these countries, or other vulnerable nations in Southeast Asia, be more willing to accept international assistance in light of the pandemic?
Before the current pandemic, we saw a shift in some of the region’s countries’ policy to implement nationally-led disaster responses – with any support from the international community based on specific priorities. This was true during the Central Sulawesi earthquake in 2018, where the Government of Indonesia clearly manifested that the response was local, and that any offers of international assistance should be in-line with identified gaps, and channeled through local partners (such as the local Red Cross, local NGOs, and local government).
This tendency of governments to temper overwhelming “love and support” can be traced back from their experience of having a secondary disaster — a ‘tsunami’ of unsolicited assistance after the 2004 Banda Aceh tsunami, and super typhoon “Haiyan” (2013). The assumption is that the donations and support teams posed increased challenges for the governments of Indonesia and the Philippines, so much so that it eclipsed the well-intentioned purpose.
So then, are countries in the region more willing to accept offers of international assistance during a disaster in the middle of COVID-19 pandemic? Let us examine possible scenarios to provide some insights, and initiate conversations about how to plan responses to natural disasters in light of the pandemic.
In the short term, countries in the region will probably remain steadfast with their preference for a more nationally-led response. Understanding that most countries in the region have very strict restrictions on movement – particularly from ‘foreigners’ who are potential carriers of the virus – cash or remote technical support will be preferred. Durable goods may be accepted on the basis of diplomatic relations. For political considerations, offers from ‘friendly’ countries may be accepted to maintain good relationships, as well as in the interest of reciprocity. Regional organisations such as ASEAN may be accorded more space to reduce international humanitarian footprint.
In the longer-term, and if the threat of the pandemic persists, there is a potential for countries in the region to reconsider this position. The policy shift will stem from the fact that government resources – including its frontline services – may be exhausted. With an economic downturn and the mounting pressure to support communities, governments may be more flexible to accept international assistance. Although still considered to be a national response, governments may extend greater flexibility allowing exemptions and greater access to the international humanitarian community.
Regardless, national authorities will carefully weigh-in on issues related to national capacity and domestic politics. For a country reeling from the effects of COVID-19, food and durable goods such as mobile storage units, health and hygiene kits, and the required logistics to move them will be prioritised. Planning and anticipation are key for issues surrounding entry and quarantine requirements, certifications of compliance to national standards for medical teams and their equipment, and special handling requirements for relief items (disinfecting at port of entry for example).
One thing is undeniable – disasters during this pandemic will redefine how we do things. It will challenge how we think about humanitarian action, not just during the pandemic, but also how this model of response can be adapted post-pandemic. The difficulties faced during the pandemic have shown us that there are other ways to provide support aside from being on the ground, and that being first to assist is not necessarily a priority. Rather, it is more a profound need for greater thinking of how the international humanitarian community could enhance and add greater value to a nationally-led response.
Written by : Arnel Capili | Photo: AHA Centre
MONTHLY DISASTER REVIEW AND OUTLOOK
SEPTEMBER 2020 | DISASTER MONITORING & ANALYSIS
(DMA) UNIT, AHA CENTRE
GENERAL REVIEW OF SEPTEMBER 2020
A total of 45 disaster events were recorded for the month of September 2020, which 1 1/2 times higher than August 2020, and is almost four times the five-year average for September. Despite this increase, there were a range of lower numbers compared to five-year averages, including significantly less people affected, internally displaced, casualties and injuries. There were more houses damaged, however, than the average. These significant differences can be attributed to severe disaster events taking place in September 2018, including the earthquake and tsunami in Central Sulawesi, an earthquake in the Philippines, and Typhoon Mangkhut which affected the northern part of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Viet Nam. In total, said events affected about 10 million people in 2018. Additionally, 2017 saw massive droughts in Indonesia, which affected around 4 million people, and also contributes to the high five-year average figures for the month of September.
A total of 27 significant earthquakes (M≥5.0) were reported in the region for September 2020, and also ongoing volcanic activity reported for the Indonesian mountains of Anak Krakatau, Ibu, Semeru, and Dukono. While the events did not result in significant damage, they do serve as a timely reminder of the importance of geophysical hazard preparedness, particularly in tectonically active countries like Indonesia and the Philippines.
SEASONAL OUTLOOK
Southwest monsoon conditions are expected to persist throughout October 2020, before gradually transitioning into the inter-monsoon period in the latter part of the month. Inter-monsoon conditions are characterised by light and variable winds, with rainy conditions expected over most of the ASEAN region. The inter-monsoon period typically lasts for about a month before the onset of Northeast Monsoon conditions, when the northern ASEAN region enters its traditional dry season, while the southern ASEAN region experiences increased rainfall.
For the October to December period, models predict above-normal rainfall over much of the Maritime Continent (south of the equator and the Philippines) and coastal regions of Viet Nam. La Niña conditions have developed over the tropical Pacific Ocean, and most climate models predict La Niña will bring wetter-than-normal conditions over the Southeast Asia region. These are expected to persist for October through to December 2020, which may cause more torrential rains and resulting flooding across many areas.
While warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected to continue over much of the Maritime Continent for the next three months, parts of Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand may experience below to near-normal temperatures.
For October and November, hotspot activities in the ASEAN region are expected to remain generally subdued due to rainy weather, although isolated hotspots may be detected in some areas during brief periods of drier weather. In December 2020, a gradual increase in hotspot activities may be expected in the northern ASEAN region as it enters its traditional dry season with the onset of Northeast Monsoon.
Data Sources: ASEAN Disaster Information Network, ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre
Written by : Keith Paolo Landicho, Lawrence Anthony Dimailig, Aril Aditian
DISCLAIMER
Disclaimer: AHA Centre’s estimation is based on data and information shared by National Disaster Management Organisations (NDMOs) and other relevant agencies from ASEAN Member States, international organisations and news agencies. Further information on each recorded-significant disaster, description and detail of data and information are available at: http://adinet.ahacentre.org/reports.
IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE:
ASEAN LAUNCHES PROJECT ON STANDARDISATION AND CERTIFICATION FOR EXPERTS IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT
The ASEAN Standards and Certification for Experts in Disaster Management (ASCEND) Project was developed from the challenge faced by National Disaster Management Organisations (NDMOs) of ASEAN Member States and the AHA Centre when responding on the ground to a large-scale disaster. In these circumstances, humanitarian actors engage from many different organisations, institutions, private companies, as well as individuals, to provide various kinds of support to those affected. While these stakeholders often hold the capacity to respond, there remained a challenge in identifying and validating their specific skills for coordination purposes.
On the 22nd September 2020, the ASCEND Project was officially launched through a joint launching ceremony, opened by the Secretary-General of ASEAN H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to ASEAN H.E. Lim Sungnam, and the AHA Centre’s Executive Director, Ms Adelina Kamal. Many ASEAN disaster management community stakeholders attended the ASCEND launching event, as well as representatives from AHA Centre donors and partners.
The ASCEND programme was developed to validate, and thus provide recognition, to specific skills and competencies held by individuals working in the disaster management sector. This certification will help the AHA Centre and ASEAN Member States to determine the skills and expertise available for both deploying or receiving support teams at times of disaster. Alongside this, competency standards can also serve as a credible reference to guide disaster management institutions and organisations when they are developing their own specific training programmes. For individuals, this certification will support their continuous learning and career progression within the disaster management sector.
From 2016-2019, led by the National Disaster Management Agency of Indonesia (BNPB) through its Competency Certification Office (LSP-PB), the first phase of the ASCEND Project developed a foundation for future efforts through the endorsement of the ASCEND Framework by the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management. As well as the ASCEND Framework’s endorsement, the standard competencies for the first five disaster management professions were identified and provided. These professions are: Rapid Assessment; Humanitarian Logistics; Shelter Management; Emergency Operations Centre, and; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
After the completion of ASCEND phase one in early 2020, the AHA Centre received confirmation of generous support from the Republic of Korea through the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF). This support will allow for the ASCEND development to continue for the next three years. In implementing the ASCEND project, the AHA Centre will also collaborate with the Korean National Fire Agency (KNFA), where both parties will benefit through the exchange of knowledge and expertise, and activities including conducting a joint event.
The three years of ASCEND Project phase two implementation is aimed towards institutional and technical preparation. For institutions, the project will prepare relevant institutions that will implement the ASCEND certification process, including a Competency Body, Certifying Body and Assessment Providers. For the technical side, the project will prepare technical tools such as an ASCEND toolbox, training and certification management systems necessary to guide and document the certification process. Following the institutional and technical preparation, the project will conduct a certification assessment pilot for the first five professions, while continuing to promote and increase awareness of ASCEND throughout ASEAN target groups. This pilot activity will provide feedback for learning and iterative improvements before the ASCEND Programme is scaled-up.
This forms an exciting journey for the AHA Centre and the ASEAN Member States to ensure this initiative further contributes to the realisation of ASEAN’s goal to become a global leader in disaster management by 2025, as articulated in the ASEAN Vision 2025 on Disaster Management. The AHA Centre, through the ASCEND Project, looks forward to working closely with the Republic of Korea, NDMOs, the ASEAN community, and AHA Centre partners, in enhancing regional resilience with more competent disaster management experts available in the region.
Written by : Andrew Mandranugraha / Ririn Dwi Haryani | Photo Credit : AHA Centre