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Localizing Global Action through Science and Technology for Disaster Resilience with International Collaboration and Smart Innovation

YAN, Aug 19The Science and Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience (STDR3) Week took place from August 17th to 19th, 2024, commemorating a three-year geological disaster in Jerai Geopark, Yan, Kedah. The aim of STDR3 Week is to address the urgency of re-strategizing local action to prevent future climatic risks due to extreme weather events, urbanization, and human activities in a changing climate.

STDR3 Week was jointly organized by the Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Center (DPPC), Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), Yan District Office, Department of Minerals and Geoscience (JMG), and international partners from Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Rwanda, Germany, and the Netherlands. The aim was to accelerate the global agenda, particularly the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030.

The event’s theme was mainstreaming geo-resilience, geo-heritage, and geo-tourism into the local disaster risk reduction and resilience agenda. The event featured the International Workshop and Field Practices on Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRM), with supporting programs such as Community-led Disaster Risk Reduction (CLDRR) and School Resilience and Disaster Education (SRDE). Notably, the Treasure Hunt Debris Flow 2024, a part of CLDRR, was successfully implemented on August 17th, 2024. This innovative activity served as a form of disaster education. It demonstrated the impact of sediment-related disasters in tourism-dominated regions, emphasizing the important roles of communities and the need to rethink the local disaster risk reduction and resilience agenda.

This year, the event integrated the Local, Traditional, and Indigenous Knowledge (LTIK) approach with informatics tools and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which was introduced by Mr. Kuo-yu Chuang of GeoThings Inc. in Taiwan.

 

Treasure Hunt Briefing Session: Unlocking Disaster Informatics tool and AI technology for Disaster Tourism
Flag-off Treasure Hunt for Debris Flow @ Yan 2024
Each group need to complete the task given by the local champion and upload it in the GeoThings Application for eight (8) designated checkpoint
Mr Kuo-yu Chuang, GeoThings Inc. Taiwan shows the result dashboard from the treasure hunt activities

The SRDE aims to empower vulnerable children and school administration to promote the disaster risk reduction (DRR) agenda for societal resilience by equipping them with proper disaster knowledge and bridging students through technology in an Arduino Workshop conducted by UTM.

ARDUINO WORKSHOP: Advancing SRDE by equipping them with knowledge and bridging students through technology in Arduino Workshop conducted by IEEE UTM Kuala Lumpur (led by Ts Dr Fitri Mohd Yakub, senior lecturer MJIIT-UTM). 

Watch the full video on the DPPC YouTube channel.

This impactful program offers a fresh perspective on locally-led and nationally-supported disaster risk reduction strategies. Importantly, we showcase regional benchmarking, national commitment, and local wisdom to decrease the number of disaster losses through an impact-based early warning system. This system is led by vulnerable communities and facilitated by humanizing technology to build societal resilience.

“This event not only provides a platform for sharing knowledge and best practices but also offers an opportunity to develop concrete strategies for risk-informed sustainable development.” – Hajah Maznim Ismail, Yan District Officer mentioned during her opening remarks
Keynote Speech 2_A Two-Decade of Disaster Experience in Indonesia: Empowering Localization for Disaster Resilience by Dr. Nugroho Christanto, Center for Disaster Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia
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Keynote Speech 4_ MyIDEA: New Advanced Disaster Intelligence System in Malaysia: Opportunities and Commitments delivered by Brigadier General Datuk Abd Razak bin Sipit, Director of Defence Intelligence Application Division Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI)
Multi-tier Dialogue Session 1: Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Strategies (Global Target E, Sendai Framework).  Moderator: Dato’ Zakaria Mohamad, Adjunct Professor UTM. Panellist: 1. Kuo-yu Chuang (Slayer), GeoThings Inc. Taiwan 2. Eriko Motoyama, Japan-USA Expatriate 3. Dr. Nugroho Christanto, UGM Indonesia

The debris flow in 2021 has highlighted the need for a disaster management plan. One of the initiatives involved the development of an Early Warning System (EWS) across various sectors. The EWS was carefully installed based on detailed geological surveys, geohazard mapping, vulnerability analysis, and risk assessment across several water catchment areas. Interestingly, a local disaster risk reduction model, the YAN DRR Model, was co-developed through public, private, academia, and NGO partnerships. This model aims to support the build-back-better agenda and promote safe tourism, food security, and climate resilience on multiple scales.

MJI
DR3 Field Practices & Rapid Assessment @ Resilience Living Lab in Yan, Kedah_Theme 1: Towards understanding sediment-related disaster risk by modern technology and mitigation measure
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DR3 Field Practices & Rapid Assessment @ Resilience Living Lab in Yan, Kedah_Theme 2: Towards advancing sustainable slopes and landslide risk reduction strategies in the tropics
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DR3 Field Practices & Rapid Assessment @ Resilience Living Lab in Yan, Kedah_Theme 3: Towards strengthening community resilience and promoting disaster tourism agenda

As we confront a future increasingly influenced by natural and man-made disasters, STDR3 Week serves as a beacon of hope for the future and intelligent innovation. This event highlights the significance of collective action, uniting the most brilliant minds to develop community resilience. This powerful initiative calls on all stakeholders to participate in this vital endeavor, collaborating to construct a more resilient and sustainable world. Together, we can create a safer, more resilient world for future generations.

YB Ts. Zahir Hassan (Member of Parliament, Wangsa Maju / Alumni Master of Disaster Risk Management (MDRM) MJIIT-UTM) mentioned the increasing DRR Investment for Recovery, Preparedness, and Mitigation stated in Budget 2024. Dr Khamarrul Azahari Razak, Director DPPC MJIIT-UTM) also mentioned during his interview with NST. Read the full article in the New Straits Times (NST)

Prepared by: Ms. Nur Aqila Alias & Dr Khamarrul Azahari Razak

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