AIT, ADPC signs MoU
The Asian Institute of Technology and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop and establish a dynamic long-term partnership of ongoing collaboration and cooperation to support the sustainable development of countries in the Asian region.
The MoU was signed on 23 March 2005 by Prof. Mario T. Tabucanon (above, right), Acting President and Provost and Dr. Suvit Yodmani (above, left), Executive Director, ADPC. The event was also attended by Prof. Dr. Krasae Channawongse, ADPC Special Advisor & Chairman; Mr. Boon Tiong Tay, ADPC Finance Director; Mr. Aloysius J. Rego, Director, ADPC Risk Management Systems; Dr. Marcel Duboulz, ADPC Public Health in Emergencies Team Leader; Prof. Chongrak Polprasert, Dean SERD and Acting Dean SCE; Mr. Karma Rana, Institute Secretary and Dr. Pennung Warnitchai, Faculty of SCE.
The MoU aimed to have common and mutual areas of academic and operational interests in the following thematic areas of disaster management:
- climate variability and change (e.g. assessment of the impact on biophysical [water cycle, water resources, floods and droughts, soil quality] and socio-economic systems, water management, disaster management/societal adaptation, etc.);
- disaster risk management in Asia (e.g. earthquakes, floods, landslides, droughts, land subsidence, volcanic eruptions, natural and industrial hazards, fires, chemical and toxic pollution, health-related issues, assessment of long term impact of natural and man-made disasters); and
- applications of space technology and information & communication technologies for disaster risk management in Asia (e.g., remote sensing and GIS applications, emergency telecommunications, etc.).