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2004's ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management-PDC collaborative program specification meeting helped to lay the foundation for the DISCNet project.
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In the emergency planning and disaster management fields, information—especially the right information—is crucial in preparing for and responding to disasters. In partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), PDC has developed a comprehensive program named the Disaster Information Sharing and Communications Network (DISCNet) to facilitate information sharing among ASEAN’s 10-member countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Viet Nam.
"Disasters are no longer viewed as local events," says PDC Chief Operating Officer Ray Shirkhodai. "From tsunamis to haze and cyclones, disasters are usually regional in scope. This program enhances information sharing between countries, and enables member nations to effectively address the many risks posed by widespread disasters.
DISCNet evolved from the 2004 conference announcing the "Launching of the ASEAN Regional Programme on Disaster Management," held in Bali, Indonesia. During the workshop, information sharing was identified as a strategic priority.
After the workshop, ACDM, PDC, as well as a team from the Philippines National Defense Coordinating Council (NDCC) worked closely together to develop an information sharing architecture that would promote regional collaboration and strengthen national capacities.
In order to create this network, PDC and NDCC conducted in-country Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Assessments, visiting with disaster management officials in every ASEAN member nation. These assessments were then compiled into an ICT Report identifying information and technology gaps, and providing a tool for officials to actively seek funding to fill these gaps.
The ICT Report, and the ability it gives officials to identify gaps, is a key component of DISCNet. Another element of the project is the linking of disaster-related web sites from all the ASEAN countries—a task successfully completed in early 2005. A third element of DISCNet is promoting the networking capabilities of various member nations by supporting regional disaster mitigation exercises. This is currently being pursued in partnership between PDC, ACDM, and ASEAN-member nations.
During the creation of DISCNet, the need for regional disaster management cooperation was made painfully clear by the December 26, 2004 Great Sumatra earthquake and Indian Ocean tsunami that devastated several ASEAN countries, killing thousands in Indonesia and Thailand.
As these countries rebuild and others prepare for possible future disasters, the ability of disaster managers to work collaboratively on a regional basis becomes increasingly important. Because DISCNet is informative and easy to use, representatives of ASEAN member countries have whole-heartedly endorsed the program and welcome the ability to use it as a tool to strengthen their disaster management capabilities.
Pacific Disaster Center’s Uday Kari (fifth from right) and Todd Bosse (fourth from right)
with Indonesian officials during an in-country DISCNet Information and Communication Technology assessment.
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