UTM Disaster Risk Reduction Day 2016 @ Rantau Panjang | Disaster Preparedness & Prevention Centre (DPPC)

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Kuala Lumpur with the support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have organized the UTM Disaster Risk Reduction Day 2016 (UTM-DRR2016) which was held on October 13, 2016 in Rantau Panjang, Jajahan Pasir Mas, Kelantan. The purpose of this program is to actively support the International Day for Disaster Reduction of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), which is on October 13 every year.

In line with this international call, this program is expected to contribute to the realization of the goals stipulated by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 in Malaysia. At the national level, the Government adopted the Melaka Declaration on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2011, and formalized the Malaysia’s National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in 2013. Strategic Thrust 4 of 11th Malaysia Plan on the strengthening of resilience against climate change and disasters also addresses the crucial need of actions and priorities to reducing disaster risk.

This community-based activities was organized with the technical support by various governmental agencies and non-governmental organization, e.g. National Disaster Management Agency, Malaysia Civil Defense Force, Fire & Rescue Department, Ministry of Health, local council, and also non-governmental organization (e.g. CDERT-C & Neighborhood Group), which will be technically beneficial to about 20,000 communities.

Overall, this program is organized to assist the ongoing efforts of DRM agencies in fulfilling their mandates for building resilience of communities to natural disasters. It also encourages academician, researchers, individual, government, and also community, e.g. Civil Defence Emergency Response Team-Community (CDERT-C), a local volunteer organization established in 2015 with capacity of about 1000 registered local communities, to take active part in building disaster resilience at national and local levels. This program highlights the model making for community DRM awareness (learning-by-doing), promotion of DRM at UTM, and also scientific- and technical data collection related to community-, flood risk assessment, and Disaster Business Continuity Plan (DBCP).

As for UTM, the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT) has developed the Disaster Management Program that includes establishment of the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Center (DPPC) in 2015 and the start of the new Master of Disaster Risk Management (MDRM) that will implement its first five (5) core courses in the first semester 2016/2017. As a high profile program at UTM, it is being supported by the Japanese University Consortium (JUC) with mission to help build disaster resilience at different levels, places importance of direct involvement and engagement with local communities. This program is designed in such a way that DPPC members and MDRM students will be able to actively participate in several localized program and activities during the UTM Disaster Risk Reduction Day 2016 on October 13, 2016 in the most annually affected flood region.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Kuala Lumpur with its strategic international- and national partners plays a major role in developing an ecosystem of disaster reduction and building a resilient community in Malaysia. UTM Disaster Risk Reduction Day 2016 (UTMDRR2016) promotes multi-stakeholder- and transdisciplinary disaster approach in combating the issue of disaster risk and reducing fatality. It is one of long-term commitment to the International Day for Disaster Reduction, held every 13 October in the support of international disaster framework and national’s platform for reducing the exposure of people and communities to disasters and raising awareness about the important of reining in the risk that they face in a changing environment.

For more photos of the event, please visit this LINK.