Implementing the DRMMP in Metro Manila - Pacific Disaster Center

MEGA-Plan Validation WorkshopThe first seminar-workshop on “Land Use and Urban Planning Tools for Disaster RiskReduction” was held in December 2005, and participated in by land use planners fromlocal, metropolitan, and national agencies. The workshop was intended to enhancethe participants’ appreciation of the application of land use planning in DRR. Thiswas the first significant step towards the eventual mainstreaming of DRR in land useplanning in Metro Manila and in the country.The next step in DRR mainstreaming took placein May 2006 during the Fifth Field Trip whenthe workshop on “Mainstreaming Disaster RiskReduction in Land Use Planning” was conductedby EMI and its partner institutions. It markedthe continuing implementation of the MetroManila’s DRMMP within the 3cd Program. Theworkshop sought to facilitate the mainstreamingprocess of DRR in the planning process andpractices, through the use of risk communicationtools like the Megacity Disaster Risk ManagementBox 9. Objectives of the Validation WorkshopThe validation workshop aimed to review the landuse planning training course and present it to apanel of experts and end-users to discuss areas forimprovement. Specifi cally, the activity sought to:(1) Generate feedback from experts and potentialusers on the organization and comprehensivenessof the course, and(2) Solicit suggestions and recommendations forthe improvement of the course material and itspresentation.Knowledge Base (MEGA-Know), MEGA-View and MEGA-Index. The workshopalso provided an overview of the current extent of institutional integration of DRRin land use planning in Metro Manila, as well as the need of cities for mainstreamingtools applicable in the local planning context.On 16 October 2006, a validation workshop for the web-based training coursedeveloped by EMI, entitled “Risk-Sensitive Land Use Planning: Integrating DisasterRisk Reduction for Sustainable Disaster Resilient Cities,” was held at the PHIVOLCSAuditorium in Quezon City. Forty pre-selected experts and potential users, representinglocal planning offices in different cities in Metro Manila, national government agenciesand other civil society groups, participated in the half-day workshop.ProceedingsF. Bendimerad started off the plenary by introducing MEGA-Learn, a suite of decisionand policy support tools developed by EMI and its international and local partners,which can be utilized for the advancement of disaster risk reduction in megacities andother complex urban areas. He first described MEGA-Know, a web-based tool forinformation sharing and capacity building. It is an online collection of city profiles, soundpractices, and other documents relevant to DRM and the DRMMP implementationin 3cd partner cities. He further elaborated on MEGA-Index which was developed tomeasure both DRM performance and urban seismic risk of megacities.18