Vol 60 – INTERNSHIP AT THE AHA CENTRE – CALLISTA SANDI
INTERNSHIP AT THE AHA CENTRE
CALLISTA SANDI
Callista Sandi joined the AHA Centre as an Intern in the AHA Centre Executive (ACE) Programme after completing her first year of her International Relations Bachelor degree at the University of Groningen, Netherlands, and will continue studying through Tokyo International University. In this volume’s Other Side article, Callista shares with us her experience and insights after eleven months with the AHA Centre team.
I have always been interested in the humanitarian field, especially disaster management and disaster diplomacy. As an International Relations student studying International Politics, Law and Economics, this opportunity provided me a deeper understanding on the importance of multilateral coordination between ASEAN Member States. The internship increased my connection to my own country by understanding Indonesia’s disaster management capabilities at the national level, as well as our contribution and role in strengthening regional capacity. The internship experience also complimented my educational learning objectives by analysing disasters through disaster diplomacy, that urges disaster-related activities to remove diplomatic barriers, in particular for humanitarian purposes.
Being an intern at the AHA Centre also enhanced my understanding about the communities and policy makers within ASEAN disaster management, and the efforts of the ASEAN region to develop future-ready disaster management mechanisms. It is a great example for me as an undergraduate student to understand, contextualise and analyse such disaster management mechanisms within the ASEAN context. The programme serves as a strong platform for young leaders who want to push their ideas and who enjoy interactive discussions on disaster management.
One of the most interesting aspects of being an intern in the ACE Programme was the opportunity to interact with experts from the sector, which provided me a more holistic understanding as I was able to learn from their own experiences. This ensured that my internship moved beyond understanding only technical concepts, and allowed me to engage more widely within the disaster management community.
Being part of the ACE Programme allowed me to understand disaster management from various lenses, and even more importantly from a youth perspective. One of my favourite aspects of the ACE Programme is that it provides us as the future generation input into the disaster management sector, and a fresh voice within the AHA Centre itself. These fresh voices and views are nurtured in the ACE Programme, that is undertaking efforts to re-design its framework to even better prepare emerging disaster management leaders to be future ready. The ACE Programme is funded by Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).
But what does it mean, what does it require, and who should be involved in this idea of ‘future-ready’? Through this experience I learned that being future-ready means bridging the technology gap to disaster management. It’s time for disaster management to be more aware of the opportunities’ technology has to offer. With the evolution of the disaster management sector, future utilisation of technology will be more dominant, and therefore our region must completely open itself to engaging technology within all aspects of disaster management.
Written : by : Callista Sandi | Photo : AHA Centre
- Published in The Other Side
Vol 60 – KOREAN NATIONAL FIRE AGENCY SUPPORTING THE AHA CENTRE IN IMPLEMENTING ASCEND
KOREAN NATIONAL FIRE AGENCY
SUPPORTING THE AHA CENTRE IN IMPLEMENTING ASCEND
ASEAN nations hold extensive experience in dealing with various types of disasters in the region, which has in-turn ensured a solid system to train and certify its ASEAN disaster responders. However, as part of on-going development of regional training and standards for responders, it becomes important for ASEAN to benchmark its own training and standards in comparison with countries from outside the region. This has formed the reasoning for the Operationalising the ASEAN Standards and Certification for Experts in Disaster Management (ASCEND) project, under which the AHA Centre and the Republic of Korea’s Korean National Fire Agency (KNFA) have developed their recent partnership.
Starting in late December 2019, the ASCEND project seeks to create a regionally recognised certification scheme for disaster management professionals, in order to ensure and promote higher standards and quality in the management of disasters throughout ASEAN. It aims to ensure the availability of competent disaster management professionals in the region, with strong capacity to manage disasters to reduce the loss of life, respond effectively, recover more quickly, and decrease disaster risks throughout the ASEAN region wherever possible. This initiative is part of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme 2016-2020, and will also contribute to the realisation of ASEAN’s goal to become a global leader in disaster management by 2025, as expressed in the ASEAN Vision 2025 on Disaster Management.
The project will be implemented for three years and cover the pilot period of the ASCEND Framework and Roadmap implementation in collaboration with the KNFA. The pilot will be critical for the development of ASCEND, during which the AHA Centre will focus on the application of ASCEND Framework in a number of ASEAN countries. KNFA will contribute to the ongoing development of ASCEND by deploying their experts and sharing their knowledge and experience on disaster management from the Korean context. Similarly, the KNFA hopes to benefit with new knowledge and experience through its further engagement in the ASEAN region and perspectives. The collaboration between KNFA and the AHA Centre forms a showcase of positive collaboration and learning between individual nations and institutions from the ASEAN region such as the AHA Centre.
A significant learning that ASEAN can obtain from Korea is related to the development of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT). The United Nations International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) has certified the KDRT as a Heavy Search and Rescue (SAR) team, meaning that it is considered as one of the leading SAR teams globally. Within ASEAN itself, there are two nations with SAR teams that have successfully obtained the INSARAG Heavy classification – namely the Lionheart team from Singapore and the SMART team from Malaysia. Additionally, the Indonesian BASARNAS (the National Search and Rescue Body) has just received its INSARAG classification as medium Urban SAR in November 2019. Therefore, there is value for ASEAN to learn more about the KDRT, in particular related to how the KDRT maintain its readiness, recruits and trains new members, and maintains its high standards and quality on an ongoing basis. Such knowledge could support and improve the management and training activities of other Search and Rescue Teams within the ASEAN region.
Written by : William Shea | Photo : AHA Centre
- Published in Partnership
Vol 60 – MONTHLY DISASTER REVIEW AND OUTLOOK
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.
- Published in Monthly Disaster Outlook
Vol 60 – ASEAN VILLAGE – NEW HOMES FOR TSUNAMI SURVIVORS IN PALU
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
- Published in Highlight
Vol 59 – JOMMEL MERANO
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
- Published in The Other Side
Vol 59 – HOW THE AHA CENTRE – ICT TEAM MANAGING TRANSITION FROM OFFICE JOB TO WORK-AT-HOME
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
- Published in AHA Centre Diary 1
Vol 59 – ESTONIAN RESCUE BOARD (ERB)
ESTONIAN RESCUE BOARD (ERB)
2020 will see a new project implemented by the AHA Centre known as LACER – or Shortening the Learning Curve of AHA Centre through Support from EU Civil Protection Agencies.
LACER’s specific objectives are to (1) strengthen the capacity and sustainability of the AHA Centre towards achieving operational excellence in disaster monitoring, preparedness and emergency response, and; (2) to enhance mechanisms for ASEAN leadership to respond as one, through excellence and innovation in disaster management.
As seen in the Column Volume 58, the LACER – or Shortening the Learning Curve of AHA Centre through Support from EU Civil Protection Agencies project will be implemented through a consortium led by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), alongside the Estonian Rescue Board (ERB). In Volume 58’s Partnership article we learnt about the MSB, therefore for this issue we will take a further look into the ERB.
ESTONIAN RESCUE BOARD (ERB)
The Estonian Rescue Board is a public authority under the Estonian Ministry of the Interior. ERB employs over 2,100 people making it the third-largest public sector institution in Estonia. The ERB operates within five key areas, being prevention, safety surveillance, rescue work, explosive ordnance disposal, and emergency management.
As an emergency management authority the ERB has been involved as a partner in developing the emergency services of several disaster-prone nations in the European region, such as working supporting Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and the Ukraine. ERB offers expert knowledge in national and international disaster management and logistics, and delivers training, exercises, advisory services and mentoring to its partners. Depending on the context, ERB can also mobilise external experts from different fields of specialisation for international deployment to disaster, usually within areas such as ICT, health, education and civil engineering.
The ERB has departments that develop, plan and manage activities, as well as Regional Rescue Centres and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Centre that implements the activities in the field. North, South, East and West Regional Rescue Centres undertake tasks such as day-to-day rescue work, fire safety surveillance, emergency prevention, and crisis management.
ERB is actively involved in European Union cooperation, and is an active member in Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), and has experts in the Union Civil Protection Team (UCPT) and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), as well as in the European Civil Protection Pool (ECPP). The ERB is an active partner of the International Humanitarian Partnership (IHP), of which it currently sits as chairman until the end of 2020.
The LACER Project is the first consortium project across region involving the AHA Centre, MSB and ERB on Disaster Management Capacity building.
Written by : Ina Rachmawati | Photo : AHA Centre
- Published in Partnership
Vol 59 – MONTHLY DISASTER REVIEW AND OUTLOOK
MONTHLY DISASTER REVIEW AND OUTLOOK
MARCH 2020 | DISASTER MONITORING & ANALYSIS
(DMA) UNIT, AHA CENTRE
GENERAL REVIEW OF MARCH 2020
The month of March ended the first quarter of 2020, with a small reduction (11%) of disaster occurrences when compared to the five-year average for the month, with a majority of the recorded disasters formed by flooding events. The number of people affected remained similar to the March average, with a substantial amount due to the storms that occurred in Viet Nam during the first and third weeks of the month, as well as from multiple localised flood events and landslides in Indonesia. While impact numbers remained steady, the was a significant decrease in numbers of displaced persons – which was measured at a 63% decrease compared to the five-year average. On the other hand, damaged house statistics rose to over 10 times the five-year average. This overwhelming increase can be attributed again to the storms and flooding in Indonesia and Viet Nam. Human casualties also measured only 27.27% of the five-year average, with a number of deaths caused by storms in the northeastern provinces of Thailand, where lightning strikes took the lives of three individuals. Additionally, week-long rains, thunderstorms and tornadoes in in the northern provinces of Viet Nam also caused a number of fatalities. Substantial decreases to missing and injured persons were also recorded for the month. According to the Climate Forecast System (CFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), average precipitation values for the month of March 2020 showed a 50 to 100 millimetre increase across northeastern parts of Thailand, northern parts of Viet Nam, and the islands of Java, Sulawesi and Kalimantan in Indonesia. This increase potentially stands as a key cause of the significant increases to affected people and damaged houses. Such figures also highlight the perennial problem flooding in Indonesia, as well as the importance of the availability and accessibility of early warning information. The significant amounts of damaged houses also highlights the importance of climate change-adaptive and resilient structures.
Related to geophysical activity, 26 earthquakes of magnitudes greater than or equal to 5.0M were recorded for the month of March 2020. Contrary to the first two months of the year that saw no significant earthquake events reported, the month of March saw one earthquake that resulted in a minor disaster event in Indonesia. The earthquake registered a magnitude of 4.9M, but was enough to rock the western parts of Java causing 3 injuries and damage to 202 houses. No tsunami warning was issued by BMKG as the epicenter was located underneath land, with the earthquake recorded on a strike-slip fault where two tectonic plates moved in parallel but opposite directions to one another.
SEASONAL OUTLOOK
According to the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), inter-monsoon conditions (that typically span from April until May) are expected over the region, which is described as the transition between the Northeast and Southwest Monsoons. This inter-monsoon condition is expected to gradually transition to the Southwest Monsoon around the end of May or early June. The inter-monsoon conditions are characterised by increased occurrence of scattered rain showers in the region, higher probabilities of thunderstorms, and intensification of lightning activity. Despite the expected inter-monsoon conditions for the period of April to June 2020, the ASMC expects below-normal rainfall in ASEAN regionals areas north of the equator. This should bring about warmer-than-normal conditions for Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and the northern Sumatra and Kalimantan islands of Indonesia. While the amount of forecasted rainfall may not be alarming, the region should still be cautious for thunderstorms, lightning activity, and increased occurrence of scattered rain showers that are characteristic of inter-monsoon conditions. Increased exposure to, and occurrence of, localised rainfall may still cause flooding and rain-induced landslides.
With warmer and drier conditions predicted in the Mekong sub-region, hotspot activities are expected to remain elevated and the prevailing haze is likely to persist despite the inter-monsoon conditions. Hotspot activities are expected to remain subdued with localised hotspot activities and haze emerging occasionally. Towards June, prevailing winds change in direction from northeast to southwest, which is known as the Southwest Monsoon season, itself characterised by the direction of winds from sea to land. These winds are known to carry more moisture, coming from the sea, and causing more rain.
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.
- Published in Monthly Disaster Outlook
Vol 59 – IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE AHA CENTRE: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE AHA CENTRE:
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is having an effect on everyone. By the end of March 2020, the number of global cases has reached more than 50,000 per day. In Southeast Asia, although the case numbers remain relatively low, many countries have taken precautionary measures, such as limiting travel from countries that are heavily affected by the outbreak.
The AHA Centre has also been heavily affected by the pandemic, although fortunately no staff has been infected by the virus so far. However, as a regional organisation, many of the AHA Centre’s activities include travel and engagements across the region. Therefore, travel restrictions have caused the Centre to postpone or cancel some programmes and events that has been planned. Some activities being postponed for 2020 include batch 7 of the ACE Programme, ASEAN-ERAT trainings, and the ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise (ARDEX).
Alongside this, the Government of Indonesia (the host of the AHA Centre’s office) implemented social distancing measures on March 15th, as part of the efforts to contain the spread of the virus. These included requests for all businesses and organisations to implement work-from-home conditions, to which the AHA Centre responded immediately by initiating work-from-home arrangements to ensure the health and well-being of staff and the wider community.
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
The AHA Centre faces a significant challenge in adapting to this ‘new normal’. This includes significant re-alignment in working approaches as staff switch from office-based to home-based environments. As an organisation that is very reliant to collaboration among staff as well as with ASEAN Member States and partners, the challenge lies in finding the best online working method that accommodates the collaborative nature of the work.
There are, however, two sides to any disaster, even in situations such as the pandemic. The Centre has identified an opportunity to realise a long-standing vision of becoming a smart office that utilises various collaborative technological tools. Part of this vision is to apply near-to-zero waste and minimal utilisation no papers. However, the pandemic situation has forced the AHA Centre to make these necessary changes, as part of its overall adaptation to the new normal.
Adjustments have also included the utilisation of video conferencing tools for meetings, as well as other tools to facilitate sharing and collaboration. Additionally, the AHA Centre has also moved all of its administrative, financial and human resource processes fully online.
Some challenges still remain of course, including the reality that nothing can fully replace direct face-to-face interaction. However, the Centre aims to remain productive, while at the same time protecting staff’s health and well-being. While we hope for the end of the pandemic situation, we also appreciate that some of these changes and adjustments will continue, and that will be for the benefit of our work in the future.
Written by : Dipo Summa | Photo Credit : AHA Centre
- Published in Highlight
Vol 58 – JUSTIN CHIN
JUSTIN CHIN
AHA CENTRE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE (DISASTER MONITORING & ANALYSIS)
Recently the AHA Centre has been supported by Justin Chin, undertaking an internship on disaster monitoring and analysis. The following article is an insight into the experience from Justin, including the experiences and learnings he gained during the time.
Before I embarked on my disaster monitoring and analysis internship with the AHA Centre, the most closely related experiences and knowledge I could rely on was a passion in serving and empowering communities through volunteer work, using scientific knowledge on natural disasters from my undergraduate studies. My goal for this internship was to explore this field of humanitarian assistance and disaster management that was essentially entirely new to me. And as I look back on my internship journey, I can say what an eye-opening ride and valuable experience it has been!
The range of opportunities to learn and perform can be diverse in the AHA Centre, if only one is open and willing to venture even when the opportunity may lie outside of your skillset and speciality. This also means that the internship is never boring or repetitive – an exciting prospect for those who dislike mundane or office-bound work! I am glad that I approached the opportunities offered with an open mind to learn and gain experiences beyond my core role scope, even if they potentially distracted me from my everyday work. Of the many experiences and tasks worked on throughout my internship, I will focus on three of the highlights here.
Firstly, the 12th ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT) Induction Course. It was a privilege to learn from experienced ASEAN-ERAT members and work alongside these veterans, who shared their stories and knowledge and patiently guided us through the intricacies of disaster response based on their unique perspectives from past deployments. As part of the exercise control team, I helped facilitate the 72-hour disaster response simulation, which gave me an overview and understanding of the simulation exercise progress and the preparation work that went into it even before the course began; a taste of running such a course and exercise. I also saw first-hand the bigger picture of how all the smaller segments of work come together to achieve the purpose and effectiveness of the ASEAN-ERAT operations on the ground. Ultimately, it was fulfilling to see all 23 course participants become qualified ASEAN-ERAT members who can respond to any natural disaster in ASEAN within 24 hours, and heartening to know that ASEAN has such an established regional response system.
Secondly, I got to contribute, through my own research project, to forming a country-specific statistical basis for recommendations on the AHA Centre’s response actions at the ASEAN regional level. This also increased my understanding of the recent history of natural disasters and responses in the ASEAN region.
Thirdly, as part of the AHA Centre’s response to the Lao PDR floods in September 2019, I monitored the disaster impacts and needs, contributed to the analysis work, and co-produced daily situation reports. It was a stressful and tiring period, with difficulties in obtaining quick and reliable information on the disaster situation, impacts and humanitarian needs. Flexibility was required to deal with the unpredictable changes as the disaster response unfolded. At the same time, this proved useful for honing my skills in information management and my understanding of the ASEAN regional mechanisms and frameworks in emergency response and disaster management, including how the AHA Centre transforms to an Emergency Response Organisation structure, and one of the AHA Centre’s core operations and purpose of existence – emergency response.
Justin Chin is final year student from Nanyang Technological University, majoring in Environmental Earth Systems Science.
Written : by Justin Chin : | Photo : AHA Centre
- Published in The Other Side