PREFACE

In 1996 the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) launched a regional approach for disaster preparedness, focusing in its first phase on Central America, Caribbean and Southeast Asia and Bangladesh. The first step in this process was the preparation of a «diagnostic study» that involved a situation review of the countries in these regions with regard to their vulnerabilities, disaster preparedness capacities and national plans or policies for disaster management.

The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters of the Universitatholique de Louvain (UCL) served as ECHO’s principal technical support with the collaboration of other institutions in Europe and the regions.

The present report was carried out under the direction of Luc Vrolijks (consultant to CRED). The study was based not only on a review of existing documents, reports and published literature, but was also supported by several field missions and detailed inputs from regional organisations and local consultants. Consultations with the relevant desks of DG IB were also held.

The following six countries in South-east Asia are covered by this study: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. While Bangladesh is not strictly part of this region and indeed forms part of a separate regional organisation (SAARC) as opposed to the ASEAN group, it was felt by ECHO that given its high vulnerability, it should be included in the first phase of the DIPECHO regional programme.

Contributions are acknowledged from B. Piquard (research associate, CRED), N. Russell (consultant to CRED); D. Sorrill (local consultant, Bangladesh), Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre, Bangkok (regional consultants), Citizens Disaster Response Centre, Philippines (regional consultants).

This report presents an analysis of the disaster preparedness situation in the countries covered and sets out broad directions that could serve as the basis for develop the ECHO Disaster Preparedness Action Plan.

The views, opinions and comments expressed in the report are solely those of CRED and do not in any way reflect or represent the views or opinions of the European Commission.

All comments or suggestions on this report are welcome and can be addressed to CRED.

Dr Debarati GUHA-SAPIR
Director CRED
July 1997