Disaster Risk Reduction - A Toolkit for Tourism ... - PreventionWeb

More specifi cally, the group’s roles include:
• ensuring open lines of communication between all parties;
• identifying key people and organisations to involve;
• setting objectives and a timeline for the process;
• overseeing development of the coordinated emergency action plan
(10 steps);
• identifying available expertise;
• establishing working groups for specifi c tasks;
• ensuring clear risk communication occurs to vulnerable communities;
• preparing the various parties involved to know their tasks should an accident
occur; and
• remaining as a central forum for dialogue and review after the planning process
is complete.
This is a process that normally lasts one year and requires the members of the
coordinating group to meet once or twice a month.
The coordinating group ensures that the appropriate people (i.e. stakeholders),
expertise and resources are brought together to collaboratively develop a participatory
and responsive process. The group should function in parallel with other groups,
committees or sub-committees within the national disaster management organisation.
The advantage lies in the organisation of a multi-stakeholder collaborative group with
resources and networks that are essential to the response phase of any disaster.
Stakeholders include the full range of public, private and non-profi t representatives
who have responsibility or interest in managing disaster risks at the tourism destination.
2.1.2 Project experience
In each location, the Asian project partners identifi ed representatives from the local
agencies (fi re department, police, etc.), from the community and from the private
sector (tourism) to take part in the local coordinating groups. The members of the
groups were selected so as to refl ect their institutional and professional responsibilities,
as well as their personal interest in promoting and maintaining good emergency
awareness and preparedness in their community, so as to ensure their long-term
commitment.
The coordinating group provides a mechanism for interaction and cooperation
between the many players involved in disaster prevention and preparedness. During
the course of the project, members of the coordinating groups in the three locations
met on a regular basis to steer project implementation.
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DISASTER RISK REDUCTION - A toolkit for Tourism Destinations