17TH MEETING OF THE AHA CENTRE GOVERNING BOARD
After two years of meeting online, the 17th AHA Centre Governing Board (GB) meeting was held in hybrid format on 19 October 2022 as part of the 41st Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), 10th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM), 11th Conference of the Parties to AADMER (COP to AADMER) and Related Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting was chaired by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Management of Thailand.
During the meeting, the AHA Centre reported the activities conducted by the Centre from June to September 2022. It was a busy period as many activities that were previously held online were now being conducted face-to-face or in hybrid format. Within the reporting period, the AHA Centre was engaged in a total of 26 events and knowledge exchanges. Among these events, the AHA Centre was the organiser/co-organiser of 17 events, and participated in 12 events. The AHA Centre also organised or participated in 29 training activities and courses.
From June to September 2022, the AHA Centre’s Disaster Monitoring and Analysis Unit had recorded 418 disaster events in the ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet) and disseminated 7 flash updates, 3 situation updates, 18 weekly disaster updates, and prepared 4 monthly disaster reviews and seasonal outlooks. The AHA Centre also conducted preparedness and response activities for the ASEAN Member States affected by Tropical Cyclone NORU, including the Philippines, Viet Nam, Lao PDR and Cambodia, and Thailand. Flash Update #1 and #2 were issued on 24 and 26 September 2022 respectively, followed by the issuance of Situation Update #1 on 27 September, Situation Update #2 on 28 September, and Situation Update #3 on 30 September 2022. Two Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) briefings were also held in response to Tropical Cyclone NORU, the first on 25 September 2022, and the second on 26 September 2022. The second EOC briefing was attended by all staff of the AHA Centre and the ASEAN Secretariat, to discuss the latest information on Tropical Cyclone NORU and the possibility of support that ASEAN and the AHA Centre can provide.
Following the meeting, the AHA Centre officially launched the second phase of the Project on Implementation of the Memorandum of Intent (MoI) of the AHA Centre and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), which will contribute to enhancing the capacity of the AHA Centre and ASEAN Member States in responding to disasters.
The Governing Board took note of the AHA Centre’s achievements within the reporting period, and commended the Centre for being on track to completing the majority of the activities planned for 2022. The AHA Centre is grateful for the continued guidance and support extended by the Governing Board, and hopes to carry forward the success of this year to 2023.
THE ACTIVITIES REPORTED WITHIN THIS PERIOD ALSO INCLUDED
The AHA Centre Executive (ACE) Programme on-site course
10 June – 10 August 2022, Thailand
The ASCEND Assessor Training
27 June-1 July 2022, in Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam
The 13th ASEAN-Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT) Induction Course
20-28 July 2022, in Hua Hin, Thailand
The 11th Meeting of the ASEAN-ERAT Advisory Group and 3rd Meeting of the Project Steering Committee for the ASEAN-ERAT Phase II Project
29 July 2022, in Bangkok, Thailand
The 2nd Emergency Operations Centre Exercise (EOCX)
3-4 August 2022, on-site at the AHA Centre and via video conference
The ACE Programme Graduation Ceremony and Evaluation Workshop
8 August 2022, Thailand
The 2nd Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting of the “Strengthening AHA Centre’s Capability to Respond Effectively to Human Induced Crises” (AHA-Australia)
29 August 2022, at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia
The 2nd ASEAN Joint Disaster Response Plan (AJDRP) Workshop
31st August 2022, at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia
Participation of ASEAN-ERAT members in the INSARAG Asia Pacific Regional Earthquake Response Exercise
5-8 September 2022, in Bali, Indonesia
The 5th ASCEND Project Steering Committee Meeting
6 September 2022, via video conference
The 7th Project Steering Committee Meeting of the ACE Programme
6 September 2022, via video conference
The 2nd AIM-Net Meeting & Workshop
12-14 September 2022, in Jakarta Indonesia and via video conference
The ASCEND Benchmarking Visit to South Korea,
26-30 September 2022, in South Korea
The ASEAN-ERAT Level 2 Course on Rapid Needs and Damage Assessment
26-30 September 2022, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The ASEAN-ERAT Level 2 Course on Information Management
3-7 October 2022, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The ARMOR 3rd Edition Public Launch and Webinar
11 October 2022, via video conference.
