THE 18TH MEETING OF THE AHA CENTRE GOVERNING BOARD
The 18th Meeting of the AHA Centre Governing Board was held on 14 June 2023 in Da Nang, Viet Nam, as part of the 42nd Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). Attended by the ACDM as Governing Board of the AHA Centre, the Meeting discussed the Centre’s progress and achievements in the period of October 2022 to May 2023.
During this period, the AHA Centre carried out emergency responses to Tropical Cyclone Nalgae in the Philippines, supported the Thailand Department of Disaster Prevention & Mitigation (DDPM) in conducting a drought assessment in four provinces in the Northeast Regions of Thailand, and provided humanitarian support to the people affected by Tropical Cyclone Mocha that made landfall in Myanmar.
As of May 2023, the AHA Centre had completed almost 50% of its annual plan for 2023. Key achievements made by the Centre during this period include enhancement of the ASEAN Disaster Information Laboratory (ADILab) and ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet) platforms, the completion of the 14th ASEAN-ERAT Induction Course and ASEAN-ERAT Level 2 Courses on Humanitarian Logistics and Civil Military Coordination, and the release of the ‘At the Crossroads’ Podcast Season 2 in April 2023.
The AHA Centre also presented updates on completed and ongoing projects. The DELSA Phase III Project, which is supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) was completed in March 2023. Meanwhile, the ASEAN Standards and Certification for Experts in Disaster Management (ASCEND) project had successfully conducted the ASCEND Trial Simulation in November 2022 with the support of the Republic of Korea through the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF).
The Meeting also included updates on the ongoing activities of the Integrated Programme in Enhancing the Capacity of AHA Centre and ASEAN Emergency Response Mechanisms (EU-SAHA) project, the project ‘Improving ASEAN’s Humanitarian Assistance Capacity in Multi Hazard’ funded by Global Affairs Canada, the Strengthening AHA Centre’s Capability to Respond Effectively to Human-Induced Crises Project (AHA -Australia) project, and the Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of the AHA Centre for ASEAN Disaster Capacity Building Programme (SICAP) project supported by New Zealand.
The Meeting of the Governing Board of the AHA Centre holds great significance as it provides a platform for comprehensive discussions and assessments of the Centre’s progress and accomplishments. The AHA Centre is deeply appreciative of the guidance and support offered by the Governing Board in steering its efforts towards achieving its objectives. The AHA Centre is fully dedicated to furthering its mission and looks forward to continuing its efforts in supporting the ASEAN region’s disaster management efforts.
Written by: Gladys Respati | Photo by: VDDMA
