Posted: 26 Aug 2009, 1100 hours (Time is GMT +8 hours)

Minister of State for Defence A/P Koo Tsai Kee

Distinguished Co-Chairs,

Assistant Secretary-General Catherine Bragg,

Assistant Director General Jamie Isbister,

BG Tung Yui Fai,

Distinguished Participants,

Good morning,

To all our guests from overseas, a warm welcome to Singapore.

Impact of the global financial crisis

This workshop is being held at a particularly challenging time for the international community. Many countries have been hit hard by the global financial crisis. In Singapore, for example, our economy contracted by 6.5 percent in the first half of this year. In the US, the unemployment rate hit 9.5% in June, the highest in 26 years. Although the global economic situation appears to have stabilised somewhat in the recent months, the outlook for the next few years remains uncertain. We are not out of the woods yet. For the less-resourced and more vulnerable countries, many of which were already hard pressed to ensure adequate resourcing for disaster management efforts, the global economic crisis has compounded the numerous challenges that they face

Increasing Incidence and Severity of Disasters

Against this economic backdrop, we have a landscape where the demand for humanitarian assistance as a result of natural disasters is likely to grow quite dramatically. Scientists have warned that climate change will increase the incidence and severity of natural disasters. We can expect to see - in fact, we are already seeing - more severe floods, cyclones, droughts, wildfires, and other disasters each year, affecting and displacing more people than before. This is particularly worrying as rapid urbanisation leads to ever more people being compressed into smaller geographical areas. Densely populated areas that have been haphazardly developed, and lacking adequate infrastructure and essential public services, will be especially hard hit by disasters.

Asia, which is home to some of the world's most populous as well as most vulnerable countries, is likely to continue to be the region worst afflicted by natural disasters. The largest number of disasters occurred in Asia last year. So did some of the most severe disasters. Cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar last May, was estimated to have claimed some 140,000 lives, while the earthquake that struck Sichuan province in China in the same month was estimated to have killed around 90,000 people. Taking into account the people displaced and the effect on livelihoods, the number of people affected by both these disasters run into the millions. Most recently, we saw how Typhoon Morakot has affected communities across China, Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan, unleashing floods and landslides, leaving scores dead and displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

Challenges in Disaster Management

What these disasters have demonstrated time and again is that it is often difficult for a country hit by a natural disaster, no matter how large and well-endowed, to muster an independent, effective relief effort to respond speedily and completely to the needs of the victims. In many cases, comprehensive assessment of the scale of the damage and the needs of disaster victims as well as the delivery of much needed aid are hindered by the lack of communications, logistical constraints and damaged infrastructure. Effective coordination between the many diverse parties involved in disaster relief efforts can also be extremely challenging. Civilian and military agencies from many countries, international aid agencies and NGOs, all with different working cultures and practices, are thrown together at short notice following a disaster. It is not always easy to avoid a duplication of efforts, unnecessary competition, gaps in responses, or worse, parties working at cross-purposes.

Another challenge is the lack of preparedness. In some cases, comprehensive disaster preparedness plans and SOPs between local, national, and international actors were not drawn up and regularly exercised. Authorities and local communities are then left reeling when a disaster strikes. And as national authorities struggle to coordinate a response, international responders and relief supplies arriving on scene may not be speedily directed to areas where they are needed most. The impact of natural disasters can be significantly mitigated if authorities and communities in disaster-struck areas as well as international responders are well-prepared so that smooth, rapid and integrated relief efforts can be carried out.

Even when the immediate relief phase is over, the recovery phase to restore the lives of the affected communities to status quo or better presents its own host of challenges. A clear, overarching recovery and re-construction strategy based on the needs and priorities of the affected communities is sometimes lacking. Close coordination between local and national authorities, donors, international aid agencies and NGOs also remains a challenge. Where such challenges are not overcome, efficient recovery efforts are impeded, resulting in the less than ideal use of valuable resources. As international attention on a disaster fades, progress in recovery efforts also slows down, with some communities left in limbo years after the disaster struck.

Building a Culture of Strong Partnerships

These are just some of the many challenges in disaster management. To overcome these and other challenges, a humanitarian culture that emphasises strong multi-stakeholder and multi-level partnerships between the many groups of stakeholders in disaster management is essential. From local authorities and communities to national governments, from regional players like ASEAN to global players like the UN, and from NGOs to the private sector. Only through pooling together the experience, ideas and resources of all these stakeholders can coherent and comprehensive disaster management strategies emerge.

While it is widely accepted, this notion of having strong multi-stakeholder partnerships at the local, national, regional and global levels is less easily achieved in practice. There appears to be many obstacles to be overcome before such a culture can become a reality. I cited some of these obstacles earlier. Others include a lack of appreciation for the need to work with local actors and to understand local needs and conditions, competing mandates and constituencies, and a lack of trust between different actors.

How can these obstacles be overcome? Clearly, all stakeholders involved in disaster management already share a fundamental interest - in saving lives. The challenge is to build upon this shared interest to strengthen the partnerships between all the stakeholders.

One way in which this could be done is through the articulation of clear principles on which partnerships between stakeholders at various levels can be based. UN and non-UN humanitarian organisations participating in the Global Humanitarian Platform or GHP, for instance, have drafted "Principles of Partnerships" for GHP participants. The World Economic Forum and OCHA have also devised "Guiding Principles for Public-Private Collaboration for Humanitarian Action", following a process of consultations between the humanitarian community, the UN and other international organisations, NGOs and the private sector. At last year's Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual gathering of Asia-Pacific as well as some European security ministers, the participating Ministers had a robust discussion on the issues surrounding the offering and receiving of humanitarian assistance. As it just so happened, the Dialogue was held in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. The Ministers were able to agree on a set of principles to guide affected countries, and those countries and international organisations offering assistance, on the modalities of the provision of assistance. Over time, as more and more such principles are articulated, with the principles reinforcing each other and forming a tightly interwoven web, a culture of strong multi-stakeholder and multi-level partnerships would be entrenched.

Equally important is the building up of trust and familiarity between different stakeholders, so that the principles articulated can be put into effect. We want to ensure that in the event of a disaster the stakeholders are comfortable with one another's working cultures, practices and interests. Robust people-to-people networks based on trust and familiarity have proven valuable in fostering strong partnerships between stakeholders across the spectrum of disaster management. Let me illustrate with the Singapore Armed Forces' experience in Aceh during the Tsunami relief efforts of 2004 and 2005. A critical factor that enabled the SAF to contribute smoothly and meaningfully to the relief effort in Aceh was our ability to work closely with the personnel of the Indonesian Armed Forces, the TNI, who were overseeing relief efforts on the ground. Many of our soldiers spoke Bahasa and had attended training courses in Indonesia. A number of our officers found themselves working closely with former classmates from the TNI. Our people-to-people networks enabled us to establish an instant foundation of trust that helped both sides work effectively together during the relief efforts. Such trust and rapport cannot be created overnight. They have to be slowly built up through regular interactions.

Conclusion

Initiatives like this workshop are most useful for building up trust and familiarity between stakeholders. This is an opportunity to get to know one another and discuss a wide range of issues relating to disaster preparedness, response and recovery. We hope that this workshop will provide a platform for a robust exchange of views, the sharing of best practices and for the building and strengthening of partnerships to overcome challenges relating to disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

Singapore is pleased to be able to co-host this workshop with OCHA and Australia. As a small country with limited resources, we seek to contribute in meaningful ways to the efforts of the international community in disaster management.

I wish you a fruitful workshop ahead.

Thank you.

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/news_and_events/nr/2009/aug/26aug09_nr.html

INDONESIA: Climate change worsening disasters, says UN

INDONESIA: Climate change worsening disasters, says UN

Photo: Jefri Aries/IRIN

The Ambacang Hotel in Padang City, which collapsed during the 30 September earthquake. More than 1,000 people were killed in the magnitude 7.6 quake

JAKARTA, 16 October 2009 (IRIN) - Climate change is contributing to more frequent and deadlier natural disasters, and governments need to speed up measures to mitigate their impact, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, John Holmes, warns.

Holmes, in Indonesia for a two-day visit after a deadly 30 September earthquake off West Sumatra, warned there would be more intense typhoons, flooding, droughts and forest fires because of climate change.

“Look at the trend. How many [disasters] there are and how bad they are, not only here but also in Central America, and it's perfectly clear what's happening and that's what scientists said would happen,” Holmes, also the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator, told IRIN in an interview on 15 October.

“To me, that means there's a link between climate change and more frequent disasters,” he said.

Given this, governments should be better prepared, and take measures to reduce the impact, he said.

“That means people not living in areas that are flood-[prone]; it means making sure buildings are not in areas that are flood-[prone],” said Holmes.

Holmes also said recent disasters in the Asia-Pacific region made negotiations for a new climate change deal - which are faltering - all the more important.

The Asian region has been hit by several disasters in recent weeks, including devastating floods in the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Nepal, affecting millions.

Photo: Emmanuel Dunseath/IRIN UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes

About 99 percent of those killed by natural disasters were in the Asia Pacific region, said Holmes.

“Obviously it's important to reduce emissions, that's fundamental to stopping climate change in the end. But in the meantime, whatever we do about emissions, the results are already with us for the next 50 years,” he said.

Separately, Holmes urged disaster-prone Asian countries to spend one-tenth of their development funds on efforts to reduce disaster risks.

The international community spent US$12 billion on disaster relief last year. "A 10 percent figure of what you are spending on response or even on development should go into disaster-risk reduction because that is a good investment," he told reporters.

Funding for West Sumatra

Holmes travelled to quake-hit areas in West Sumatra and met the head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), as well as humanitarian agencies.

He said the UN would release about $7 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for aid efforts in West Sumatra, including 12 projects focusing on emergency shelter, nutrition, reopening schools and health sector support.

The UN on 9 October launched a $38 million appeal to help the Indonesian government meet the needs of quake survivors.

The BNPB has revised the death toll from the earthquake to 1,117, including those missing and believed buried in landslides.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest situation report on 15 October that 198,200 households needed emergency shelter.

Lack of access to remote areas remains the major obstacle to providing aid to survivors, but the Indonesian Military (TNI) has agreed to deploy 500 soldiers to rebuild roads or create new access routes to affected areas, OCHA said.

Photo: Jason Gutierrez/IRIN On 26 September, tropical storm Ketsana struck the Philippines. One week later, super-typhoon Parma battered the country's north and and Luzon island's western coast

Reconstruction delays

Oxfam Indonesia’s humanitarian programme manager, Sébastien Fesneau, said survivors needed tarpaulins, tents and plastic sheeting for shelter - as well as food.

But he said rebuilding houses would prove a greater challenge, because the brick industry in West Sumatra had been paralysed by the quake.

“It will be a problem when we are looking for adequate building materials, and this could possibly delay the reconstruction phase,” Fesneau told IRIN.

Some NGOs were considering building transitional shelters using bamboo or coconut trees pending the availability of building materials, he said.

Fesneau also said many survivors had been forced to sell their belongings to meet their basic needs, resulting in what he called “asset erosion”.

“We will introduce a cash transfer programme targeting the most vulnerable groups to ensure their belongings will not be sold,” he said.

http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=86617

Triple punch tests disaster preparedness in Asia-Pacific region

http://www.unicef.org/emerg/index_51287.html

Triple punch tests disaster preparedness in Asia-Pacific region

© REUTERS/Erik de Castro

Residents in Cainta Rizal, Philippines, wade in floodwaters caused by Tropical Storm Ondoy.

NEW YORK, 2 October 2009 – A convergence of severe natural disasters has left millions of people in distress across Asia and the Pacific this week. Since 26 September, a total of six countries have been hit by flooding, a typhoon, a tsunami and earthquakes.

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UNICEF’s emergency preparations are in full throttle in the region, with death tolls still rising in Indonesia’s earthquake zone; more severe tropical storms targeting countries from the Philippines to Viet Nam; and relief efforts continuing in the Samoan Islands.

“These disasters are larger than what the country can respond to,” says UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes Louis-Georges Arsenault, who called the triple punch in the Asia-Pacific region an “extraordinary” event.

More rains to come
In the Philippines, UNICEF emergency teams have been responding to the worst flooding in 40 years, triggered by Tropical Storm Ondoy. Teams are also being deployed to the north of the country in anticipation of a new and even more powerful storm, Parma, which is expected to make landfall this weekend.

With parts of Manila under six feet of water and hundreds of thousands of people in evacuation centres, the Government of the Philippines is breaking with past policy to solicit international aid.

“In the past, they have been reluctant,” says Mr. Arsenault, who notes that the country is a model of disaster preparedness. “But this time, they had no hesitation whatsoever,” he adds.

The United Nations will issue a joint appeal next week to respond to the crisis in the Philippines. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes says the amount of the appeal will be in the “tens of millions of dollars.”

© Reuters/Enny Nuraheni

People sleep in a temporary shelter after fleeing homes damaged by a powerful earthquake in Padang, Indonesia.

Meanwhile, the Philippines and its neighbours – including Viet Nam, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Cambodia – are bracing for Tropical Storm Parma, which meteorologists are calling a ‘super-typhoon’.

Quakes in Indonesia
UNICEF is also working to deliver relief for children and families affected by two successive earthquakes in Western Sumatra, Indonesia. The first, a 7.6-magnitude temblor, hit on 30 September; it was followed within 24 hours by a second, slightly smaller quake.

Hundreds are already confirmed dead in the affected areas. That number is expected to rise sharply as bodies trapped in the rubble are removed. Mr. Holmes suggested the death toll could surpass that of the 2006 quake in Central Java, which killed more than 5,000.

In addition, tens of thousands have been displaced. The Indonesian Government, like its counterpart in the Philippines, has issued a request for international aid.

UNICEF is providing emergency supplies for 50,000 families in Western Sumatra, and UNICEF Representative in Indonesia Angela Kearney plans to visit the quake zone over the weekend.

Tsunami in Samoa and Tonga
Separately this week, an earthquake in the South Pacific caused a series of tsunamis that swept coastal villages in the Samoan Islands.

Though the population of these islands is relatively small, children in Samoa and Tonga are at risk of respiratory disease, measles and tetanus, as vaccination rates in many communities are low. On some islands, all medical facilities have been lost along with water supplies.

© UNICEF Samoa/2009/Jackson

A family is left homeless after a tsunami swept the Samoan Islands, triggered by a massive underwater earthquake.

In response to the crisis, UNICEF will coordinate an effort to provide safe water and adequate sanitation for tsunami-affected areas of Samoa and Tonga.

Improved preparedness
UNICEF acknowledges government efforts to improve emergency preparedness in all of the affected countries, especially in the wake of the 2004 tsunami and other disasters. But no amount of preparedness can prevent such disasters from happening.

Meeting the immediate food, water and shelter needs of millions of people simultaneously exceeds the preparedness capabilities of these countries. Therefore, it is crucial that the world community redouble efforts to support the Governments of Indonesia and the Philippines, in particular.

“They will need international support. These are very strong human catastrophes we have to deal with,” says Mr. Arsenault.

U.N. urges Asia to spend more on disaster preparedness

Governments in Asia's most catastrophe-prone areas should set aside one-tenth of their development funds to limit the risk of disaster, especially given the impact of climate change, a U.N. official said on Thursday.

The world spent $12 billion on humanitarian responses to disasters last year, and 99 percent of those killed by natural phenomena were in the Asia Pacific region, said John Holmes, the United Nations Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, during a visit to Jakarta.

"A 10 percent figure of what you are spending on response or even on development should go into disaster risk reduction because that is a good investment," he said.

Holmes toured West Sumatra on Wednesday, visiting areas where a magnitude 7.6 quake in late September triggered landslides, killed more than 1,000 people and destroyed more than 130,000 homes.

Before visiting Indonesia, Holmes had stopped in Manila, which was been badly hit by tropical storms recently.

Holmes said that the Indonesian and international response to the earthquake in Padang, West Sumatra, was one of the more successful he had seen, but that building codes needed to be enforced to minimise the impact of the next natural disaster.

"All development measures should have disaster risk reduction measures built into them," he said, adding that disaster risk reduction should also be built into discussions on a world climate pact that will take place in Copenhagen in December.

"That also has to be part of the wider Copenhagen discussions and negotiations in December in order to ensure that not only do we focus on reducing emissions to tackle climate change at its source but also to make sure we are focusing on the adaptation side," he said.

"In other words, helping developing countries cope with the effects of climate change which are with us right now and disaster risk reduction is very much a part of that."

Indonesia, which sits on one of the world's most active seismic fault lines, has several active volcanoes and is prone to earthquakes and heavy flooding.

In December 2004, a magnitude 9.15 quake off the coast of Indonesia's Aceh province triggered an Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 230,000 people in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India, with around 170,000 killed in Indonesia's Aceh alone.

A recent tsunami in Samoa also caused widespread destruction. (Editing by Sara Webb)

http://in.news.yahoo.com/137/20091015/760/twl-u-n-urges-asia-to-spend-more-on-disa.html

Sunanda Creagh

Fresh tremors felt in S'pore

Oct 1, 2009

Fresh tremors felt in S'pore

FRESH tremors were reported in several parts of Singapore for a second day on Thursday morning.

Police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force received more than 60 calls from the public reporting these tremors, shortly after a second earthquake with a 6.8-magnitude hit southern Sumatra, about 480 km southwest from Singapore, at 9.52 am.

Areas that felt the tremors include the Central Business District (CBD), Beach Road, Teban Gardens, Pasir Panjang, Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio, Yishun, Sengkang, Punggol, Sims Drive, Marine Parade, Tanjong Rhu, Woodlands, Choa Chu Kang and Jurong West.

No reports of injury nor law and order concerns have been received so far, said police.

On Wednesday, tremors were felt in 234 buildings in Singapore on Wednesday evening soon after a 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Sumatra Coast.

They included 187 Housing Board flats, 16 private residential buildings and 31 commercial buildings, said police in an update early on Thursday morning.

Engineers from the HDB and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) inspected all the affected buildings and found them to be structurally safe and sound.

Thousands of Singaporeans had a fright when they felt tremors in the wake of the strong earthquake on Wednesday at about 6.15pm.

Scores of office workers and residents streamed out of some buildings in areas such as Raffles Place and Changi, and tremors were felt islandwide from Kembangan to Woodlands.

Some 170 calls about the tremors were also made to the authorities.

In a update on the tremors on Thursday, police assured the public that there is no cause for alarm.

'Buildings in Singapore are designed to established building codes and are sufficiently robust to withstand tremors caused by distant earthquakes,' said a police statement.

Should cracks or other structural defects develop, residents or occupants in public housing estates should call the Housing Board's Essential Maintenance Service Unit's 24-Hour Hotline at 6275 5555 or 6354 3333 while those in private buildings should call the Building & Construction Authority at 6325 7191 or 6325 7393.

EMPRR Global Summit (24-25 November 2009, Grande Copthorne Waterfront) will highlight preparedness and response tactics from global responders to ensure safety of property, lives and continuity of your business.

For more info, call 6844 2080 or info@arcmediaglobal.com

Unit to fight cyber threats

Sep 30, 2009

Unit to fight cyber threats

By Zakir Hussain
		SITSA will come under the ministry's Internal Security Department, which has been playing a key role in protecting the security of the Government's IT systems. -- ST PHOTO: JOSEPH NAIR FOR THE STRAITS TIMES

A NEW Government unit has been set up to fight the cyber equivalent of terrorist attacks.

RELATED LINKS SPEECH BY MR. K SHANMUGAM, MINISTER FOR LAW AND 2ND MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS, AT THE 18TH GOVERNMENTWARE SEMINAR

The Singapore Infocomm Technology Security Authority (SITSA), which starts work on Thursday, will come under the Internal Security Department, which plays a key role in protecting the Government's IT systems.

It will work with private sector experts to strengthen critical IT infrastructure across a range of sectors, from telecommunications to power and water plants, said Second Home Minister K Shanmugam on Wednesday. This is to ensure that Singapore will not be brought to a standstill by enemy agents who hack into the computer systems of these important organisations and plant malicious software.

Speaking at the opening of a three-day seminar on IT security, Mr Shanmugam said: 'The volatile IT landscape of today demands that Singapore adopt a more proactive strategy that places emphasis on anticipating and neutralising emerging threats.'

Later, Mr Shanmugam, who is also Law Minister, told reporters that despite close cooperation with the private sector on IT security, the Government felt there was a need to intensify the protection of key installations.

'We decided there need to be a national-level organisation that brings all the different public sector areas together, to focus very intensely on key infrastructure such as power, water supply and communications. These are areas prone to attack. The people in charge will definitely look at security but it's very useful to have an agency that is solely focused on the security aspects and looks at it across sectors.'

The setting up of SITSA is prompted by attacks in recent years on the websites of governments and major organisations in countries such as Estonia, Georgia, the United States and South Korea.

There have also been attempts of global cyber-espionage by criminals and foreign governments. Led by Mr Ng Hoo Ming, SITSA will embark on two initiatives.

One, security of the national infocomm infrastructure will be beefed up, especially in key sectors such as energy, transport, water, banking and finance. Two, measures will be taken to prepare Singapore for large-scale cyber attacks.

From next year, SITSA will also hold cyber security exercises regularly to spot gaps and test the country's ability to respond and recover from online attacks. As many critical computer systems are designed, developed and run by the private sector, SITSA will work with its professionals to strengthen overall cyber defence capabilities.

Read the full report in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.

A Classic Lesson from the Nigerian Pipeline Disaster

“Effective emergency preparedness is a task that is never done, but requires continuing commitment and leadership because circumstances change and continuing trade-offs because we will never have the funds to do everything we might like to do.” - Statement of William O. Jenkins, Jr., Director Homeland Security and Justice Issues, State of California



The impact of regular terror attacks is too big to be ignored
Aside from natural and accidental calamities, man-made catastrophes have grown to such a scale that they have become almost anticipated disasters. In Nigeria, for example, a total of 1 million barrels’ worth of oil exports are lost every day due to human-induced disasters resulting from intentional acts of terror.

Just barely 3 months ago, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Limited had to shut down a number of oil installations after suspected sabotage led to explosions on a pipeline. This shutdown has led to a loss of about 70,000 barrels per day for the oil giant.

Two days ago, Nigerian militants admitted to a separate pipeline bombing incident of a Chevron facility delivering crude between Olero and Abiteye. And recently, The Italian gas company, Agip, was forced to shut down its oil facilities, after “heavily armed fighters” bombed the Niger Delta facility.

In an act of intimidation, the insurgent group MEND on July 14 has warned the international football association FIFA that it should "rethink" allowing Nigeria to host the upcoming under-17 World Cup series later this year as the safety of international players and visitors cannot be guaranteed.

Nigeria loses about $1.5 billion yearly to terror attacks, and there is an urgent need for the government to address the situation.


The incomplete agenda
Laudably, the recently concluded Nigeria 2009 Oil and Gas Conference has agreed to reinvest profits to infrastructure to reduce poverty, an answer to terror attacks. Uplifting economic conditions is indeed one way to mitigate the growth and support for militants. The militants themselves admitted that the acts of terror were borne to advocate reinvestment to development projects and campaign for anti-corruption.

Tactically, however, this move alone is not sufficient to address the challenges posed by the destabilizing forces. Building infrastructure will take several years, but direct action is needed now for a more complete and immediate response to the challenges. There is still work to be done in saving lives and securing the physical assets of businesses, the government and the private sector, and in formulating a clear response and recovery plan.

There are multiple facets to disaster preparedness. Are your disaster recovery plans adequate?

Addressing limits to our disaster response capacities
The classic lesson highlights the limitations of our current understanding and capacity to respond effectively to human-induced hazards. Not to mention the severity of catastrophic events which almost immediately overwhelm national, local and organisational response capacities that require response almost immediately.

The acts of terror and natural hazard do not recognize political or organisational boundaries and could impale economies and businesses. Addressing catastrophic events must be well-catered for in every budget, but even beyond that, sometimes addressing them requires unconventional means.


The evolving role of the emergency and risk manager and the need for further collaboration
Your role as an emergency manager is now more important than ever. It goes beyond just coordinating disaster response or crisis management activities, providing disaster preparedness training, and preparing emergency plans and procedures for natural (e.g., hurricanes, floods, earthquakes), wartime, or technological (e.g., nuclear power plant emergencies, hazardous materials spills) disasters or hostage situations.
For example, the US’ 9-11 cataclysmic terror attacks expanded the extent of emergency preparedness to also include public safety, homeland security, emergency medical facilities, the international community and the private sector.

While the private sector must compliment the government, the size of the investment needed usually means that government is the best-equipped agency to do so, as noted by Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, Managing Director of SPDC.

Effectively dealing with emergency requires a proactive, integrated, multi-hazard, multi-sectoral and full-cycle approach. As the rules of the game get tougher, are you confident that you know everything there is to know about how to mitigate effectively against disaster, manage rescue and response or organise and deliver relief?

EMPRR 2009 Global Summit & Exhibition, 7-8 October 2009, Grand Copthorne Waterfont Hotel Level 2, Singapore — the biggest gathering of emergency managers and business continuity experts in Asia — will provide you the platform to explore what you had to know, and partner with the right people for you to be able to reduce the risk, damage, and loss, shorten the recovery period, and ensure business continuity.

During the occurrence of a major disaster is too late a time to be exchanging business cards
Assessing, developing, attaining and sustaining needed emergency preparedness, response and recovery capabilities is a difficult task that requires sustained leadership, and the coordinated efforts of many stakeholders from a variety of first responder disciplines, levels of government, the community and the business sector at the right time.

Don’t wait for disaster to happen! EMPRR 2009 brings an agenda that:
• provides numerous case studies,
• showcases new technologies and strategies to predict hazards,
• teaches you to assess the risk to human life and property,
• guides you in planning a response to an emergency,
• illlustrates how to discover and recover from damage,
• discusses how to manage ongoing hazardous conditions,
• demonstrates how to plan and mitigate for future hazards, and,
• leads the discussion to impact policy and decision making.


Grab the opportunity of our early bird promotion!
Save your company 30% off the regular price if you confirm and register before 31 July 2009. EMPRR09 provides preferred rates to government and partner organisations and emergency first responders, kindly send me an email for more info.

As for the terror attacks, I hope I could meet you in Singapore to discuss how strategically and tactically, these could best be solved!

Sincerely,

Paul Adams
Marketing Manager
EMPRR 2009

P.S. As an emergency or risk manager, you are also in charge of protecting your organisational assets, ensuring business continuity and forge partnership to help you fulfil your task better. Attend Workshop B to find out more strategies you can employ and claim your complimentary copies of 2 books related to BCP/BCM.

EMERGENCY MITIGATION, PREPAREDNESS,RESPONSE & RECOVERY 2009

Onward to a region of disaster-resilient nations and safer communities through early warning systems andnew technologies, strong global public-privatepartnerships and regional capacity-building

Grand Copthorne Waterfront Level 2, Singapore, 7-8 October 2009

Dear colleague,

“The need for business continuity and disaster recovery has come to the fore in the light of a possible H1N1 outbreak that could impale firms. However, most businesses have yet to fully understand what is involved, thinking that business continuity and disaster recovery is just an IT exercise.”- The Straits Times, 10 June 2009

The recent Air France crash in Brazil killing 228 people on board, the outbreak of Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 bringing 100 casualties in less than a month, the Victorian bushfire killing 200 adults and children one fine day in February this year and hundreds of thousands of casualties and survivors from last year’s Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar resulted from disasters that prompted emergency managers and disaster experts to converge in an impactful 2-day Asia-Pacific World conference, Emergency Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery 2009 (EMPRR 2009), on 7-8 October 2009 at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Singapore organised by the AMG Center for Business Strategy and Tactics (CBST).

With the impetus from the 2005 Hyogo Framework for Action, the global instrument for promoting disaster preparedness, “governments and firms are now focusing heavily on risk reduction, aside from response,” said Adelina Kamal, Head, ASEAN DMHAD. Pundits say that ideally the CEO or the business decision-maker should lead (business continuity and disaster management) efforts as the potential impact of a disaster especially on the industry, public and profitability is dire. (source: Straits Times)

Ideally the CEO or the business decision-maker should lead (business continuity and disaster management) efforts as the potential impact of a disaster especially on the industry, public and profitability is dire.“When you are in a bottoming economy, you can’t afford to make mistakes. Your processes should be 101% resilient to potential disasters that could harm your business and the community,” said CBST Director Francis Mercado.

The EMPRR 2009 Asia Pacific Convention and Exhibition is attended by industry leaders, decision makers, international players in charge of emergency management, risk management and business continuity from all over Asia Pacific, including ASEAN Head of Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance Division Adelina Kamal, SCDF Commissioner Peter Lim, Undersecretary of Maritime Transport Tom Lantion, NSWFB Commissioner Mark Whybro, IAEM Asia Pacific President Nathaniel Forbes, Le Commissaire Divisionnaire Yves GODIVEAU (Attaché régional de sécurité intérieure à Singapour).

The impetus for this conference is fourfold:

1) Grave disasters can be avoided if early warning technologies were available and implemented

2) A unique kind of alertness and preparation is critical and should be available even without early warning

3) Government readiness for disasters is strengthened with the recognition that emergency response is not just an ad-hoc function but a full time

4) In face of disasters, your neighbours are your best allies – therefore regional cooperation and readiness have to exist readily for effective disaster management

The international convention aims to achieve a region of disaster-resilient nations and safer communities, through early warning systems and new technologies, strong global public-private partnerships and regional capacity-building.

Delegates will also pick up early updates on current regional regulations, national government initiatives and industry partnerships on emergency management and benchmarking.Please contact Paul Adams for information on sponsorships, exhibition, partnerships, speaking slots or delegate registration:· Call +65 6844 2080· Fax +65 6844 2060, or· Email info@arcmediaglobal.com (subject line: EMPRR 2009)· For more info, kindly visit www.arcmediaglobal.com/emprr09

Please include your name, job title, company name, direct telephone and email address in your fax or email, and we will call you back.

Special super early bird discounts of up to 30% apply to sponsorship agreements and delegate registrations finalised before 30 June 2009.We look forward to welcoming you in October in Singapore!

Sincerely,
Paul Adams
Marketing Manager
EMPRR 2009 Desk
AMG CBST