PDC Updates | Nov 17, 2008
DANA Exercise
During a tabletop exercise that was part of the Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis Training (DANA), this group cooperated to plan actions in response to a disaster event that had hypothetically resulted in over 4,000 deaths and 100,000 injuries.

On October 13–17, Pacific Disaster Center and the ASEAN-U.S. Technical Assistance and Training Facility (TATF) presented a week-long “Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis” course. In addition to PDC’s own contribution, the training was produced and presented with funding from the USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The week-long damage assessment/needs analysis (DANA) training, conducted in Manila, Philippines, was designated among the five top priority training activities under the ASEAN program for Regional Capacity Building in Disaster Response and Preparedness under the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015 (HFA), which is a disaster resilience plan adopted by the governments of 168 nations in Kobe, Japan, in March 2005.

Recent disasters in the ASEAN region, stretching from the destructive landfall of Tropical Cyclone Nargis in Burma back to the Great Sumatra Earthquake and Indian Ocean Tsunami in December 2004 strongly reinforce the critical need for ASEAN countries to have skilled responders trained in the techniques needed to rapidly and accurately assess the damage caused by disasters, and to identify essential needs of those affected. DANA establishes a baseline for relief and recovery efforts.

Training materials and an Emergency Rapid Assessment Team (ERAT) manual developed by PDC, form the basis for further national and regional development of damage-assessment-and-needs-analysis capability among the ASEAN Member States. Presentations including case studies, interactive group discussion, role playing exercises, and hands-on use of technology engaged participants and encouraged interaction and sharing of experience.

Over 50 representatives from ASEAN Member States’ disaster response agencies, as well as delegates from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA Center) and USAID OFDA participated in the training.

Pacific Disaster Center will incorporate comments and recommendations from workshop participants in the final training materials and manual, to be issued within the coming weeks. Upon finalization, these materials will be submitted to the ASEAN Committee for Disaster Management (ACDM) for review and endorsement, and then for use in the future to maintain ASEAN Member States’ readiness for disaster.

DANA Training
Participants in the ASEAN Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (DANA) Training in Manila, Philippines, came from the U.S., Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Burma (Myanmar), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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