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Sharing Knowledge: the experience of the Field Library for Disaster Reduction Knowledge investment is a vital element for disaster reduction
Sharing Knowledge: the experience of the Field Library for Disaster ReductionKnowledge investment is a vital element for disaster reduction
Objectives: • toenhancegreateraccesstoinformationandincreaseknowledgeondisasterreductionamongvarioustargetgroupsinhazard-pronecountriesthroughactivepartnershipswithdisasterreductionpractitioners,researchers,educators,nationalandlocalleaders,regionalinstitutions,localcommunities,libraries,NGOs,UNandotherinternationaldevelopmentagencies;
• tosupporton-goingeffortincreatingacultureofdisasterpreventionthatultimatelywillresultincommunitiesmoreresilienttotheeffectsofnatural,technological,environmentalandbiologicalhazards.
Audiences:•NationalDisasterManagementOffices
• NationalPlatformsfordisasterreductionandfocalpointsfortheHyogoFrameworkforAction(HFA)
• Localauthoritiesandcommunityleaders• Regionalinstitutions• Keyeducationalinstitutions• UNorganizationsandagencies• NonGovernmental
Organizations
The overall goal of this initiative is to contribute to the dissemination of information on disaster risk reduction to selected target groups, in support of the creation of a culture of disaster prevention. The assumption on which the project is based is that to achieve this goal, knowledge should reach people with responsibility for the most vulnerable groups.
Contents: Abluemetaltrunksonwheelscontainsacollectionof:
• 180booksandjournalsondisasterriskreductionandrelatedsubjectssuchassustainabledevelopment,environment,urbanrisks,health,gender,communityaction,climate change, micro-finance, early warning systems,education,governance,LeastDevelopedCountries(LDCs)andSmallIslandsDevelopingStates(SIDS)
• aCatalogueonthecollectiontogetherwithasetofGuidelines
WHY a Field Library?TheNeeds:•Lackofknowledgetosupportpractitioners,
researchers,students• Lack of financial resources• Difficulty in using internet• Insufficient equipment and literature on
DisasterRiskReductioninuniversities
Dispatch:The Field Library for Disaster Reduction is prepared by the ISDR Library and dispatched to the beneficiaries by UN Pouchandcarriers.
University,Antananarivo
PHASE ONE
Duringthepastfewyears,theUN/ISDRLibraryfordisasterreduction(basedinGeneva,Switzerland)receivedincreased demands for academic, technical and scientific informationfromvariousgovernments,disasterreductioncentres, scientific institutions, NGOs, local authorities and universities.Consideringthatinvestinginknowledgeisavitalcomponentofdisasterriskreduction,thesecretariatofUN/ISDRtookaninitiativein2005todevelopanddisseminate small field libraries comprising books and documentation produced by scientific and other institutions, UNagenciesandotherpartnersaroundtheworld,educationalmaterialsandmultimediacoveringvariousaspectsofdisasterriskreduction.
The recipientsAfricanorganizations(IGAD,AfricanUnion,SADC,SADRC)andthefollowingcountries:Bangladesh,Indonesia,India,Iran,Kenya,Malaysia,Maldives,Mauritius,Myanmar,Oman,Seychelles,Somalia(SomaliEmbassyinNairobi),SouthAfrica,SriLanka,Tanzania,Thailand,YemenandMadagascar(Frenchversion).
PHASE TWO
TheprojecthasbeenreviewedbytheUN/ISDRsecretariatinconsultationwithitspartnersandwithrecipientsofthefirst dispatch. It has been agreed that it would be more appropriatetoorganizetheinformationinthelibrariesintheformofmodulesbytypeofhazardsandotheraspectsofdisasterriskreduction.Infuture,aUN/ISDRinter-agencycommitteewilllistthemostrelevantliteratureanddecideonthe“Best10/5/…titles”foreachmodule,afterconsultationwithnetworks(ex:Gender,Drought,Landslides,etc.),practitioners,experts,UNpartners,andNGOs.Theprojectfits within the secretariat’s overall strategic goals that are drawnfromtheprinciplesestablishedintheHyogoFramework for Action, in particular the first three:
•Makedisasterriskreductionapriority
•Knowtherisksandtakeaction
•Buildunderstandingandawareness
Itisafar-reachingendeavourtodisseminaterelevantinformationtocommunitiesatrisk,throughtheconstitutionoflibrariesorresourcecentres,ensuringthatthisinformationreachesthetargetpopulationsinatimelyandintelligibleway.Indoingso,UN/ISDRwillbuilddynamicpartnershipswithlocalorganisationsandinvestinlocalcompetencesandresources.UNIC,Myanmar
SEEDS, India
StudentsusingtheISDRFieldLibraryVillageKnowledgeCentre,BrindabanTheLibraryhasbecomepopularamonglocalstudentsandresearchers.
TheFieldLibrarywasexhibitedattheInterna-tionalDisasterReductionConferenceinDavos,August27th–1stSep-tember2006andverywellreceived.
26December2006:aFieldLibrary was officially handed overtotheMinistryofDisas-terReductionandHumanRightsofSriLanka,duringacommemorativeceremonyoftheIndianOceantsunami.
Madagascar
Elaboration of the first Field Library for DisasterReductioninFrench
Project: Bibliothèque de terrain - Prévention et aléas naturels UN/ISDR - GIAN/RUIG (Réseau Universitaire International de Genève)
CaseStudy:Madagascar
Project title: “La prévention des situations de risques et de crises: diffuser, mobiliser et saisir l’information sanitaire”(Crisisandriskreduction:mobilizing collectingandsharingknowledgeincrisisor sanitationrisksituations)Goals: -studyhowinformationonriskandriskcrisis situationsiscollected,centralised,sharedandused -transferofacademicknowledge:translationintoa simplified and comprehensive language to practitionersFinancial support: RUIG/GIANExecutive Agencies: ISDR/Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne/ Faculté de psychologie de l’Université de GenèveDuration: 14months(September2006-October2007)Case Study: NationalPlatformofMadagascar
TheFielLibraryforMadagascarcontainsliteraturecoveringthevariousaspectsofdisasterpreventionfocusingparticularly on the natural hazards of the country: cyclones, floods, drought, and locusts. A catalogue has been prepared for distribution. It is available at: www.unisdr.org/eng/library/field-lib/catalogue-fr/madagascar.pdf
The first Field Library in French results from a joint project undertaken by the UN/ISDR with the generous financial support of the Geneva International Academic Network (GIAN/RUIG).
Source:EmbassyofMadagascar,WashingtonD.C.
Madagascarisalandofextremes:extremebeauty,extremebiodiversity,butalsoextremepovertyandaboveallextremeweather.
FloodsaftercycloneIndhala,2007
The “Bureau National de Gestion des Risques et des Catastrophes” (BNGRC), the focal point of the National Platform of Madagascar, has been selected to receive the first library in French. On the 2nd of April 2007, the libraryhasbeenhandedovertotheExecutiveSecretaryoftheBNGRCinpresenceofnationalauthorities.
TheFieldLibraryforDisasterReductionisatooltobuilddisasterriskreductionknowledgecapacityindevelopingcountries.
VatoumandryDistrict
Bureau National de Gestion des Risques et desCatastrophes(BNGRC)
MadagascarNationalPlatform
The National Platform produces and distributes educational material for schools’ teachers, and children as well as for communities.
“Obviously we can’t avoid disasters, but neverthe-less we can adopt urgent solutions to better prepare people, so they can face up to disasters in a state of calmness.”ColonelJeanRakotomalala,ExecutiveSecretary,BNGRC
Roofprotectedwithsandbagsduringcyclonicseason
“Field Library in Delhi is located at the headquarter library.
Field Library in Bhuvaneshwar, Orissa is located in the main reception room of the office.
In Port Blair, (Andaman & Nicobar Islands), it is currently located in the SEEDS office. Subsequently, the Field Library will move into the proposed Citizens’ Resource Centre being established with the Port Blair Municipal Council.”
Have you already organized an event to promote the field library or are you planning to organize it in the future and at which occasion?“In Port Blair, we announced it in the Press to commemorate the international day for disaster reduction. In Delhi, we have announced the presence of the field library in a recently launched Certificate Course on Disaster Management for School Teachers”.
TheLibraryisunderthemanagementoftheProgrammeSupportUnitofSEEDS,headedbyMs.Lakshmi.
ThelibrarianinchargeisMs.ShwetaBanga,Designation–JuniorLibrarian.
Field library at SEEDS, India
Comments from recipients
For what purposes will your organization use this literature?1. “To create and awareness in disaster management and reduction 2. and provide reading facilities to researchers and scholars at university level” –SRI LANKA
Would you recommend this initiative to other institutions?“Yes, to the National Earthquake Center, Syria” –OMAN
What are your comments regarding the contents of the field library?“To promote a culture of prevention, we need to begin with education. The Field Library due to its portability and a wide range of topics being covered, appropriately fills the gap” – INDIA
InternationalWorkshoponDisasterRiskMitigation:PotentialofMicroFinanceforTsunamiRecoveryOctober2005,NewDelhi,India.
Anationalexhibitiontocommemorate1-yeartsunamiwasheldfrom26to27December2005atNationalMuseum,Jakarta.ItwashostedbytheIndonesianInstituteofSciences(LIPI).AmongtheparticipatingpartnerswasRedCross,Badan Meteorologi dan Geofisika, National CoordinatingBodyforDisasterManagementandRefugee(BakornasPBP),StateMinistryforResearchandTechnology,NGOs,andtheUnitedNations.UNDisasterReductionLibrarywasexhibited to become a reference point in the field ofnaturalhazards.
Launching of the Field library for Disaster Reduction in India and Indonesia, October
“The majority of the Disaster Management officials are impress with the excellent sources that are available to them. This will enhance and assist them with any research that they will do in the completion of their studies.”
“Two Disaster Management officials are utilising the literature to complete their Masters Degree in Disaster Management.”
“We would encompass all the methodology and initiatives at our disposal in the establishment of resource centres by means of in-house advertising for the interim. The Department have a communication directorate that will assist the Disaster Management section in publishing articles in the Department’s newsletter.” – SOUTH AFRICA
“In the future our targets are the students. Because by increasing the student’s knowledge about disaster reduction, it will be very benefited for the future” –INDONESIA
Dr.HerryalZ.Anwar
SecretariatGenevaTel.:+41229178908/8907Fax:[email protected]
InternationalEnvironmentHouseII7-9ChemindeBalexertCH1219ChâtelaineGeneva,Switzerland
PostalAddress:PalaisdesNations,CH-1211Geneva,Switzerland
SecretariatAfrica,NairobiTel.:+254207624568+254207624101Fax:[email protected]/africaUnitedNationsComplexBlockTRoom328,GigiriPOBox47074Nairobi,Kenya
Secretariat Asia and the Pacific,BangkokTel.:+6622882745Fax:[email protected]/asiapacificc/oUNESCAPUNConferenceCentreBuildingRajdamnernNokAvenueBangkok10200Thailand
SecretariatLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean,PanamaTel.:+5073171124Fax:+5073170600eird@eird.orgwww.eird.orgCasa843AyBAvenidaArnoldoCanoArosemenaCampusdelaCiudaddelSaberCorregimientodeAncónPanamáPOBOX0816-02862,PanamaCityPanama
Secretariat,WestAsiaandNorthAfricaCairo,Egyptwww.unisdr.org/wana
PlatformforthePromotionofEarlyWarning(PPEW),BonnTel.:+492288150300Fax:+492288150399isdr-ppew@un.orgwww.unisdr-earlywarning.orgHermann-Ehlers-Strasse10D-53113BonnGermany
UN/ISDRLibraryforDisasterReduction,International Environment House II, Ground floorwww.unisdr.org/library
