emi

EMI was invited to present its programs and projects in the recently concluded International Conference on Earthquake Risk Management (ICERM) held on April 28-30, 2007 at the Islamabad Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. The conference highlighted lessons learned from the early recovery and reconstruction phase of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) of Pakistan after the October 10 South Asia earthquake.

Dr. Marqueza L. Reyes, EMI’s Urban Disaster Risk Reduction Specialist, attended the conference on behalf of EMI and shared with the more than 200 participants the work done by EMI through the Cross-Cutting Capacity (3cd) Program with partner cities like Metro Manila (Philippines), Kathmandu (Nepal) and Amman (Jordan). As the aftermath of a disaster usually opens windows of opportunity to adapt disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures in settlement redevelopment, planning, and reconstruction projects of the government, she emphasized the importance of mainstreaming DRR in the regular management functions and development agenda of local and national government authorities. This is what the 3cd Program advocates for through its mainstreaming framework for DRR, which is now adopted by the 3cd partner cities.

Several international and national organizations became interested to take part in the 3cd Program such as the ERRA and UN/ISDR in Pakistan. The UN/ISDR representative, Mr. A. Karim Nayani, is working with EMI to bring the City of Karachi as “Observer” in the Cluster Cities Project of EMI. The Asia Cluster will hold its annual Megacities Forum in October 2007 in Jakarta.