1 Annex RAP PUBLICATION: 2001/14 APDC/01/REP REPORT OF THE FAO ASIA-PACIFIC CONFERENCE ON EARLY WARNING, PREVENTION, PREPAREDNESS AND MANAGEMENT OF DISASTERS IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE Chiangmai, Thailand, 12 to 15 June 2001 FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS REGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author alone and do not imply any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO. NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT The copyright in this publication is vested in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, by any method or process, without written permission from the copyright holder. Applications for such permission with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction desired should be made through and addressed to the Senior Food Systems Economist, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Maliwan Mansion, Phra Athit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand. FAO 2001 ii iii CONTENTS Page I. ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS ............................................................ 1 II. STRENGTHENING EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC ............................ 1 III. AGRO-METEOROLOGICAL MODELS AND REMOTE SENSING FOR CROP MONITORING AND FORECASTING IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC ........................................................................................... 3 IV. RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT FOR FLOOD AND DROUGHT PREVENTION AND MITIGATION IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC ...... 5 V. FOREST FIRE PREVENTION AND PREPAREDNESS IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC ................................................................................. 6 VI. PASTORAL RISK MANAGEMENT FOR DISASTER PREVENTION AND PREPAREDNESS IN CENTRAL ASIA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE CASE OF MONGOLIA ..................................... 8 VII. REDUCING AGRICULTURAL VULNERABILITY TO STORMS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO FARMING SYSTEMS AND METHODS ............................................................................................... 10 VIII. LONG-RANGE CLIMATE FORECASTS FOR AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC........................................................................ 11 IX. ASIA FIVIMS FOR DISASTER PREPAREDNESS ............................... 13 X. DEVELOPING FARMING SYSTEMS AND BEST PRACTICES FOR DROUGHT-PRONE AREAS .......................................................... 15 XI. DEVELOPING FARMING SYSTEMS AND BEST PRACTICES FOR FLOOD-PRONE AREAS ................................................................ 17 XII. DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR ANIMAL HEALTH ................................................................................................... 19 XIII. MANAGING THE CONTINUUM OF RELIEF, REHABILITATION, RECONSTRUCTION AND RECOVERY ACTIVITIES FOLLOWING DISASTERS IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ..................................... 20 v CONTENTS (continued) Page XIV. LEVERAGING SUPPORT FOR DISASTER MANAGEMENT WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO FOOD AND NUTRITION ASSISTANCE AND WOMEN.......................................................................................... 22 XV. SPECIAL MINISTERIAL BRIEFINGS ON DISASTER EARLY WARNING, PREVENTION, PREPAREDNESS AND MANAGEMENT 26 Annex I APDC/01/Info. 3 – List of Delegates .................................. 27 Annex II Opening Statement of the Representative of the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand ..................................... 41 Annex III Keynote Speech by the Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific ...................... 45 Annex IV APDC/01/1 – Agenda.................................................. 51 Annex V APDC/01/Info. 2 – List of Documents ................................ 53 Annex VI APDC/01/2 – Strengthening Early Warning Systems for Food and Agriculture in Asia and the Pacific ............................................. 55 Annex VII APDC/01/3 – Agro-Meteorological Models and Remote Sensing for Crop Monitoring and Forecasting in Asia and the Pacific 75 Annex VIII APDC/01/4 – River Basin Management for Flood and Drought Prevention and Mitigation in Asia and the Pacific.......................... 93 Annex IX APDC/01/5 – Forest Fire Prevention and Preparedness in Asia and the Pacific.......................... 155 Annex X APDC/01/6 – Pastoral Risk Management for Disaster Prevention and Preparedness in Central Asia with Special Reference to the Case of Mongolia ....................... 181 Annex XI APDC/01/7 – Reducing Agricultural Vulnerability to Storms, with Special Reference to Farming Systems and Methods ........... 207 vi CONTENTS (continued) Page Annex XII APDC/01/8 – Long-Range Climate Forecasts for Agriculture and Food Security Planning and Management in Asia and the Pacific ...................................... 241 Annex XIII APDC/01/9 – Asia FIVIMS for Disaster Preparedness ......................................... 267 Annex XIV APDC/01/10 – Developing Farming Systems and Best Practices for Drought-Prone Areas ...... 289 Annex XV APDC/01/11 – Developing Farming Systems and Best Practices for Flood-Prone Areas .......... 321 Annex XVI APDC/01/12 – Disaster Risk Management Strategies for Animal Health................................. 339 Annex XVII APDC/01/13 – Managing the Continuum of Relief, Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Recovery Activities Following Disasters in Food and Agriculture ....................... 353 Annex XVIII APDC/01/14/A – Leveraging Support for Disaster Management with Special Reference to Food and Nutrition Assistance......... 371 Annex XIX APDC/01/14/B – Leveraging Support for Disaster Management with Special Reference to Women.............................................. 381 Annex XX APDC/01/Info. 4 – Disasters in Asia and the Pacific: An Overview ........................................ 405 vii I. ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS 1. The Asia-Pacific Conference on Early Warning, Prevention, Preparedness and Management of Disasters in Food and Agriculture was convened by FAO from 12 to 15 June, 2001 at the Amari Rincome Hotel in Chiangmai, Thailand. Participants from eighteen member countries of FAO, and representatives form six international organizations and NGOs attended the Conference. The list of delegates is attached as Annex I. 2. Mr. Tongchai Petcharatana, Representative of the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand, delivered the opening address. The Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific presented the keynote statement. The opening address and keynote statement are attached as Annexes II and III respectively. 3. The Conference elected three participants with ministerial rank, namely, H.E. Mr. It Nody, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Cambodia; H.E. Mr. Sompal, Member of Planning Commission, India; and H.E. Mr. D.M. Jayaratne, Minister of Agriculture, Sri Lanka as co-chairpersons. The Conference also elected Mr. Samuel M. Contreras, Chief, Water Resources Management Division, Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Philippines as rapporteur. 4. The Conference adopted its agenda and timetable as attached in Annex IV. The list of documents is attached as Annex V. II. STRENGTHENING EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC 5. The Conference considered agenda item 3 on Strengthening Early Warning Systems (EWS) for Food and Agriculture in Asia and the Pacific, based on Secretariat document APDC/01/2 (attached as Annex VI). 6. It discussed the role of EWS in preventing and mitigating disaster-induced food insecurity; basic elements of an effective EWS; and the guidance gleaned from the experiences of FAO’s Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS). 7. The Conference noted that the nature of food and agricultural emergencies has changed over the past 20 years. Man-made disasters such as war, civil strife, economic crisis, and the plunder of natural resources have become as worrisome as natural hazards that cause food insecurity. This shift from primarily supply-driven to both supply and demand-driven crises requires that EWS also change its structural and functional organization to remain effective. 1 8. It further observed that fortunately, new technologies have raised the state of the art significantly. In this regard, GIEWS methodologies, tools and technologies such as the country cereal balance sheet, the rapid assessment mission, the geographic information system, satellite imagery and the electronic news service that are integrated in the GIEWS Workstation were discussed. With the use of this system that is linked to a unique reference database, analysts can assess rainfall and vegetation, supply and utilization and other indicators to provide warnings of impending disasters. A suggestion was made that methodologies for assessing food availability and accessibility at the local level should be improved. 9. The Conference learnt that FAO’s staple foods supply utilization accounts are updated on a continuous basis. Such accounts provide forecasts of up to one year on stocks, production, net trade and use. 10. An FAO GIEWS expert gave