MONTHLY DISASTER REVIEW AND OUTLOOK
APRIL 2020 | DISASTER MONITORING & ANALYSIS
(DMA) UNIT, AHA CENTRE
GENERAL REVIEW OF APRIL 2020
The month of April 2020 evidenced a clear deviation in figures of significant disaster occurrences in comparison to the previous five-year average for April, with an 87% increase of events recorded for the month. A majority of disasters (86%) for the month of April were flooding events, with storms (11%) and landslides (3%) also registered. However, despite the increase in occurrences of significant disasters, the impact in terms of affected people was significantly lower than the five-year average with an 81% decrease. The number of people displaced by disaster events also decreased (46% less), however the impact was more severe on people’s homes with a 2 ½ times increase of damaged houses reported (17,241 in total). There were 85% less deaths as well as less injuries for April 2020 in comparison to the previous five years. 50% of all disasters for the month occurred in one week alone (week 18), which may be attributed to an increase in precipitation rates of approximately 100mm across the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java, compared to the previous averages during that single week.
Geophysically, for April 2020, 21 earthquakes with magnitudes greater than or equal to 5.0M were recorded by respective ASEAN Member States’ local seismic authorities. For the first half of April 2020, six volcanoes in Indonesia displayed increased activity but remained at Alert Level II according to Indonesia’s Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVBMG). Meanwhile later in the month, three volcanoes in Indonesia (Agung, Sinabung, and Karangetang) moved to at Alert Level III, with one volcano in the Philippines (Mayon) on Alert Level 2. This highlights the importance of earthquake preparedness and the immediacy of response in tectonically active countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines based on their location along the Pacific Ring of Fire.
SEASONAL OUTLOOK
During the May to July 2020 period, rainfall over the northern ASEAN region is forecast at below-average rates. Similar forecasts for rainfall conditions are predicted for most parts of western mainland Southeast Asia (Myanmar, northern Thailand and northern Laos), however most parts of the southern ASEAN region can expect above-average rainfall. Overall, the entire ASEAN region can expect above-average temperatures.
In the Mekong sub-region, the start of the Southwest Monsoon period should improve haze conditions and gradually subdue hotspot and fire activities. In the southern ASEAN region, hotspot activities are expected to remain generally subdued for May 2020. However, a gradual increase in hotspot activities, particularly in the fire-prone areas of Sumatra and Kalimantan, can be expected from June with the onset of the traditional dry season in the southern ASEAN region.
Data Sources: ASEAN Disaster Information Network, ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre
Written by : Keith Landicho and Lawrence Anthony Dimailig
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.
ASEAN VILLAGE – NEW HOMES
FOR TSUNAMI SURVIVORS IN PALU
The October 2018 earthquake and tsunami disaster in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, stands as one of the largest disaster responses undertaken by the AHA Centre in its history, and while the initial shock of the disaster has dissipated, work to rebuild the region’s infrastructure and communities has continued throughout 2019 and into 2020. Aside from the initial disaster response, this also forms the AHA Centre’s first foray into ongoing recovery activities, with the development of the ASEAN Village standing as the region’s input into the longer-term efforts to support the people of Palu City and its surrounds.
During April 2020, the AHA Centre in its role facilitating the ongoing support from ASEAN Member States, coordinated the official handover of the ASEAN Village to the Government of Palu City. Although it was undertaken online due to the limitations caused by the global pandemic, the handover maintained its true value for all involved, as the Mayor of Palu City Mr. Drs. Hidayat, other key government officials, an array of ASEAN dignitaries and other key programme representatives came together for the handover of outcomes from the new and innovative project.
Recounting the implementation of the project in her opening speech, the AHA Centre’s Executive Director Ms. Adelina Kamal said “In the early recovery period, we submitted a proposal to BNPB for the construction of temporary shelters, with funds received from the Philippine Government and from the people of Brunei Darussalam. With operational funds from Australia, we formed a team in the field, full time, to follow through the mandate and maintain the trust given by the Government of the Philippines and the people of Brunei, and to coordinate closely with the local government”.
Overall, the ASEAN Village project developed and delivered 75 new homes to the affected communities in the Tondo area of Palu City. Thanks to the generous support of the Government of Brunei Darussalam and Direct Relief, another 25 dwellings and additional structures, such as an auxiliary health centre and a mosque, will be developed in the coming months. The project was implemented in partnership with the Housing and Settlement Department of the Palu Government, and utilised USD 723,647 to develop the homes across a 22,600sqm area. The project implementation also received additional support from the Government of the Philippines and the Government of Australia.
Funds from the Brunei Darussalam Government were a result of crowd-sourcing directly from the people of Brunei Darussalam, which forms the first time ASEAN citizens directly providing funding to an AHA Centre project. Meanwhile, the Philippines provided support as part of its solidarity to the tsunami survivors in Palu, even the country was still recovering from its own disaster, Typhoon Mangkhut, which struck the country in September 2018.
“On behalf of the Government of Palu City, we confirm that the 75 houses are well received. We hope that these permanent houses handed over by the AHA Centre will bring happiness and improve the welfare of the tsunami-affected people of Palu City.”
– Mr Hidayat, The Mayor of Palu
“For the first time, the AHA Centre got involved in the recovery phase, not only during emergency response phase. We plan to properly document these experiences at the end of our project in Palu. We also hope that the ASEAN Village in Palu can serve as a model and can be done in other ASEAN Member States.”
– Ms. Adelina Kamal
Written by : William Shea | Photo Credit : AHA Centre
JOMMEL MERANO
Jommel Merano is the National Logistics Officer for the Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN (DELSA), based in one of the two new DELSA satellite warehouses – located in the Philippines. He joined the AHA Centre team in late 2018 with two decades of experience in the disaster management sector, including working with the Philippines Office of Civil Defense (1999-2012) and the Philippine Red Cross (2012-2015). Drawn to the humanitarian field by the opportunity to further support communities around him, Jommel says the work brings him pride and joy. He feels that continuing such work with the AHA Centre allows him to play his noble part supporting his country and the region in the face of disaster.
Jommel first engaged with the AHA Centre in its early years when he was part of the second ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT) training, and has since been deployed to six disaster missions – five within the Philippines and one in Indonesia. He has felt lucky to continue contributing to developing future ASEAN-ERAT members as a facilitator and mentor during the 6th, 7th, 9th and 10th ASEAN-ERAT Induction Courses. Jommel has also participated in a range of regional activities, and has recently completed the ASEAN-ERAT Level 2 Advance Course on Humanitarian Logistics.
“Such deployments and trainings continue to provide me an in depth understanding of ASEAN regional disaster mechanisms”
– Jommel Merano
Joining the AHA Centre through his role in the Philippines DELSA satellite warehouse, Jommel recognised the great opportunity to take part in the historic establishment and expansion of the DELSA system. Not only did it give him the opportunity to be part of something new and exciting, but also a chance to further engage and support not only the Philippines but also the other ASEAN Member States who are so well supported by the DELSA mechanism. More specifically, the role sees Jommel responsible for managing activities related to mobilisation, monitoring and maintenance of AHA Centre’s relief stock items that are stored at the satellite warehouse facility.
Jommel’s experience both recently with the DELSA programme and more broadly within the disaster management system as a whole has given him some clear and relevant insights on the future of disaster management for ASEAN and its people. He applies this to his current role when he states that “humanitarian logistics has always been an important factor in disaster relief operations”. “Now that the AHA Centre has established DELSA satellite warehouses in the ASEAN region, deployment of ASEAN relief items will become easier, and it will increase the speed and scale of ASEAN response” he continues.
“The commitment and engagement of ASEAN Member State National Disaster Management Organisations towards humanitarian logistics will surely result in increased capacity throughout ASEAN disaster management practices, which is strongly in line with the vision of One ASEAN One Response.”
Written by : William Shea | Photo : AHA Centre
HOW THE AHA CENTRE – ICT TEAM
MANAGING TRANSITION
FROM OFFICE JOB TO WORK-AT-HOME
Working from home, or WFH, during this time can influence us to make changes to anticipate various pitfalls: difficulty communicating efficiently, lack of access to information, lack of supervision (causing anxiety for both managers and employees), and social isolation. As any other organisation, the AHA Centre team relies much on the ICT team to help the transition from work in office to work from home. The team provides and creates a breakthrough to make work easier from home.
UTILISE VARIOUS COMMUNICATION TOOLS AND ESTABLISH GROUND RULES
Before WFH arrangement, there were only two user accounts available for video conference. Since the demand has multiplied exponentially the team has provided five accounts for video call using Zoom, a backup service using WebEx, and for urgent meetings using Google Meet.
All staff has access to this communication tool for their need in collaborating and coordinating with colleagues and partners. ICT team will monitor the access request and make sure everyone can utilise the service.
TEAM COLLABORATION
Before WFH set up, it is easier to have daily catch-up with team members to ensure smooth collaboration. Furthermore, it is a normal routine to have frequent team meeting to have a quick catch-up where everyone has the opportunity to have a quick question and answer, which during WFH is no longer possible. So how is working from home going to impact team work dynamic in the AHA Centre?
In the beginning, we all have to struggle to keep up with our work and adjust to work from home. Hard copy notes and documents were daily routines, but since the WFH set up, ICT team had to speed up the usage of Zoho, where the hard copy documents and administrative process are processed to a digital record and approval is done via digital documentation.
CREATE A WORK FROM HOME POLICY ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE
Since the work from home policy, ICT Team has created an internal website that provides the latest office policy during the WFH set up. Everyone can access it at all times and everyone knows where to find it. People will be able to find answers to a lot of questions they might have about working from home, whether with regard to remote access, scheduling and working hours, or communication channels.
This will become an important document on the journey to remote working to refer to, not only in times of emergency but also in the future.
CREATE A COLLABORATIVE REMOTE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The AHA Centre staff relies on frequent contact with colleagues and team members in day-to-day work. It is crucial to create a working environment enabling open collaboration. There is a couple of things the ICT team has explored to help staff members connect and collaborate such as:
First, provide by request link for team huddles via video conferencing tools such as Zoom or Hangouts Meet.
Second, rovide suggestion for team collaboration using various software and platform for better team collaboration, such as using Google Whiteboard, Wooclap for Team, and Miro.
Everyone has to figure out how to strengthen virtual collaboration and meetings to communicate but also to celebrate daily victories. This will help the team members stay engaged, focused and productive, as well as fight the feelings of isolation and uncertainty one might have in an unusual, stressful situation.
Having to transition a workforce to working from home in a limited time isn’t easy. However, in the digital age, it is also not impossible. The AHA Centre will continue to provide the staff with the right equipment, tools, and resources to stay productive.
Written by : Ina Rachmawati | Source : ICT Team