Why Wind-Related DRR?

Wind-related disasters have had significant impacts on our society, especially in terms of the shocking number of deaths and injuries to people and the attendant property loss like Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in 2008 and Cyclone Sidr in loss, Bangladesh in 2007. It has been reported that 80-85% of the natural disaster economic losses in the world are caused by extreme wind related events, and it is hypothesized that, global warming has the potential to further exacerbate this scenario through increase in the number and intensity of weather-related disasters. Devastating disasters, e.g., tropical cyclones, are generally accompanied by high waves, storm surge and floods. This has created a pressing need for pooling of expertise and for cooperative actions to reduce losses from various types of natural disasters.

Despite the recognition of the critical need for cooperative actions in Wind-Related Disaster Risk Reduction (WR DRR) activities among various professional organizations, there have been no notable collaborative efforts among the various groups. While wind-related organizations like the International Association for Wind Engineering (IAWE) have been effectively working to develop technologies, codes and standards for wind hazard mitigation, there have been a dearth of coordinated activities with other international groups like the UN and NGOs to bring these technologies to work for less fortunate communities in low lying areas, which are often struck by devastating wind storms like hurricanes/typhoons with attendant escalating loss of life and associated perils they bring to the region.

During CADRR (Cooperative Actions for Disaster Risk Reduction) held in Tokyo in March 2009, the participations of the representatives from IAWE, IAEE, UN-ISDR, ADRC, WMO, NOAA and others reached a consensus that there is a critical need to establish an International Group (IG) to work on Wind-Related DRR. The main task of this group would be to establish linkages and to coordinate various communities, e.g., IAWE, to serve as inter-agency coordinators with a charter to work with international organizations involving agencies of the UN and involved NGOs, and to empower them with the responsibility to serve as a bridge between policy makers and agencies responsible for actually carrying out the DRR at the local community level.

Expected Activities

The main expected activities of the International Group for Wind-related Disaster Risk Reduction include:

 - to implement the Hyogo Framework for Action in the area of wind-related disaster risk reduction;
 - to establish a database/warehouse of the latest information/technologies relevant to wind-related effects and their mitigation;
 - to facilitate technology transfer that attends to the needs of local communities exposed to disasters around the world;
 - to provide assistance to international organizations in the preparation of guidelines to manage the impact of wind-related disasters including evacuation, recovery and reconstruction;
 - to organize, dispatch and facilitate ground logistics for quick-response post-disaster investigation teams;
 - to establish an international consensus for extreme winds based on damage relevant to different construction practices;
 - to establish international guidelines to prepare for wind-related disaster reduction activities;
 - to harmonize wind-loading codes and standards including environmental specifications;
 - to facilitate development of a global Engineering Virtual Organization (EVO) for Wind-Related Disaster Risk Reduction; and
 - to hold international workshops/conferences on WR DRR irregularly. The International Forum on Severe Local Storm Disaster Risk Reduction for Bangladesh has been scheduled in 2009.

Two existing platforms, APEC Wind Engineering Network and Wind Hazard Mitigation Center, which were established by the TPU Wind Engineering Research Center, will play important roles in promoting these activities. Strong wind measures corresponding to each country’s situation can be discussed through these platforms or face to face in the annual workshop of APEC-WW. Currently 15 countries/regions have joined the APEC-WW, and more countries will join this year. Organized post-damage activities can be coordinated through this Network to avoid overlapping disaster investigations and excessive, unnecessary rescue supply which are burdens to local people. In addition, education and transfer of advanced wind hazard mitigation technologies to developing typhoon/cyclone-prone countries can be carried out through these platforms. The output of this group will be reported at GP every two years.

Expected Members

 IAWE (International Association for Wind Engineering)
 ICHARM (International Center for Water hazard and Risk management)
 UN/ISDR (International Strategy for Disaster Reduction) Secretariat
 ADRC (Asia Disaster Reduction Center)
 UN-Habitat (The United Nations Human Settlements Programme)
 UNU (United nations University)
 WMO (World Meteorological Organization)
 IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies)
 TPU Global COE (Global COE Program at Tokyo Polytechnic University)
 SEEDS
 (To date)

Outputs

A brochure was prepared to warn Haitians about the possibility of coming wind related hazards as well as to provide them with basic guidelines for mitigation. Download the brochure in English or French.

The final report of International Forum on Tornado Disaster Risk Reduction for Bangladesh is available now. Download the report HERE.

Contact

Chairman of International Group:
      Prof. Yukio Tamura (President of IAWE)
Secretariat of International Group:
      IAWE Secretariat with corporation of Global COE Office
      c/o Wind Engineering Research Center, Tokyo Polytechnic University
          Iiyama 1583, Atsugi-shi, Kanagawa 243-0297, Japan
          TEL & FAX: 046-242-9658
          Email: gcoeoffice@arch.t-kougei.ac.jp, cao@arch.t-kougei.ac.jp