The Delhi Outcome on Earthquake Risk Reduction in EAS Member Countries

EAS-India Workshop on Building Regional Framework for Earthquake Risk Management Concludes

 Resolve to work with the Stakeholders of ERR in EAS Member Countries to:

            Participate fully in the consultations now underway amongst the EAS Member countries to mainstream ERR into their development agenda, especially through increasing mitigation (to reduce the impact of disaster), and improving preparedness for effective response, and implementing smooth and sustainable recovery and reconstruction in case of an earthquake disaster (to build back better life and livelihood in the medium- and long-terms), and to provide inputs to a new Development Agenda of these EAS Member countries; and

Work towards improving the commitment of publicly elected leaders, strengthening the legislative framework, putting in place quality control and assurance, robust enforcement regime, undertaking large scale capacity building of technical professionals, and winning trust of the citizens;

Develop acceptable methods and strategies for integration of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and disaster recovery financing amongst EAS member countries;
Through the following framework for joint action by EAS Member Countries for preparing and/or improving Master Plans for Earthquake Risk Reduction with particular emphasis on Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, Recovery and Reconstruction:

(1)   Risk Assessment:

            Developing scenarios to project possible losses during future earthquakes through formal Earthquake Risk Assessment programs that include probabilistic risks of earthquakes, microzonation of urban and critical areas

(2)   Mitigation:

(A) Structural Aspects

Develop the necessary competencies in the EAS Member countries for the regulation of adopting earthquake resistant technologies for new and existing structures, and mechanisms relevant to each EAS Member Country to enforce a Techno-legal framework for compliance of state-of-the-art standards for design and construction of earthquake resistant houses, buildings and structures

(B) Non-Structural Aspects

(a) Launching JOINT state-of-the-art long-term technology capacity building programs and initiatives/activities, deputing reputable faculty members drawn from the academia and professional engineers and architects of the EAS Member Countries;

(b)        Including/improving disaster education in schools and communities;

(c)        Including/improving disaster-related technical and medical education in medical degree programs;

(d)        Developing understanding of challenges in Land Use Regulations, Building Codes and Enforcement of Bye-laws;

(e)        Networking among scientific institutions towards knowledge sharing through faculty resource exchanges and joint research projects; and

            (f)  Risk financing amongst EAS Countries or from other countries.

(3)   Preparedness:

Improving preparedness for responding to earthquakes by

(a)        Preparing Earthquake Disaster Management Plans at national, provincial and municipal levels in EAS Member Countries;

(b)        Encouraging business continuity planning in critical infrastructure and business;

(c)        Developing standards for coordinated relief assistance;

(d)        Coordination of NGOs and streamlining of volunteers participating in post-earthquake response activities in EAS Member Countries;

(e)        Developing and conducting earthquake response exercises, table top exercises, simulation drills, etc.; and

(f)        Collaborating for earthquake monitoring and data sharing.

(4)   Response:

Respond effectively by:

(a)        Sharing of experiences related to specialised volunteer arrangement, and developing specialised response;

(b)        Developing mechanisms and norms for international relief assistance;

(c)        Developing mechanisms for mobilising community involvement;

(d)        Developing best practice for efficient information and communication during earthquake disaster, and media handling;

(e)        Developing mechanism for international humanitarian assistance amongst EAS Member countries;

(f)        Developing strategies and protocol for moving rescue and relief equipment to earthquake affected areas; and

(g)        Sharing practices of developing resilient communities by strengthening community based DRR.

(5)   Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction:

Undertaking necessary groundwork to develop protocol amongst EAS Member Countries on:

(a)        Hosting focused programs on post-earthquake damage assessment of buildings for engineers of EAS countries;

(b)        Sharing possible strategies by drawing from experiences of the EAS Member countries for

1.   Smooth transition from Rescue & Relief, Recovery to Rehabilitation & Reconstruction, and

2.   Early recovery and reconstruction, especially of the critical infrastructure that is required to be brought back to functional order within a short period of time after the earthquake;

(c)        Developing acceptable regional post-earthquake shelter designs for different geographical and climatic conditions in EAS Member countries, identifying organisations to build these, and strategies for procurement and stockpiling raw materials in different regions of each EAS Member country, and

(d)  Studying Reconstruction-financing amongst EAS Countries or from other countries.