PDC hosted a disaster management research team from Kyoto University, Japan to conduct a Community-based Risk Planning Workshop. Both organizations are collaborating with decision makers from Marikina City, Philippines to incorporate risks from natural hazards into the city´s progressive economic development plan.

On March 15 and 16, 2004, PDC hosted a dynamic cultural exchange with a research team from Kyoto University´s Research Center for Disaster Research Systems (DRS) in Japan to conduct a joint PDC-DRS Community-based Risk Planning Workshop. The workshop is part of a larger initiative to provide Marikina City, part of the Metro Manila region of the Philippines, with a comprehensive disaster reduction plan–which will serve as a key component of Marakina City´s overall economic development plan.

Dr. Haruo Hayashi and Dr. Kenneth Topping, two DRS leaders, have facilitated the development of a Marikina City Comprehensive Earthquake Disaster Reduction Program and Action Plan by coordinating a series of five community-based risk and mitigation planning workshops. As part of this project, PDC is analyzing flood hazards, as well as creating a multi-hazard, risk–planning framework for project participants.

DRS provided three keynote addresses on disaster management. Dr. Haruo Hayashi discussed Development of Master Plan for Earthquake Disaster Reduction in the Asia Pacific Region: Significance of Marikina Case Study. Paul Yoshitomi gave an insightful talk on Cross Media Database (XMDB) for a Disaster Research Information Infrastructure and Dr. Masasuke Takashima, University of Tokyo, delivered a perceptive lecture on Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Night-time City Light Applications on Earthquake Disaster Management.

By hosting the workshop, PDC provided a forum for technical exchange on risk and vulnerability strategies and methodologies. Workshop participants were able to share experiences, discuss new concepts for mitigation planning, and exchange data. Valuable social, political, and cultural information about conducting work in the Philippines was shared, specifically for metropolitan Manila. The event was an excellent way for PDC and DRS to strengthen their partnership for future collaboration in the Asia Pacific region.

In addition to DRS´ presentations, PDC provided several noteworthy presentations on various types of natural hazards, including tsunamis, tropical cyclones, and flooding. PDC staff also offered key information on several hazard mitigation programs it has been a key developer of, such as a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment for American Samoa, the Automated Tsunami Alert System for Hawaii, the Asia Pacific Natural Hazards and Vulnerabilities Atlas, the Enterprise Geospatial Database, and the Marikina City Data Inventory – Geospatial Data Layers. (A complete listing of PDC workshop presentations is provided at the end of this article.)

Background on Marikina City Disaster Management Planning:

On a national level, the Philippine government has visibly demonstrated strong support for the development of a comprehensive community-based disaster management system through the creation of formal Disaster Coordinating Councils organized at several levels of government.

At the local level, Marikina City officials have made it a priority to incorporate disaster management as a critical element of economically sustainable development. By reducing risk and improving economic resilience to disasters, Marikina City aims to create incentives attractive to foreign business investors. This innovative planning approach will contribute greatly to Marikina City´s goal of becoming a disaster-resistant community (Topping, 2004) and is a key component in Marikina City´s vision of being a "little Singapore." For more information on Marakina City, please visit: http://www.marikina.gov.ph.

Marikina City Vision for the Future. Credit: Image reproduced from Dr. Haruo Hayashi, Development of Master Plan for Earthquake Disaster Reduction in the Asia Pacific Region: Significance of Marikina [City] Case Study.

(Reference: Kenneth Topping, et. al., 2004, Strengthening Economic Development Through Disaster Reduction Strategic Planning in the Asia-Pacific Region, Asia Conference on Earthquake Engineering, March, 3-5, Manila, Philippines.)

PDC provided the following presentations and topics for discussion:

1. The Territory of American Samoa Risk and Vulnerability Assessment, Sharon Mielbrecht

2. American Samoa Mitigation Planning Project: Lessons Learned, Jim Buika

3. Pacific Disaster Center Urban Riverine Flood Risk Assessment and Multi-hazard Applications for Marikina City, Philippines: Scope of Work Review, Jim Buika

4. Automated Tsunami Alert System for Hawaii, Ray Shirkhodai

5. Tsunami Damage Assessment Toolkit, Jeff Logan

6. Asia Pacific Natural Hazards and Vulnerabilities Atlas, Craig Laben (interactive web demonstration)

7. Hawaii HAZUS Atlas, Andrea Chatman

8. PDC Hazard Models: M2M Dam Break; CATS - Consequence Assessment for Tropical Cyclones and Toxic Release; MIDAS-AT - Toxic Release Plume Dispersion; and Tsunami Inundation, Ursula Glick

9. Remote Sensing in Support of Disaster Management Applications at the PDC, Rhett Rebold

10. Enterprise Geospatial Database: Supporting Disaster Management Collaboration and Assessment Throughout the Asia Pacific Region, Eric Wong

11. Critical Infrastructure Database, Todd Bosse

12. Marikina City Data Inventory - Geospatial Data Layers, Pam Cowher and Chris Chiesa (interactive web demonstration)

13. General Discussion on PDC Multi-hazard Risk Assessment for Marikina City, Stanley Goosby