The Column Vol 50

THE 11TH ASEAN-ERAT INDUCTION COURSE

Following the success of the previous courses, the AHA Centre conducted the 11th ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT) Induction Course to prepare for a new group of disaster responders ready for deployment across the ASEAN region.

THE 11TH ASEAN-ERAT INDUCTION COURSE

Following the success of the previous courses, the AHA Centre conducted the 11th ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT) Induction Course to prepare for a new group of disaster responders ready for deployment across the ASEAN region.

MONTHLY DISASTER REVIEW AND OUTLOOK
APRIL | DISASTER MONITORING & ANALYSIS (DMA) UNIT AHA CENTRE

April began 2019’s second quarter by continuing the trend of lower disaster occurrences compared to the average of the five previous years, with the number of people affected by disaster reaching only 11% of the previous five-year average. This significant difference is primarily caused by an extreme event during 2016 that skews the five-year average – namely the 2016 drought in Cambodia that affected 2.5 million people. On the other hand, April 2019 witnessed higher-than-average displacement, house damage, and casualty figures. A majority of population displacement during April was due to widespread flooding and rain-induced landslides in Indonesia and Myanmar. Increased atmospheric activity, due to the inter-monsoon period, resulted in scattered rain showers across the region, while the Madden-Julian Oscillation further enhanced the duration and amount of rainfall in Indonesia during the last week of the month.

BOOK REVIEW:
THE ASEAN RISK MONITOR AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT REVIEW

As covered in Volume 49 of the Column, the AHA Centre’s publication and launch of the ASEAN Risk Monitor and Disaster Management Review (ARMOR) recently took place, with the publication aiming to bridge science with decision making in the region’s disaster management field. The journal, made-up of 10 unique chapters, stands as the first publication of its kind providing risk profile information specifically regarding the ASEAN region. As the sheer amount of accumulated knowledge and information on disaster in the region continues to grow, the first ARMOR publication opens a forum for critical analysis and synthesis of such information, aiming to inform policy making and disaster management operations, both within the region and outside.