Forms of Community Participation in Disaster Risk Management Practices (Natural Disaster Research, Prediction and Mitigation)

Disaster management, which involves prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and rehabilitation efforts, has been discussed for a long time. In short, such management stages can be classified into before, during and after event activities. Disaster preparedness can be referred to as all measures taken to prepare in advance aiming at reducing the impact of possible disasters. Although all preparedness activities aim at reducing the damage at community, on-site practicality, which concerns the full utilisation of the capacities particularly at the time of emergency, has not been well documented, possibly because of difficulties in visualising emergency contexts to be faced by local communities. This book focuses on the methodological approach of CBDRM that has been practised in different parts of the world, mostly in highly disaster-prone Asian localities.

Dr. Rabindra Osti, a senior researcher at the International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM), the Public Works Research Institute of Japan, has been working in the field of disaster risk management for the last several years. Prior to joining ICHARM, he was a research fellow at Ritsumeikan University in Japan where he undertook his PhD in Civil Engineering with a focus on sediment related disasters, especially landslides and debris-flows as well as appropriate control measures for mountain regions. He completed his master's and bachelor's degrees in Water Resources Management and Civil Engineering respectively. He has been involved in action researches in water related disaster risk management; which includes mechanics and prediction of water hazards, project implementation, community-based disaster risk management, community participation, socioeconomic aspects of water related disasters, agency's roles and more; all mainly focused on developing country's issues. He spent several years working on a UNDP Nepal project, which was committed to rural community development. During his early career stage, he was involved in consulting as well as public works in Nepal. In addition to other assigned responsibilities at ICHARM, Dr. Osti works on addressing the critical need for assessment of the effectiveness and performance of risk management tools and techniques in developing countries.
Dr. Katsuhito Miyake started his career at the Ministry of Construction (MOC) in 1985 after completing his post-graduate studies at the Tokyo University of Technology. In 1991, he assumed a secretary post at the Embassy of Japan in Iran. After three years, he returned to Japan and assumed several management positions including deputy director of the River Development Division of the MOC River Bureau and director of the MOC Hii and Kando Rivers Comprehensive Development Work Office. In 2001, he returned to an international office and worked for three years as a professional officer for the World Meteorological Organization/Global Water Partnership Associated Programme on Flood Management. In 2004, he was assigned as director of the First Research Department of the Japan Water Resources Environment Technology Center. Concurrently, he was selected as the chair of the Working Group on Hydrology of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee, a position he held for four years until 2008. In July 2007, Miyake joined ICHARM as a chief researcher for special assignments and led the planning and coordination of issues in water-related disasters for the 1st Asia-Pacific Water Summit and the 5th World Water Forum. Since April 2009, he has been leader of the ICHARM Disaster Prevention Research Team and is currently involved in several joint projects with the Asian Development Bank as well as other international projects.