Seminar Abstract

Disaster Risk Management (DRM) is multidisciplinary because of its complex nature and the comprehensive management cycle. It requires both structural and non-structural measures with coherent well-designed execution to achieve the level of disaster risk reduction needed. Most of the time, structural measures (engineering and construction approaches) are focused, and a national budget is more likely to be allocated and distributed as solutions at both local and national levels. However, structural measures do not provide all the answer to reduce risk because risks are dynamic and uncertain while physical structure cannot be retrofitted and reconstructed at the same speed as risks change. In addition, different levels of development of nations vary the capacities to invest in structural measures.

Non-structural measures speak out through 1) competency development for disaster risk reduction, 2) development of institutionalization components to support disaster risk management, 3) establishment of early warning systems and improved accessibility of risk information, and 4) acquiring mechanisms and standard equipment for disaster risk mitigation and preparedness, etc. These measures require knowledge and a skill-set in public policy design to develop policy alternatives that fit the risk profile of a particular community, especially when risk perception is low in some countries in the region like Thailand.

About the Speaker

Disaster Risk Management (DRM) is multidisciplinary by itself because of the complexity of its nature and comprehensive management cycle. It requires both structural and non-structural measures with coherent well-designed and execution to achieve the level of risk reduction. Most of the time, structural measures (engineering and construction approaches) are focused, and national budget is more likely to be allocated and distributed as solutions at both local and national levels. However, structural measures are not all the answer to the risk reduction because risks are dynamic and uncertain while physical structure cannot be retrofitted and reconstructed at the same speed. In addition, different level of development of nations vary the capacities to invest in structural measures.

Non-structural measures speak out through 1) competency development for disaster risk reduction, 2) development of institutionalization components to support disaster risk management, 3) establishment of early warning system and risk information accessibility, and 4) acquiring mechanisms and standard equipment to disaster risk mitigation and preparedness and etc. These measures require knowledge and skill-set in public policy design to develop policy alternatives that fit to the risk of the particular especially when risk perception is low like Thailand.