ActionAid International
An international development agency whose aim is to fight poverty worldwide. Formed in 1972, for over 30 years we have been growing and expanding to where we are today - helping over 13 million of the world's poorest and most disadvantaged people in 42 countries worldwide. http://www.actionaid.org

African Centre for Disaster Studies (ACDS), Potchefstroom University, South Africa
The ACDS was established in January 2002 at the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education within the School for Social and Government Studies. The explicit aim of the ACDS is to address the need for world-class training, education and research in disaster related activities within Southern Africa and the wider African context. http://acds.co.za 

Associación para la investigación del desarrollo sostenible de las Segovias(ADESO), Nicaragua
ADESO is a scientific non profit association. Together with the local actors it identifies
the problematic of the development of the region "Las Segovias". http://www.adeso.org.ni

African Center of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD), Niamey, Niger
ACMAD is the focal point in fostering regional cooperation among the 53 African states with the rest of the world in climate and environmental concerns with regard to sustainable social and economic development. ACMAD coordinates the activities of the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services of these countries. http://www.acmad.ne/uk

African Development Bank (AFDB)
The African Development Bank's Group Vision adopted by its Boards of Governors in 1999 was the product of extensive consultations with all stakeholders. In order to operationalize this Vision, the Boards of Directors approved a new organizational structure that became effective 1st January 2002 and have recently approved the Bank's First Strategic Plan for the Period 2003-2007. http://www.afdb.org

African Union (AU)
The African Union is the successor to the Organization of African Unity, launched in Durban, South Africa in July, 2002. http://www.africa-union.org

Agence européenne pour le developpement et la santé (AEDES)
The European Agency for the Development and Health focuses on public health policies, food security and social programmes such as gender policy. http://www.aedes.be

Agency for Monitoring and Forecasting of Emergency Situations in Moscow, Russia Ministry of Emergency Situation
Agency of monitoring and forecast of Emergency Situations in Russian Federation was created on March 27, 1997. Creation purpose is association of scientific, technical and information possibilities of establishments and organizations, Russian executive authority organs, Russian Academy of Sciences and other organizations for development and perfecting of a state system of monitoring and forecasting of extreme situations, realization of the risk decrease strategy and reducing of natural disasters, failures and catastrophes consequences, coordination in this area. http://www.ampe.ru/english/index.shtml

Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan
AIST is an independent administrative institution administered by the ministry of economy, trade and industry. In April, 2001, the new AIST began operations. It comprises 15 research institutes previously under the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology in the Ministry of International Trade and the Weights and Measures Training Institute. AIST is Japan’s largest public research organization. http://www.aist.go.jp/index_en.html

Agricultural Research Council (ARC), South Africa
ARC's Vision is "To be an internationally recognized centre of excellence in agricultural science and innovation"; To promote the agricultural and related sectors through research, technology development and transfer in order to enhance the natural resource base and environment, sustain a competitive agricultural economy, provide new economic opportunities, ensure high quality and safe food, support an informed society
and encourage the national growth and development of South Africa". http://www.arc.agric.za

Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
AOSIS is a coalition of small and low-lying coastal countries that share similar development challenges and concerns about the environment, especially their vulnerability to the adverse effects of global climate change. It functions primarily as an ad hoc lobby and negotiating voice for small island developing states (SIDS) within the United Nations system. AOSIS has a membership of 43 states and territories, drawn from all oceans and regions of the world. Thirty-seven are members of the United Nations. Together, SIDS constitute some 5 per cent of the global population. Member states of AOSIS work together primarily through their New York diplomatic missions to the United Nations. http://www.sidsnet.org/aosis

American Jewish World Services (AJWS)
AJWS is an independent not-for-profit organization founded in 1985 to help alleviate poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the world regardless of race, religion or nationality. http://www.ajws.org

American National Geographic Society
On the evening of January 13, 1888, thirty-three men traveled on foot, horseback, and inhorsedrawn carriages through the streets of Washington to the Cosmos Club, then on Lafayette Square across from the White House. They discussed “the advisability of organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge.” The entity they were about to create would become the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institution in the world. http://www.nationalgeographic.com

Atelier Parisien d'Urbanisme (APUR)
APUR was created by the Council of Paris in 1967. Its mission is to follow urban evolutions, participate at the elaboration of definitions of urban and land use planning policies and at the preparation of projects for Paris and the region of Ile de France.It observes and analyses demographic, economic and social data of the French Capital and other big cities in order to engage and elaborate action plans proposals, and prepare urban studies. http://www.apur.org

ASEAN Experts Group on Disaster Management (AEGDM)
ASEAN cooperation on natural and man-made disasters is coordinated by AEGDM which was established in 1976 and meets regularly to discuss and share experiences of the region’s disaster management and mitigation activities.
http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th/pdr-sea/newsletter/issue3/pdr-update.html

ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)
ARF is a regional platform consisting of ASEAN countries and dialogue partners for confidence building and dialogue on regional security concerns. It was established in 1994. It draws together 23 countries which have an impact on or are involved in the security of the Asia Pacific region. It comprises the 10 ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam); the 10 ASEAN dialogue partners (Australia, Canada, China, EU, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the USA); the one ASEAN observer (Papua New Guinea); as well as the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea and Mongolia. http://www.dfat.gov.au/arf/arfintro.html

Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila, Philippines
ADB is a multilateral development finance institution dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific. http://www.adb.org

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Bangkok, Thailand
ADPC is a regional resource center established in 1986 dedicated to disaster reduction for safer communities and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific. It is recognized as an important focal point for promoting disaster awareness and developing capabilities to foster institutionalized disaster management and mitigation policies. http://www.adpc.net

Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC), Kobe, Japan
ADRC was established in July 1998 to promote multilateral cooperation for disaster reduction and to network the various players in the region. It has held annual meetings to network the focal points in governments of its member countries. Its activities focus on information sharing, capacity building and cooperation. It has developed several successful capacity building programmes with its member countries. http://www.adrc.or.jp

Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand
AIT is an international graduate institution of higher learning with a mission to develop highly qualified and committed professionals who will play a leading role in the sustainable development of the region and its integration into the global economy. http://www.ait.ac.th

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Singapore
Its goal is to advance economic dynamism and sense of community within the Asia-Pacific region. APEC has established itself as the primary regional vehicle for promoting open trade and practical economic and technical cooperation. http://www.apecsec.org.sg

Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
The convention establishing the ACS was signed on 24 July 1994 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, with the aim of promoting consultation, cooperation and concerted action among all the countries of the Caribbean, comprising 25 member states and three associate members. Eight other non-independent Caribbean states are eligible for associate membership. Its current focus is on cooperation in trade, transport, sustainable tourism and natural disasters. http://www.acs-aec.org

Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Bangkok, Thailand
The ASEAN Declaration states that the aims and purposes of the association are to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of South-East Asian nations. It further aims to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter. http://www.aseansec.org

Auckland Local Authority Hazard Liaison Group, New Zealand
It was established by the Auckland Regional Council to enhance communication between local authorities in hazard management issues and to facilitate intra-council communication. The group was set up to recognize the link between hazard mitigation and land use planning, and the need to develop tools in areas to successfully manage risk, and to improve communication between those working in the area of sustainable development and environment management. http://www.ema.gov.au/5virtuallibrary/pdfs/vol16no4/pardy.pdf

Australian Emergency Management Institute (AEMI), Victoria, Australia
(See also: EMA)
AEMI was an arm of Emergency Management Australia (EMA), which is the federal agency responsible for reducing the impact of disasters on the Australian community. AEMI is a registered training organization, annually conducting a range of Commonwealth-funded activities designed to improve Australia’s capacity to cope with disasters. http://www.emergency.nsw.gov.au/AEMI.htm

Geoscience Australia (GA)
Geoscience Australia is the national agency for geoscience research and information. It contributes to enhance economic, social and environmental benefits to the community – by providing input for decisions that impact upon resource use, management of the environment, and the safety and well-being of Australians. Its major planned outcomes are: enhanced global attractiveness of Australia’s offshore and onshore exploration, improved resource management and environmental protection, safer communities and transportation. http://www.ga.gov.au

Bangladesh Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF)
The Ministry of Environment and Forest takes care of the management aspect of biotechnology activities. The following institutions are under Ministry of Environment & Forest (MOEF) :1. Bangladesh Forest Research Institute 2. Department of Environment 3. Forest Department. http://www.rbp-iucn.lk/biosafety/
Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, Indonesia
In 1959, the present lnstitut Teknologi Bandung was founded by the Indonesian government as an institution of higher learning of science, technology, and fine arts, with a mission of education, research, and service to the community. http://www.itb.ac.id

Building and Housing Research Centre (BHRC), Iran
BHRC is affiliated to the Ministry of Housing & Urban Development. It is a national center for research and assessment of products and systems in the building and housing fields in Iran. Its principal objectives are study, coordination, centralization, and performance of research projects on building and housing systems, materials and constructional technologies, and the effects of climatic and environmental conditions. http://www.bhrc.gov.ir

Bureau de recherches géologiques et minière (BRGM), France
Established in 1959, its activities on risks cover seismic risk, landslides, drought, volcanic risk. It also deals with pollution. http://www.brgm.fr

Benfield Greig Hazard Research Centre (BGHRC), London, UK
The BGHRC is an academic research centre based at London’s University College which comprises three groups: Geological Hazards, Meteorological and Space Hazards, and Disaster Management. The BGHRC provides a conduit for the transfer of cutting-edge natural hazard and risk research, practice, and innovation from the academic environment to the business world and government and international agencies. http://www.bghrc.com

Bureau de la protection des infrastructures essentielles et de la protection civile (BPIEPC)/Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP), Canada
Its mission is to enhance the safety and security of Canadians in their physical and cyber environment. http://www.ocipep-bpiepc.gc.ca/index.html

Business and Industry Council for Emergency Planning and Preparedness (BICEPP)
In 1983, the Mayor of Los Angeles and a group of business leaders met to discuss disaster preparedness. This group subsequently became a steering committee and formed the Business and Industry Council for Emergency Planning and Preparedness (BICEPP). It was established as a private sector, self- help association funded by annual sponsorship donations. BICEPP later evolved into a non-profit corporation, lead by an Executive Committee and a Board of Directors. Its goal is to provide a forum for information exchange, to enhance emergency preparedness and contingency planning within the business community. http://www.bicepp.org

Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
CIDA supports sustainable development activities in order to reduce poverty and to contribute to a more secure, equitable and prosperous world. http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/index.htm

CARE International
CARE is an independent humanitarian organisation working to end world poverty. CARE International's mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world. Drawing strength from our global diversity, resources and experience, we promote innovative solutions and are advocates for global responsibility. http://www.careinternational.org.uk

Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Its mission is “to provide dynamic leadership and service, in partnership with Community institutions and Groups, toward the attainment of a viable, internationally competitive and sustainable Community, with improved quality of life for all.” http://www.caricom.org

National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) (formerly the Natural Resources Conservation Authority, NRCA), Jamaica
NEPA is a new Executive Agency that became operational on April 1, 2001. It is an agency of the Ministry of Land and the Environment. NEPA represents a merger between the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA), the Town Planning Department (TPD) and the Land Development and Utilization Commission (LDUC). The Agency results from the work of the Government of Jamaica Public Sector Modernization Programme (PSMP). The aim of the merger is to integrate environmental, planning and sustainable development policies and programmes and to improve customer service. Its mission is to promote Sustainable Development by ensuring protection of the environment and orderly development in Jamaica through highly motivated staff performing at the highest standard. http://www.nrca.org

Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), St. Michael, Barbados
CDB intends to be the leading Caribbean development finance institution, working in an efficient, responsive and collaborative manner with its borrowing members, leading towards the systematic reduction of poverty in member countries, through social and economic development. http://www.caribank.org

Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA), St. Michael, Barbados
CDERA is an intergovernmental, regional disaster management organization with 16 participating states, headquartered in Barbados. CDERA’s main function is to launch an immediate and coordinated response to any disastrous event affecting any participating state, once the state requests such assistance. http://www.cdra.org

CARITAS India
Caritas India is an official organization of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India. (C.B.C.I.). It began work in 1962 with the headquarters in the C.B.C.I. Centre, New Delhi.The activities of the Caritas can be broadly divided into the following areas: Emergency Aid - Relief and Rehabilitation, Animation and Development, Campaign against Hunger and Disease. http://www.cbcisite.com/caritas.html

Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
CRS was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and disadvantaged outside the country. CRS provides direct aid to the poor, and involves people in their own development, helping them to realize their potential. http://www.catholicrelief.org

Center for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad, India
The Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) is sponsored by the Ahmedabad Education Society (AES). The CEPT is a voluntary non-profit organisation established in 1935, devoted to the cause of education at all levels in several branches of learning. It is now a registered society and a public trust. CEPT offers full time undergraduate programmes of five year duration in Architecture, Construction Technology and Interior Design supported by State Government and post graduate programmes of one and a half year duration in Urban and Regional Planning, Housing, Environmental Planning, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture funded by All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and Construction and Project Management and Structural Design which are self financing. The ultimate aim of education is to make students aware of the multidimensional issues of contemporary society and to meet the challenges arising out of resolving these issues. It deals with accumulated knowledge helping students to translate these into actions, appropriate to their own time. In process, it is dynamic analysis of culture, values, knowledge and methodology.
http://www.alumni.net/aboutus.asp
http://www.gisdevelopment.net/education/inst/cept.htm

Centre for Disaster Management (CENDIM), Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
CENDIM was established in January 2001 as an interdisciplinary research center for disaster management. The center is in strategic partnership with many national and international organizations to develop disaster, engineering and risk management plans and to facilitate information sharing with governmental, non-governmental and community based organizations. CENDIM also aims to deploy the synergy of multi-disciplinary collaboration by national and international organizations. http://www.cendim.boun.edu.tr

Center for Security Studies, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
The Center for Security Studies specializes in the field of national and international security studies. Activities include research, teaching, and information services. The center has developed and maintains two electronic information services - the International Relations and Security Network (ISN) and the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA). http://www.fsk.ethz.ch/about

Center for Research and Transfer of Appropriate Technology (CITTA), University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
The Center has taken a leading role in the development of architectural and urban planning techniques for the reduction of disaster risk. Recent work in conjunction with the World Bank has focused on the reduction of consequences of urban flooding in Argentina.

Central American and Panamanian Institute for Nutrition (INCAP)
INCAP is specialized in food security and nutrition. http://www.incap.org.gt

Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), Honduras
CABEI, as a development bank and the financial arm of integration, has as its mission to promote progress and integration in the Isthmus, to foment economic growth with equity and to respect the environment, by means of supporting public and private projects and programs that create productive employment and contribute to improve productivity and competitiveness, as well as to increase the human development indices of the region. Headquartered in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, CABEI was founded on December 13, 1960, by the Republics of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica to promote regional integration and development. The bank’s membership has since grown to include the extra-regional members of Mexico, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Argentina and, most recently, Colombia. http://www.bcie.org

Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), India
The Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, India, has been vested with the responsibility of generating, cultivating and promoting building science and technology in the service of the country. Since it's inception in 1947, the Institute has been assisting the building construction and building material industries in finding timely, appropriate and economical solutions to the problems of materials, rural and urban housing, energy conservation, efficiency, fire hazards, structural and foundation problems and disaster mitigation. http://www.cbri.org

Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control (CCFSC), Viet Nam
The CCFS Control is responsible for emergency responses to disastrous events in Viet Nam.

Central Cyclone Committee, Mauritius
The Government convenes a planning session of relevant ministries, departments and services, which comprises the Central Cyclone Committee. Local cyclone committees also meet annually.

Centre d'Etude des Risques Géologiques (CERG-UNIGE), University of Geneva
The goal of the CERG is to form experts who can advise the public and private sectors to take preventive measures which can reduce the impact of natural disasters. It is usually taught at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, with field studies in Switzerland and in neighbouring countries such as France and Italy. http://www.unige.ch/hazards

Centre International de Formation des Acteurs locaux (CIFAL), France (International Training Centre for Local Actors)
The objectives of the center are: to contribute to crisis management by UN agencies; to focus on the role of local community for emergency humanitarian response and aids for reconstruction and to establish partnership with UN agencies and other international actors. http://www.unitar.org/cifal

Center for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), United Kingdom
The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’s site at Wallingford is home to the hydrology research centre for the United Kingdom (the former Institute of Hydrology), as well as the British Geological Survey’s hydrogeology research group, the publishing office of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS Press) and a section of the Natural Environmental Research Council’s (NERC) central IT Solutions and Services Group.
http://www.ceh.ac.uk
http://www.nercwallingford.ac.uk

Center for Integration of Natural Disaster Information (CINDI), United States Geological Survey
CINDI is a research and operational facility that explores methods for collecting, integrating, and communicating information about the risks posed by natural hazards and the effects of natural disasters.
http://mac.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/factsheets/fs00301.html

Center of Scientific Investigation and Higher Education (CICESE), Ensenada, Mexico
CICESE is dedicated to conducting scientific research in basic and applied science, as well as developing new technologies and highly skilled human resources in three major disciplines: Earth Sciences, Oceanography and Applied Physics. http://www.cicese.mx/cicese/ingles.html

Center on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), Dhaka, Bangladesh
CIRDAP is a regional, intergovernmental and autonomous institution established in July 1979 by the countries of Asia and the Pacific region. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, which had the support of several other UN bodies and donor countries and agencies such as Japan, and the Swedish International Development Agency took the initiative for its creation. The member countries of CIRDAP are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. http://www.cirdap.org.sg

Centre for Disaster Studies, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia
The Centre is a multi disciplinary research unit presently housed in the School of Tropical Environment Studies and Geography of James Cook University. The Centre has acted as the university's face to the public and the professionals in the Emergency Management and Meteorology fields, city councils and other researchers since its establishment in 1979. This has coincided with a trend in that direction at State, National and International levels, although research expenditure remains dominated by mainstream science. While this will probably continue to be the case on account of the much heavier equipment costs associated with meteorological, climatological, geological and geomorphological research, all of these scientists are increasingly expected to relate their findings to human and community impacts. http://www.tesag.jcu.edu.au/cds/cdsweb.htm

Centre for Hazard and Risk - Risk Frontiers (formely the Natural Hazards Research Centre-NHRC, Macquairie University, Sydney, Australia
Its mission is to create strategic risk management and training solutions for insurance companies and their clients through world leading research into natural perils and their consequences. http://www.es.mq.edu.au/NHRC

Centro International de Investigación sobre el Fenómeno El Niño (CIIFEN)
CIIFEN has been established as a centre drawing together information on ENSO and its impacts, collaborating with regional and national partners in climate data processing, applications and prediction. http://www.ciifen-int.org/

Centre européen de prévention des risques (CEPR), France
The CEPR is a center on applied sciences in the field of prevention. Its work is founded on the expertise of insurers, researchers, and manufacturers of products and services. http://www.cepr.tm.fr

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), UK
The CEH is the leading body in the UK for research, survey, and monitoring in terrestrial and freshwater environments. http://www.ceh.ac.uk

Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering (CESE), Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), Bombay, India
CESE has a dedicated group of ten faculty members with multi-disciplinary background
and interests together with faculty co-opted from allied disciplines to lead the activities of the centre. The Centre offers M.Tech. and Ph.D. programmes, which are interdisciplinary in nature and consists of course work followed by a research project. The centre is offering wide professional expertise and is actively pursuing several sponsored research, consultancy and technical services and has established strong links with leading industries, institutions and national/international agencies. CESE has been very active in man-power development by organizing tailor-made workshops and training programmes. During 1999-2000 the centre offered two training programmes on hazardous waste and biomedical waste management for representatives from various industries and central and state pollution control boards. The centre plans to consolidate the on-going programmes in the emerging fields of Environmental biotechnology, clean technology, environmental impact assessment, novel technologies for industrial/hazardous waste management besides addressing issues of global concern like ozone depletion. http://www.cese.iitb.ac.in

Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
Although the main focus of the Centre is on safeguards, public health and the sanitary aspects of disasters, CRED also studies the socio-economic and long-term effects of these large-scale disasters. Increasingly, preparedness, principally at the level of human resource development as well as problems linked to the management of crises, have gained a higher profile within CRED’s activities. It maintains the OFDA/CRED international disaster database EM-DAT. http://www.cred.be

Centre of Competence on Natural Disaster Reduction (CENAT)
The competence centre for natural hazards was founded by the ETH-Council in 1995.The main aim of this competence centre is to effect interdisciplinary research on the causes of natural hazards, the processes involved, their effects on people and objects, and on appropriate means of protection. The competence centre serves to identify the existing potential of specialists and know-how within the ETH group in the field of natural hazards, and constitutes a contact point for public and private institutions as well as national and international organisations. http://www.cenat.ch/cenat.html

Centre of Studies in Resources Engineering (CSRE), at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay
CSRE is one of the Centres at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Since its inception in 1976, the Centre has been actively involved in developing remote sensing technology and its application to natural resources management and Environmental monitoring. The Centre has also done pioneering work in the area of Low Cost Geographical Information System (GIS) development in the country. http://www.csre.iitb.ac.in

Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia & Pacific (CIRDAP)
CIRDAP is a regional, intergovernmental and autonomous institution established in July 1979 by the countries of Asia and the Pacific region. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, which had the support of several other UN bodies and donor countries and agencies such as Japan, and the Swedish International Development Agency took the initiative for its creation.The member countries of CIRDAP are Afghanistan, Bangladesh (host-state), India, Indonesia, Lao PDR,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan , Philippines, Sri Lanka , Thailand, and Vietnam. http://www.cirdap.org.sg

Centre Régional AGRHYMET, Niamey, Niger
Created in 1974, AGRHYMET is a specialized hydrometeorological institute of the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel. http://www.agrhymet.ne/AGRHYMET

Centro de Coordinacion para la Prevención de Desastres Naturales en América Central (CEPREDENAC), Republic of Panama (Coordinating Centre for the Prevention of Natural Disasters in Central America)
CEPREDENAC was established in 1988 as a coordination center for strengthening the capacity of the region as a whole to reduce the vulnerability of the population to the effects of natural disasters. In May 1995, CEPREDENAC became an official organization set up to foster the Central American Integration System (SICA) with the Governments of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama as members. http://www.cepredenac.org

Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres (CENAPRED), Mexico (National Center for Disaster Prevention)
The National Centre for Disaster Prevention was created by an Agreement of Cooperation between the governments of Mexico and Japan for the use and transfer of technology for the prevention of disasters.
http://www.cenapred.unam.mx

Centro Regional de Informacion de Desastres (CRID), San José, Costa Rica (Regional Disaster Information Centre)
CRID is an initiative sponsored by six organizations that decided to join efforts to ensure the compilation and dissemination of disaster-related information in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its mission is to promote the development of a prevention culture in the Latin American and Caribbean countries, through the compilation and dissemination of disaster-related information, and the promotion of co-operative efforts to improve risk management in the region. http://www.crid.or.cr

Center for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) Atlanta, USA
CDC is recognized as the lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people – at home and abroad, providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships. CDC serves as the national focus for developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and education activities. http://www.cdc.gov

Center for Hazards and Risk Research, Lamont-Dohert and Earth Obsevatory of Columbia University, New York, USA
The mission of the Center is to advance the predictive science of natural and environmental hazards and the integration of science with hazard risk assessment and risk management. http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/pi/CHRR

China Association for Science and Technology
The China Association of Science and Technology served three major purposes. First, it brought individual scientists and administrators together with their professional peers from other work units at conferences, lectures, and joint projects, and it promoted communication across administrative boundaries. Second, it had a major role in the popularization of science and dissemination of scientific knowledge to the general public. Third, it played a major role in China's international scientific exchanges and hosted delegations of foreign scientists, sponsored international scientific conferences in China, participated in many joint research projects with foreign associations and scientific bodies, and represented China in many international science societies. http://www.1upinfo.com/country-guide-study/china/china269.html

Civil protection Command, Romania
" The civil protection is a part of the national defence and contains the ensemble of measures, and activities aimed to protect the population, assets, cultural values and environment factors, in case of armed conflict or disaster". (Art.1-The Civil Protection Law no. 106 on 25/09/96) http://www.icdo.org/National%20structures/Romania.pdf

Coastal Services Centre (CSC), NOAA, USA
The NOAA Coastal Services Center is an office within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration devoted to serving the nation's state and local coastal resource management programs. http://www.csc.noaa.gov

Comité permanent inter-états de lutte contre la sécheresse dans le Sahel (CILSS), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel)
Its mission is to be involved in the research of food security and to combat the effects of drought and desertification for better ecological stability. http://www.cilss.org

Comisión Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo (CCAD), El Salvador (Central American Commission for Environment and Development)
It is called to protect and, at the same time, give value to the regional patrimony, which is characterized by its biological diversity and ecosystems. Accordingly, it is also called to be a bridge of collaboration between the countries of the region seeking the adoption of the themes of sustainable development by soliciting the collaboration of all the parties that work in the field of development. It is the regional institution in Central America responsible for the coordination of Corridor activities and other regional environment and development initiatives in Central America.
http://ccad.sgsica.org

Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias (CNE), Costa Rica (National Risk Prevention and Emergency Response Commission)
The National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Management is the entity responsible for the coordination of prevention work on risk and for the mitigation and response to emergency situations (Article 19 of the Legislature). The development of the National Law for Emergencies, on 14 August, 1969, was the foundation for the National Commission. http://www.cne.go.cr

Comisión Permanente de Contingencias (COPECO), Honduras (The Permanent Commission for Contingencies)
Presently, the Executive Council is organizing the lobbying of a new law which will make the management of contingencies more efficient and which will support the creation of a National System for the prevention, mitigation and management of disasters and emergencies.

Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW)
The CGMW’s aims are to promote, coordinate and publish synthetic Earth sciences maps, at small scale, of continental and/or oceanic areas of the World. It is a non-profit scientific and pedagogic body governed by French law. http://ccgm.free.fr

World Geological Maps Search System: http://www.aist.go.jp/RIODB/gmapi/welcome.html

Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS)
CEOS is an international organization charged with coordinating international civil spaceborne missions designated to observe and study planet Earth. Comprising 41 space agencies and other national and international organizations, CEOS is recognized as the major international forum for the coordination of Earth observation satellite programs and for interaction of these programs with users of satellite data worldwide. http://www.ceos.org

Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), United Nations
The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space was set up by the United Nations General Assembly in 1959 to review the scope of international cooperation in peaceful uses of outer space, to devise programmes in this field to be undertaken under United Nations auspices, to encourage continued research and the dissemination of information on outer space matters, and to study legal problems arising from the exploration of outer space. http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/COPUOS/copuos.html

Community Action Group for Floodwater, Old Community of Rodenkirchen, Germany
The community action group for floodwater in the old community of Rodenkirchen is a non-profit association founded in a district of Cologne. This group advocates the interests of more than 4,000 residents in matters of local flood protection. In 2001, the group sailed the boat up the Rhine staging events and conducting discussions in 18 towns and cities together with other community action groups and representatives of local authorities. The overall promotional efforts of the campaign for greater awareness about flood issues is not limitted to Germany alone, as the group's trip also go through parts of France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. http://www.worldwatercouncil.org

Concern Worldwide, British Red Cross
Its mission is to enable poor people to achieve major improvements in their lifestyles which are sustainable without ongoing support from Concern. To this end it will work with the poor themselves and with local and international partners who share its vision to create just and peaceful societies where the poor can exercise their fundamental rights. http://www.concern.ie/news/dec_africa.htm

Consejo Regional de Cooperación Agricola (CORECA) para America Central, Mexico y la Republica Dominicana (Regional Council for Agricultural Cooperation in Central America, Mexico and the Dominican Republic)
The development of Regional Council for Agricultural Cooperation (CORECA) began in 1980 when a meeting of the International and Regional Committee on Agronomic Security, under the guidance of Panama and the Dominican Republic, put forward the idea of establishing a political forum at the Ministerial level for the agricultural sector. The Council’s principal objective was to serve as a permanent forum for consultation and cooperation between the various political parties of the regions’ agricultural sectors. Particularly, it would focus on raising the quality of life for farmers, improving the environment, initiating technological development and offering wide-ranging cooperation. The Member States of CORECA include : Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. http://www.sagarpa.gob.mx/Dgai/coreca.htm

Consortium of Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering (CUREE), USA
CUREE is a non-profit organization, established in 1988, devoted to the advancement of earthquake engineering research, education and implementation. http://www.curee.org

Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
The CGIAR was created in 1971. Its mission is to contribute, through its research, to promoting sustainable agriculture for food security in developing countries. Membership of the Group has increased from eighteen to fifty-eight, the number of CGIAR centers has grown to sixteen, and their research interests have been diversified. http://www.cgiar.org

Coordinating Committee for Coastal and Offshore Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP), Bangkok, Thailand
CCOP is an Intergovernmental Organization focused on regional geo-scientific aspects. It consists of 11 member countries i.e., Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and is supported by 14 cooperating countries and several international organizations. http://www.ccop.or.th

Coordinating Council for Disaster Management (CCGC), Mozambique
CCGC is the government body responsible for policy decisions relating to disasters. The prime minister chairs the CCGC and his deputy is the minister of foreign affairs.

Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE)
CARE, an NGO, consists of 11 member organizations, working as a global force dedicated to achieving lasting victory over poverty. http://www.care.org

Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF), Caracas, Venezuela (Andean Development Corporation)
CAF is made up of Latin American and Caribbean shareholders (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago and 22 private banks in the Andean region). It has the mission of backing the sustainable development of its shareholder countries and of integration by raising funds to provide a range of financial services. http://www.comunidadandina.org/ingles/who/caf.htm

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa
Constituted as a Science Council by an Act of Parliament, the CSIR operates as a market-oriented contract and consortium research partner to its clients and stakeholders. CSIR focuses on building Africa’s capacity in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) project management. CSIR Water, Environment and Forestry Technology has been involved in the development and presentation of EIA capacity building courses for the past 10 years. http://www.csir.co.za

Council of Europe – EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has set up the Open Partial Agreement in 1987. This intergovernmental Agreement is a platform for cooperation in the field of major natural and technological disasters between Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean area and Western Europe concerning knowledge about prevention, risk management, post-crisis analysis and rehabilitation. http://www.coe.int/T/E/Cultural_Co-operation/Disasters

County Fire Authority (CFA), Australia
The devastation of the 1944 fires emphasised the urgency of better coordination of country fire services. CFA has evolved to become one of the world’s largest volunteer based emergency services. The ties between CFA and state government, local government, industry and brigades are essential to the successful operation of CFA. As a community service organisation, CFA brigades are strongly supported by their local communities and CFA infrastructure in responding to meet Victoria’s fire safety and emergency management needs. http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au

Darmouth flood Observatory
The Observatory provides current information (updated daily) on flooding. It uses satellite technology to help detect such events as they occur. It also archives the obtained cartographic information about flooded lands into the first global atlas of flood hazard. This on-line and rapidly growing atlas records for posterity 15 years of flood history, world-wide. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~floods/index.html

David and Lucile Packard Foundation, USA
The Foundation was created in 1964 by David Packard, co-founder of the Hewlett-Packard Company, and Lucile Salter Packard. Together, universities, national institutions, community groups, youth agencies, family planning centers, and hospitals constitute a tradition that complements government efforts to focus on society's needs. http://www.packard.org

Department for Earthquake Engineering at the University of Roorkee, State of Uttar Pradesh, India
Established in 1960 as School of Research and Training in Earthquake Engineering, the department has been actively engaged in teaching, basic and applied research, and providing consultancy services in the seismic design of almost all major engineering projects in the country, with an aim of mitigating disasters caused by earthquakes. The department has been consulted by a large number of governmental and nongovernmental organizations with regard to earthquake resistant design of such structures. This has also helped the industry in obtaining certification of the seismic withstand capability of equipment and other systems to be installed in seismic areas. A large portion of the software used for analysis and design has been developed in-house. In addition, the department has also undertaken programmes of seismic instrumentation in the country with a view to have better understanding of the ground motion characteristics and seismicity of various regions. The department has rendered technical services to UNESCO on Influence of Natural Disasters on Educational Facilities for the West and South East Asian countries and has prepared a manual on protective measures needed to save educational facilities from the disastrous effects of earthquakes. http://www.rurkiu.ernet.in/acads/depts/earthquake/about/about.shtml

Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), Nepal
DHM is an organization under the ministry of science and technology. The department with headquarters in Kathmandu has four basin offices: Karnali Basin Office in Surkhet, Narayani Basin Office in Pokhara, Bagmati Basin Office in Kathmandu, and Kosi Basin Office in Dharan. DHM has a mandate from to monitor all the hydrological and meteorological activities in Nepal. The scope of work includes the monitoring of river hydrology, climate, agrometeorology, sediment, air quality, water quality, limnology, snow hydrology, glaciology, and wind and solar energy. General and aviation weather forecasts are the regular services provided by DHM. As a member of the WMO, DHM contributes to the global exchange of meteorological data on a regular basis. DHM actively participates in the programs of relevant international organizations, such as, UNESCO’s International Hydrological Program (IHP) and WMO’s Operational Hydrology Program (OHP). http://www.dhm.gov.np

Department of International Development (DFID), UK
DFID is a UK government department working to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty.
http://www.dfid.gov.uk

Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTRS), Australia
The Department provides policy advice to the Ministers for the Transport and Regional Services portfolio and delivers a variety of programs on behalf of the Commonwealth Government. It also conduct research, analysis and safety investigations; provide safety information and advice based upon these investigations; and perform regulatory functions. It has a strong policy development role, together with program administration and service delivery responsibilities. It involves key stakeholders, clients and customers in all stages of our work. http://www.dotrs.gov.au

Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF), South Africa
DWAF is the custodian of South Africa's water and forestry resources. It is primarily responsible for the formulation and implementation of policy governing these two sectors. It also has override responsibility for water services provided by local government. While striving to ensure that all South Africans gain access to clean water and safe sanitation, the water sector also promotes effective and efficient water resources management to ensure sustainable economic and social development.The forestry programme promotes the sustainable management of the country's natural forest resources and commercial forestry for the lasting benefit of the nation. http://www.dwaf.gov.za/default.asp

Deutsches Forschungsnetz Naturkatastrophen (DFNK), Germany (German Research Network for Natural Disasters)
DFNK is an initiative of German research programmes and institutions. The Network’s goal is to collect, organize and disseminate information from research, knowledge and methodology on the topic of natural disasters taken from technical, environmental and social research sources working in this field. http://dfnk.gfz-potsdam.de

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), Germany (German Agency for Technical Cooperation)
GTZ is a government-owned corporation for international cooperation with worldwide operations. In more than 120 partner countries, GTZ is supporting many development projects and programmes, chiefly under commissions from the German Federal Government. GTZ’s aim is to improve the living conditions and perspectives of people in developing and transition countries. http://www.gtz.de

Deutsches Komite für Katastrophenvorsorge e.V. (DKKV) (German Committee for Disaster Reduction)
The tasks of the DKKV for disaster reduction are numerous and to a degree very particular: from technical projects researching the effects of disasters on society to political programmes encouraging the growth of disaster reduction initiatives. http://www.dkkv.org

Disaster Research Center, Ohio State University, USA
The Center, was established at Ohio State University in 1963 and moved to the University of Delaware in 1985. The Center conducts field and survey research on group, organizational and community preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural and technological disasters and other community-wide crises. DRC researchers have carried out systematic studies on a broad range of disaster types, including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous chemical incidents, and plane crashes. http://www.udel.edu/DRC

Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), Zambia
In 1998, the government of Zambia established the DMMU as part of the vice president’s office to coordinate disaster related activities. The DMMU is supported by a technical committee, which includes the ministry of agriculture’s office of early warning, the ministry of agriculture, food and fisheries, the central statistical office, and key line ministries such as health, finance and economic development.

Disaster Management Bureau (DMB), Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MDMR), Bangladesh
MDMR is the principal government body, overseeing the disaster management activities in the country. Disaster Management Bureau and Directorate of Relief and Rehabilitation work directly under the Ministry. Bangladesh has established various disaster management committees at different levels from National Disaster Management Council (NDMC), headed by the Honorable Prime Minister, to the field level committee such as District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC), headed by Deputy Commissioner (DC). Under the supervision of MDMR, there are a number of disaster response units.
source : ADPC http://www.bdmb.org

Disaster Management Center (DMC), University of Wisconsin, USA
The center’s goal is to help improve the emergency management performance of non-governmental organizations, local and national governments, and international organizations, through a comprehensive professional development program in disaster management. Distance learning is the principal approach for this international program. http://dmc.engr.wisc.edu/about/edlinks.html

Disaster Management Facility (DMF), World Bank, Washington D.C., USA
DMF aims to reduce human suffering and economic losses caused by natural and technological disasters. Making sure that disaster prevention and mitigation are integral parts of development requires action, the DMF takes action by providing technical support to World Bank operations, promoting capacity-building, and establishing partnerships with the international and scientific community working on disaster issues. http://www.worldbank.org/dmf/mission.htm

Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa (DMISA), South Africa
DMISA is an organization where everyone involved in disaster management can relate to others with similar interests, and creates opportunities for the improvement of disaster management in Southern Africa. http://www.cmc.gov.za/pht/DMISA.htm

Disaster Management Technical Council (CTGC), Mozambique
The CTGC provides technical back-up to the National Disaster Management Institute (INGC), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.

Disaster Management Unit, (DMU), Standing Office of the Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control (CCFSC), Vietnam
The Vietnam Disaster Management Unit (DMU) is the mechanism chosen by the Government of Vietnam and UNDP to join together over 1000 years of Vietnamese flood protection culture with twenty-first century western technology to better protect the entire population of Vietnam against the annual natural disasters that ravage the country. http://www.undp.org.vn/dmu/index.html

Disaster Mitigation Facility (DMF) for the Caribbean, CBD, USAID/OFDA
On February 20, 2002, the Caribbean Development Bank launched its Disaster Mitigation Facility for the Caribbean (DMFC) at the Sherbourne Conference Centre in Barbados.
The Facility was established based on a limited scope grant agreement between CDB and USAID, and has two objectives: to assist CDB’s borrowing member countries (BMCs) with the adoption and institutionalization of successful disaster mitigation plans and policies; and to strengthen CDB’s institutional capacity to effectively implement its revised disaster management strategy, focusing on mitigation, and to integrate the revised strategy into all CDB’s policies, projects and programmes. http://www.caribank.org/downloads/dmfcpage.pdf

Disaster Mitigation Institute (DMI), India
DMI, India is a community based action research, action planning and action advocacy non-governmental organisation. It works towards bridging the gap between policy, practice, and research related to disaster mitigation, in an effort to link the community to the (inter)national level humanitarian scenario. http://www.southasiadisasters.net

Disaster Recovery Business Alliance (DRBA)
DRBA is an organization, a process and a product that is designed to provide an improvement in a community’s ability to deal with disaster recovery by the formation of an effective alliance between the private and public sectors of a community. It offers a tested model to assist local leaders in forming and facilitating a lifeline-based planning organization to serve a local community. It was established and funded by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and co-founded by the Department of Energy, and the Association of Contingency Planners (ACP). DRBA has formed partnerships with many public and private sector organizations such as the Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC), National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) and many others.
http://www.acp-international.com/drba

Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware, USA
DRC is a social science research center devoted to the study of disasters. It was established at Ohio State University in 1963 and moved to the University of Delaware in 1985. The center conducts field and survey research on group, organizational and community preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural and technological disasters and other community-wide crises. DRC researchers have carried out systematic studies on a broad range of disaster types, including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous chemical incidents, plane crashes. http://www.udel.edu/DRC/nodhtml.html

Discipleship Centre, Hind Swaraj Mandal
The Discipleship Centre is a Non-Governmental Organization involved in Gujarat Earthquake Relief and Rehabilitation efforts.

Drought Monitoring Centre (DMC), Harare, Zimbabwe and Nairobi, Kenya
The Drought Monitoring Centres for Eastern and Southern Africa are charged with the responsibility of monitoring of drought and other climatic conditions in a timely manner with respect to intensity, geographical extent, duration and impact upon agricultural production and to give early warning for the formulation of appropriate strategies to combat any anticipated adverse effects. http://www.meteo.go.ke/dmc/contact.html

Earthquake Disaster Mitigation Research Center (EDM), Miki, Japan
The main purpose of the EDM is to produce “frontier research on earthquake disaster mitigation for urban regions.” The major research activities are performed by three research teams: the disaster process simulation team, the disaster information system team and the structural performance team. http://www.edm.bosai.go.jp

Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), Oakland, USA
The objective of EERI is to reduce earthquake risk by advancing the science and practice of earthquake engineering, by improving understanding of the impact of earthquakes on the physical, social, economic, political and cultural environment, and by advocating comprehensive and realistic measures for reducing the harmful effects of earthquakes. http://www.eeri.org

Earthquake Hazard Centre (EHC), Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand
The Earthquake Hazard Centre (EHC) is an information network and dissemination centre for earthquake-resistant construction in Developing Countries. The EHC seeks to share basic earthquake engineering knowledge, common place in many countries, with those working in construction-related fields in developing countries. The EHC aims to provide information which is relevant and appropriate to the limited resources available in the communities where this information is most needed. The EHC is a non-profit organisation supported by Robinson Seismic Ltd and the New Zealand Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management. It is based at the School of Architecture, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. http://www.ehc.arch.vuw.ac.nz

East West Center, Honolulu, Hawai
The East-West Center is an internationally recognized education and research organization established by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen understanding and relations between the United States and the countries of the Asia Pacific region. The Center carries out its mission through programs of cooperative study, training and research. Professionals and students from the United States, Asia and the Pacific study and work together at the East-West Center to better understand issues of common and critical concern and explore mutually beneficial ways of addressing them. http://www.eastwestcenter.org/about-ov.asp

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
ECOWAS was created in 1975 by the Heads of State and Government of the 16 countries of the region with the goal to achieve economic union. There are several agro-ecological zones within ECOWAS ranging from the north to the south. These are the Sahelian zone,
Sudanese zone, Guinean zone and the forest areas. http://www.fao.org/tc/tca/pdf/fact_ECOWAS_en.pdf

EMERCOM Russia
Ministry of civil defense and emergencies. http://emercom.on.ufanet.ru

Emergency Management Australia (EMA)
EMA provides national leadership in the development of measures to reduce risk to communities and manage the consequences of disasters. It is the Federal Agency responsible for reducing the impact of natural and man-made disasters on the Australian community. http://www.ema.gov.au

Emergency Management Australia Institute (EMAI), Mount Macedon, Australia
Emergency Management Australia’s research and training centre at Mount Macedon was renamed the Emergency Management Australia Institute (EMAI) in January, 2002. The change was made to better reflect the institute as an integral part of EMA’s core business and to stress the holistic nature of the organization’s operations across its sites in Canberra and Mount Macedon Victoria. EMAI conducts a program of activities which includes the National Studies Program, education and training activities, resource development to support the curriculum and the provision of information through the Australian Emergency Management Information Centre. EMAI is the education and information arm of Emergency Management Australia (EMA). http://www.ema.gov.au/fs-education.html

Emergency Preparedness Canada (EPC)
See Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP). http://www.ocipep-bpiepc.gc.ca/home/index_e.html

ENDA
ENDA is involved in environmental development in the third world. http://www.enda.sn

Environment and Society Institute (ESI), State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
It offers courses on engineering and applied sciences and hosts the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA), the Center for Urban Studies. The Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) is an affiliated research center. http://www.buffalo.edu

European Commission/Commission Européenne
The European Commission embodies and upholds the general interest of the Union. The President and Members of the Commission are appointed by the Member States after they have been approved by the European Parliament.The Commission is the driving force in the Union's institutional system: It has the right to initiate draft legislation and therefore presents legislative proposals to Parliament and the Council. As the Union's executive body, it is responsible for implementing the European legislation (directives, regulations, decisions), budget and programmes adopted by Parliament and the Council.
It acts as guardian of the Treaties and, together with the Court of Justice, ensures that Community law is properly applied. It represents the Union on the international stage and negotiates international agreements, chiefly in the field of trade and cooperation. http://europa.eu.int/comm/index_en.htm

European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO)
The European Union’s mandate to ECHO is to provide emergency assistance and relief to the victims of natural disasters or armed conflict outside the European Union. The aid is intended to go directly to those in distress, irrespective of race, religion or political convictions. http://europa.eu.int/comm/echo/en/index_en.htm

European Environment Agency (EEA), Copenhagen, Denmark
The EEA aims to support sustainable development and to help achieve significant and measurable improvement in Europe’s environment through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policy making agents and the public. http://www.eea.eu.int

European Directorate General Joint Research Centre (JRC)
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) Directorate-General is an integral part of the European Commission. It provides independent scientific and technical advice to the Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and EU Member States in support of European Union (EU) policies. Its main aim is to help to create a safer, cleaner, healthier and more competitive Europe. Its seven scientific institutes carry out research of direct concern to EU citizens. It provides technical know-how both directly and through coordinating and contributing to numerous broader networks linking industry, universities and national institutes. The JRC is playing an important role in helping establish the European Research Area (ERA). http://www.jrc.org

European Laboratory for Structural Assessment – Earthquake Engineering (ELSA), Ispra, Italy
The construction of bridges, viaducts, buildings or tunnels, which can withstand earthquakes, involves using particularly sophisticated simulation laboratories. The most prestigious of these is ELSA, which is a technological flagship for the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/success/en/env/0071e.html

European Research Area (ERA)
On 18, January 2000 the European Commission adopted the platform “Towards a European Research Area” which is meant to contribute to the creation of better overall framework conditions for research in Europe. ERA is regrouping all Community supports for the better coordination of research activities and the convergence of research and innovation policies, at national and EU levels. http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/era/index_en.html

European Space Agency (ESA)
The European Space Agency is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the people of Europe. ESA has 15 Member States. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, it can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/index.html

European Union (EU)
The European Union was set through the process of European integration was launched on 9 May 1950 when France officially proposed to create “the first concrete foundation of a European federation.” Six countries (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) joined from the very beginning. Today, after four waves of accessions (1973: Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom; 1981: Greece; 1986: Spain and Portugal; 1995: Austria, Finland and Sweden). The EU has 15 Member States and is preparing for the accession of other eastern and southern European countries. Its main agencies are: European Parliament, Council of the Union, European Commission, Court of Justice, Court of Auditors, European Central Bank, European Economic and Social Committee, Committee of the Regions, European Investment Bank, European Ombudsman. http://www.europa.eu.int

European Centre for Disaster Medicine/ Centre européen pour la Médecine des catastrophes (CEMEC), San Marino It promotes the prevention and mitigation of the effects of natural and technological disasters. http://www.diesis.com/cemec

European University Centre for Cultural Heritage/Centre Universitaire Européen pour les Biens Culturels (CUEBC), Ravello, Italy.
CUEBC is an experimental laboratory that conducts scientific research and specialist matters. It is part of the European University for Cultural Heritage. http://www.cuebc.amalficoast.it

European Natural Disasters Training Centre/Centre Européen de Formation sur les Risques Naturels (AFEM), Ankara, Turkey.
AFEM's main goal is to reduce the destructive effects of hazards through research, training and education at all levels, from policy makers to field workers associated with disaster preparedness and response. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/afem50.htm

European Centre for Prevention and Forecasting of Earthquakes/Centre Européen pour la Prévention et la Prévision des Tremblements de Terre (ECPFE), Athens, Greece.
ECPFE is involved in all aspects of prevention as well as in the development of practical ways of managing earthquakes. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ecpfe50.htm

European Centre on Geomorphological Hazards/Centre Européen sur les Risques Geomorphologiques (CERG), Strasbourg, France
CERG is concerned with studying the major hazards associated with earthquakes and landslides. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/cerg50.htm

Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre/Centre Sismologique Euro-Méditerranéen (CSEM), Bruyères-le-Châtel, France
The activity of CSEM members is devoted to the promotion of seismological research.
http://www.emsc-csem.org
http://www.csem.bruyeres.cea.fr

European Centre for Geodynamis and Seismology/Centre Européen de Géodynamique et de Sismologie (ECGS), Walferdange, Luxemburg
The Centre acts as a link between scientific research and its application to the prevention and interpretation of hazards. http://www.ecgs.lu

European Centre on Training and Information of Local and Regional Authorities and Population on the Field of Natural and Technological Disasters /Centre Européen de Formation des Autorités Locales et Régionales dans le domaine des Catastrophes Naturelles et Technologiques (ECMHT), Baku, Azerbaïjan.
It provides training and information of local and regional authorities in the field of major hazards. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ecmht50.htm

Euro Mediterranean Centre on Evaluation and Prevention of Seismic Risk/Centre Européen sur l’Evaluation et la Prévention du Risque Sismique (CEPRIS), Rabat, Morocco.
It works to develop a unified strategy and common framework for coordinating regional seismo-tectonic zoning and assessment of seismic hazards and risks in the Mediterranean region. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/cepris50.htm

European Centre for School Training in Risk Prevention/Centre Européen sur la Formation Scolaire à la Prévention des Risques (CSLT), Sofia, Bulgaria
The Centre develops and promotes general and partial educational policies, training concepts and teaching methods in the field of risk prevention training in schools. http://www.bg400.bg/cslt

Euro-mediterranean Centre for Research on Arid Zones/Centre Euro-Mediterranééen sur les Zones Arides (CRSTRA), Algiers, Algeria
The centre conducts scientific and technical research programmes on arid zones and zones threatened with desertification and drought. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/crstra50.htm

European Centre of Technogenic Safety/Centre Européen de Sécurité Technologique (TESEC), Kiev, Ukraine
TESEC is a scientific research and educational organization. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/tesec50.htm

European Centre for Vulnerability of Industrial and Lifeline Systems/Centre Européen sur la Vulnérabilité des Réseaux et Systèmes Industriels (ECILS), Skopje (Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia)
It promotes programmes for theoretical and applied research of urban vulnerability. http://www.iziis.ukim.edu.mk

European Centre on Urban Risks/Centre Européen sur les Risques Urbains (CERU), Lisbon, Portugal
Its principal functions are to provide a framework for coordinating relief and natural and technological hazard management and for devising a common strategy to combat urban hazards. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ceru50.htm

European Centre on Floods/Centre Européen sur les Inondations (AECF), Kishinev, Moldova
It concentrates on proposals to prevent the risk of flooding. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/aecf50.htm

Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Insular Coastal Dynamics/Centre Européen de la Dynamique Côtière Insulaire (IcoD), Valletta, Malta
ICoD’s main brief is to work in three main areas of education, applied research and information activities related to coastal dynamics. http://www.icod.org.mt/IcoD/ICoD main.htm

Scientific Centre of Monaco, European Oceanological Observatory/Centre scientifique de Monaco, Observatoire Océanologique Européen (OOE), Monaco
It conducts research with the objective of evaluating major ecological risks and restoring degraded habitats.
http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ooe50.htm

European Centre of New Technologies for the Management of Major Natural and Technological Hazards/Centre Européen des Nouvelles Technologies pour la Gestion des Risques Naturels et Technologiques Majeurs (ECNTRM), Moscow, Federation of Russia
One of its primary objectives is the use of space technologies for the forecasting, prevention and relief in major natural and technological disasters. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ecntrm50.htm

Higher Institute of Emergency Planning/Institut Supérieur de Planification d’Urgence (ISPU), Archennes, Belgium
The Institute organizes specific courses concerning problems of emergency planning for officials in public office.
http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ispu50.htm

European Centre for Research into Techniques for Informing Populations in Emergency Situations/Centre Européen de Recherche sur les Techniques d’Information de la Population dans les Situations d’Urgences/Centro Europeo de Investigacion de técnicas de information a la poblacion en Situaciones de Emergencia (CEISE), Madrid, Spain
Its work concerns methods of informing the public in ermergency situations. http://www.proteccioncivil.org

European Inter-regional Centre for Training Rescue Workers /Centre Européen de Formation Inter-Régionale pour les Sauveteurs (ECTR), Yerevan, Armenia
It provides training of rescue workers and related instructors for humanitarian assistance. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ectr50.htm

European Centre on Geodynamical Hazards of High Dams/Centre Européen sur les Risques Géodynamiques liés aux Grands Barrages (GHHD), Tbilissi, Georgia
The Centre is created to develop multinational, multidisciplinary approaches to the problems of geodynamic hazards, generated by high dams. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ghhd50.htm

European Advisory Evaluation Committee for Earthquake Prediction (EAECEP)
While not a Centre but a Committee of the Council of Europe, this institution of 13 specialists was established in 1993 by the Committee of Ministers and works closely with the EUR-OPA Specialized Centres. It is responsible for giving advice on earthquake prediction made by scientists. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/eaecep.htm

European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)
The Centre is an international organisation supported by 24 European States, based in Reading, west of London, in the United Kingdom. The principal objectives of the Centre are: the development of numerical methods for medium-range weather forecasting; the preparation, on a regular basis, of medium-range weather forecasts for distribution to the meteorological services of the Member States; scientific and technical research directed to the improvement of these forecasts; collection and storage of appropriate meteorological data. In addition, the Centre: makes available a proportion of its computing facilities to its Member States for their research; assists in implementing the programmes of the World Meteorological Organisation; provides advanced training to the scientific staff of the Member States in the field of numerical weather prediction; makes the data in its extensive archives available to outside bodies. http://www.ecmwf.int

Experimental Climate Prediction Center (ECPC), USA
ECPC is developing an integrated regional climate prediction capability by undertaking basic research to identify coupled land-atmosphere-ocean linkages. ECPC models are being used to make routine experimental forecasts, which are continually evaluated in order to demonstrate their utility to various sectors on temporal scales ranging from seasonal to biennial but also touching upon daily and decadal to centennial time scales. Once ECPC has demonstrated the usefulness of various forecast tools and methodologies, its goal is to transfer these experimental methodologies to NCEP, IRI and various regional application centers. http://ecpc.ucsd.edu

Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLASCO) (Latin American Social Science Faculty)
The faculty’s creation is based on the recommendation of UNESCO and the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean. Its objective is to promote education, research and technical cooperation in the field of social sciences for the entire region. http://www.flacso.cl

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), US Government
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a part of the US Department of Transportation, headquartered in Washington, D.C., with field offices across the United States. Its mission is to provide leadership, expertise, resources and information in cooperation with partners to enhance the country’s economic vitality, the quality of life, and the environment. The FHWA directly administers a number of highway transportation activities including standards development, research and technology, training, technical assistance, highway access to federally owned lands and Indian lands, and commercial vehicle safety enforcement. Further, FHWA has a significant role, working through partnerships, programs, policies, and allocating resources which facilitate the strategic development and maintenance of State and local transportation systems as effective and efficient elements of the national intermodal transportation system. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov

Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, (FIMA), Federal Management Agency (FEMA), USA
The Mitigation Division manages the National Flood Insurance Program and oversees FEMA's mitigation programs. It has of a number of programs and activities of which provide citizens Protection, with flood insurance; Prevention, with mitigation measures and Partnerships, with communities throughout the country. The overall mission is to protect lives and prevent the loss of property from natural hazards. http://www.fema.gov/fima

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
FICCI was established in 1927, on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi, to garner support for India’s independence and to further the interests of the Indian business community. Today, after five decades of Indian independence, FICCI is in the vanguard of nation building and is moving ahead to integrate the Indian economy with the global mainstream. http://www.ficci.com

Fundación de Edificaciones y Dotaciones Educatives (FEDE), Venezuela
The Foundation of Constructions and Educational Endowments "FEDE" is an institution of public administration, dedicated exclusively to solve the problems of the educational physical plant. It was created by means of the Presidential Ordinance N° 1555 dated May 11 of 1976, exercising the guides of the Ministry of Urban Development. http://www.fede.gov.ve

Fondo para la Reconstruccion y el Desarrollo Social del Eje Cafetero (FOREC), Armenia, Colombia
The Fund for Reconstruction and Social Development in the Coffee Region is a specialized agency with its headquarters in Armenia administered by a legal staff under financial and political autonomy. Its objective is to promote the necessary work on economic, social and ecological reconstruction in the Andean region affected by the earthquake of 25 January, 1999. FOREC’s mission is to manage the public commitment of national institutions and agencies in the reconstruction work with honesty, clarity, will and efficiency in the use of the public resources and technological assistance offered for this work. FOREC received the UN Sasakawa Award for Disaster Reduction in 2000. http://www.forec.gov.co

Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) – Development Unit, Harare, Zimbabwe
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is promoting regional Cooperation in economic development. It has adopted a Programme of Action covering cooperation in various sectors, including food security and natural resources management. In order to enhance food security for all in the region, SADC established a Food Security Programme. Its secretariat is formed by the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) Development Unit. http://www.sadc-fanr.org.zw

Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA)
FINCA has been helping families to create their own solution to poverty since 1984. FINCA provides financial services to the world’s poorest families so they can create their own employment, raise household incomes and improve their standard of living. http://www.villagebanking.org

Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work (FSWW)
The FSWW established in 1986 by a group of women from different backgrounds, is a non-profit NGO. It aims to build social, economic and community assets for and by grassroots women, and support their leadership throughout Turkey in improving the quality of their lives and of the community. http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw

Fundación Nacional para el Desarrollo (FUNDE), El Salvador (National Development Foundation)
FUNDE’s mission is to offer critical thinking, analysis and proposals for sustainable development and to engage the different parties and leading institutions of the country with research and assistance in order to better the quality of life and opportunities of the marginalized. http://www.funde.org

Fundación para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Communal (CORDES), El Salvador (Development Corporation)
Founded in 1988, CORDES is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the management of socio-economic development of the rural communties in El Salvador, where the poverty and destruction from the war have affected human settlements by forcing the people out of their land. http://www.geocities.com/lia_hernandez/Perfil.html

Fundación Salvadoreña para la Asistencia Integral (FUSAI), El Salvador (Salvadorian Foundation for Integral Assistance)
Its mission is to support the socioeconomic integration of sectors, regions and parties marginalized in society with the benefits of development. http://www.fusai.org

GeoHazards International (GHI), California, USA
GHI was established in 1993 as a nonprofit organization to reduce death and injury caused by earthquakes in the world’s most vulnerable communities. In particular, GHI makes a community safer by raising awareness of its risk, building local institutions to manage that risk, and strengthening schools to protect and train the community’s future generations. http://www.geohaz.org

Geological Survey of Iran (GSI)
As an affiliate organization of the Ministry of Industries and Mines of Iran, GSI is basically an applied research center with a high caliber scientists and technical staff, and state of the art laboratory technology. GSI mandate includes geological survey throughout the country and overseeing mineral exploration. Outcomes of the GSI surveys are produced at the scale of 1:1'000'000, 1:250'000, and 1:100'000 or larger on thematic subjects (digital or paper print) and are made available to the public. http://www.gsi.org.ir

Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ)
GSJ is one of the 15 research institutes of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). http://www.aist.go.jp/GSJ

Geophysics Institute of Teheran University
The activities of this Institute are concentrated on research, education, and scientific services. The Institute has two research and educational departments. The
first department, namely Earth Physics consists of the following research sections:
Earthquake Seismology, Gravity, Geomagnetism, Geophysical Explorations, the Earth’s Tide, Rock Physics.The second department, namely Space Physics, consists of the following research sections: Meteorology, Air Pollution, Ozone, Solar Physics, Ionosphere http://www.ut.ac.ir/faculties/geophysics/index.htm

General Directorate of Civil Protection, Governorate of Grand Alger, Algeria
The General Directorate has carried out significant training activities on disaster prevention and the organization of international forums on disaster prevention.

Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), Freiburg, Germany
The Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) has been established in 1998 as a contribution of Germany to the IDNDR. In continuation of support of the ISDR the GFMC is serving as a member and representative of civil society in the Inter-Agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction, and as coordinator of the ISDR Wildland Fire Advisory Group and the Global Wildland Fire Network.
http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/

Global Monitoring for the Environment and Security (GMES)
GMES is a joint initiative of the European Space Agency and the EC. Many programmes (EC, ESA, others) will eventually contribute to GMES. In November 2001 the ESA Ministerial Council approved a new 5-year ESA programme dedicated to GMES, called the Earthwatch GMES Services Element (GSE for short). This is the very first programme dedicated to GMES. GSE will deliver policy-relevant services to end-users, primarily (but not exclusively) from Earth Observation sources. GSE is a key element of GMES, because it will enable end-users to become key players in the move from present generation Earth Observation satellites to future European systems that will deliver vital information on global environment and security. http://earth.esa.int/gmes

Gujarat State Disaster Management Authorities (GSDMA), India
The Government of Gujarat established the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority in February, 2001 to co-ordinate the comprehensive earthquake recovery program. The GSDMA is registered as a society with a vision to go beyond reconstruction and make Gujarat economically vibrant, agriculturally and industrially competitive with improved standards of living and with a capacity to mitigate and manage future disasters. http://www.gsdma.org

Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center, Texas A & M University, Texas, USA
The Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center (HRRC) was established at Texas A&M University in 1988. The center engages in research on hazard mitigation, disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The staff of the HRRC is interdisciplinary in nature and includes the expertise of architects, engineers, geographers, psychologists, and sociologists. The HRRC is dedicated to providing access to hazards information for home owners, professionals, business investors, and the academic community. http://hrrc.tamu.edu

Health Canada
Health Canada is the federal department responsible for helping the people of Canada maintain and improve their health. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca

High Powered Committee (HPC) on Disaster Management Plans, government of India
HPC has been constituted to review existing arrangements for preparedness and mitigation of natural and man made disasters including industrial, nuclear, biological and chemical disasters; recommend measures for strengthening organizational structures, and recommend a comprehensive model plan for management of these disasters at National, State and District Level. http://www.ndmindia.nic.in/committee/hpcomm.html

Hungarian National Directorate General for Disaster Management (HNDGDM), Budapest
From January, 2000 an integrated organization, the National Directorate for Disaster Management, Ministry of Interior has been established in Hungary as the central organ of the integral national disaster management. It was established on the basis of the legal predecessors, that is, the Civil Protection and the Fire Service. The system of protection against disasters is divided into three levels: international, national, the level of municipalities.

Ibero-American Association of Civil Defense and Civil Protection, Spain
The Ibero-American Association for Civil Defense and Protection emerged from a 1-5 July 1996 meeting organized in Santiago, Chile, by the Pro Tempore Secretariat of the Space Conference of the Americas and Chile’s ONEMI. The subject of the meeting was the use of aerospace technology in disaster prevention and mitigation. http://www.proteccioncivil.org

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), USA
The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology is a university research consortium dedicated to exploring the Earth's interior through the collection and distribution of seismographic data. IRIS programs contribute to scholarly research, education, earthquake hazard mitigation, and the verification of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Support for IRIS comes from the National Science Foundation, other federal agencies, universities, and private foundations. http://www.iris.washington.edu

Indian Association of Social Science Institutions (IASSI)
The Association is a collective body of organisations which are involved in teaching, research and related activities in the area of social sciences.Most Indian Universities and research institutions are members of this Association.It was formed primarily for bringing these organisations together in meaningful dialogue's exchange and cooperation so as to crystallize ideas useful for evolving solutions to problems of social concern. All its activities like organisation of seminars and conferences, production of a multi disciplinary journal and publications have been directed to this end.
http://iassi.nic.in

Indian Famine Commission
The wide-spread suffering caused by successive famines in the closing decades of the 19th century led to the setting up of a series of famine commissions. The first commission was appointed in 1878. It made several suggestions on the basis of which the famine codes were promulgated from 1883 onwards.The Second Famine Commission was set up after the drought of 1896-97. It recommended that "Among the measures that may be adopted for giving India direct protection from drought, the first place must unquestionably be assigned to works of irrigation". http://wrmin.nic.in/policy

Information Technology Centre for Africa (ITCA)
ITCA is an information and communication technology (ICT) focused exhibition and learning centre to demonstrate to African policy makers and planners the value of ICT for African development. http://www.uneca.org/itca

Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS)
The Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) unites the major satellite and surface-based systems for global environmental observations of the atmosphere, oceans and land. http://ioc.unesco.org/igospartners/igoshome.htm

Institute for Business Home Safety (IBHS), Boston, USA
The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is a nonprofit association sponsored by the insurance industry that engages in communication, education, engineering and research. Its mission is to reduce deaths, injuries, property damage, economic losses and human suffering caused by natural disasters. http://www.ibhs.org

Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR)
ICLR is a research institute established by Canada’s property and casualty insurers to reduce disaster losses. The Institute is internationally recognized for its leadership in multi-disciplinary disaster prevention research. Quality research provides the foundation for better public policy and disaster management. http://www.uwo.ca/wnews/issues/2001/apr26/centre

Institute for Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management (ICDRM), George Washington University, USA
Established in 1994, ICDRM is an interdisciplinary academic center that provides a unique educational environment in the fields of crisis, disaster, and risk management. The Institute integrates the existing diverse expertise and research related to crisis, disaster, and risk management at the George Washington University and is unique in its interdisciplinary focus and structure. The synergy that results from this interdisciplinary approach produces innovative research, training, and education that enhances crisis and emergency management, risk management, contingency planning, emergency response, disaster recovery, and business continuity, and organizational learning.
http://www.gwu.edu/~icdrm

Institute for Hazards Mitigation Planning and Research, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Washington, USA
The objective of the Institute for Hazards Mitigation Planning and Research is to encourage the incorporation of hazards mitigation principles into disaster preparedness, response and recovery practices through planning programs, community involvement and research to support the creation of more disaster-resistant and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest.
http://depts.washington.edu/mitigate
http://www.caup.washington.edu

Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen, Technological and Economic Risk (IPSC)
IPSC is one of seven institutes that constitute the European Commission’s Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (DG-JRC). Situated in Ispra, Northern Italy, IPSC came into being on 1st September 2001 as a result of a fusion between the Institute for Systems, Informatics and Safety (ISIS) and part of the Space Applications Institute (SAI). IPSC provides research-based, systems-oriented support to EU policies so as to protect the citizen against economic and technological risk. IPSC offers a service that meets with the requirements of other Directorates-General (DGs) of the European Commission, thereby providing a direct contribution to European policy processes. IPSC provides high value added scientific and technological support where a European perspective and an independence of commercial and the European Research Area, which offers a new horizon for scientific and technical activity and for a research policy in Europe, IPSC is well-positioned and prepared to offer to its customers a competent scientific and technical base of expertise and an impartiality, which guarantees its independence of national and private interests. http://ipsc.jrc.it

Institute of Geography of the Romanian Academy
It is the main national institution in Romania that carries out fundamental and applied geographical research. The institute is engaged in research, documentation and professional training, supervising the work of Ph. D. candidates.The members of the Institute participate in a series of national and international interdisciplinary programmes, have membership in several I.G.U. commissions in the International Association of Hydrological Sciences and contribute to the activity of the National Committees for: the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), International Hydrological Programme (UNESCO), the UN International Decade for Natural Disasters Reduction (IDNDR), Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), and are involved in national environmental protection projects, in the complex study of the Danube Delta. http://www.geoinst.ro

Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, ETH Zurich
The Division of Geotechnics IGT collects some information, which may be of general interest to other researchers and geotechnical engineers. http://www.igt.ethz.ch

Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Japan
RIKEN carries out high level experimental and research work in a wide range of fields, including physics, chemistry, medical science, biology, and engineering extending from basic research to practical application. http://www.riken.go.jp

Institute of Seismology, Kazakhstan
The Institute of Seismology is the head organization in the sphere of basic and applied researches regarding the problems of providing seismic safety. It was formed by the Decree of the Government of the Kazakh SSR and Enactment of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR dated from June 16, 1976. During the years of its existence it underwent structural changes to optimize and correspond more sufficiently to the scientific tasks being solved. At present, the organization chart of the Institute includes six scientific-research laboratories conducting basic and applied researches of the main seismological aspects; Seismological Experimental-Methodical Expedition carrying out continuous instrumental observation of seismic regime, geophysical fields, gas and chemical composition of the underground water in the territory of South-Eastern Kazakhstan, and also the Center of Analysis and Prediction. Engineering and Seismometric Service consisting of 15 sites equipped with digital stations of strong motions has been created in the territory of the city of Almaty. The received information is intended to solve problems of seismic microzonation. http://www.seismology.kz/eng/index.shtml

Instituto Geofisico, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Ecuador (IG-EPN)
The IG monitors and maps hazards of Ecuadorian volcanoes and tectonic faults. After nearly 20 years of quiescence, Tungurahua, Guagua Pichincha, Reventador, and Cayambe volcanoes have been unusually active since 1999. http:/www.epn.edu.ec/geo

Instituto Nacional de Gestao de Calamidades (INGC), Mozambique (National Disaster Management Institute)
It manages day-to-day matters relating to disasters is the responsibility of the National Disaster Management Institute. This is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.

Instituto Nicaraguense de Estudios Territoriales (INETER), Managua, Nicaragua, (Nicaraguan Institute for Territorial Studies)
INETER is the technical and scientific body of the state that provides its services to the entire population in such areas as basic information as well as projects and studies of the environment which contribute to socio-economic development and the lowering of vulnerability to natural disasters, continuously tracking dangerous natural phenomena. http://www.ineter.gob.ni

Insurance Council of Australia
The mission of ICA is to influence, ethically, and expertly, the political, social, business and economic environment in order to promote members' role in providing insurance protection and security to the community. http://www.ica.com.au

Inter-African Centre for studies on Rural Radio/Centre interafricain d'études en radio rurale (CIERRO), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
CIERRO's main mission is to make at the disposal of the personnel of african radios training capacities initial and continued, in the following fields: programmes for technical kowledge, programmes for mastering national languages for radio animateurs. CIERRO abrites also the Rural and Local Radios Network, an initiative from the Agence intergouvernenentale de la Francophonie. The creation of this network responds to the necessity to make available new information and communication technologies to the rurals through rural radios. It permits exchange of programmes, coproductions by themes, constitution of an african programmes bank, training for its members. http://www.radios-rurales.net/Reseau/index.htm

Inter-American Committee for Natural Disaster Reduction (IACNDR)
The IACNDR is the main forum of the OAS and the Inter American System for the analysis of policies and strategies aimed at natural disaster reduction in the context of the sustainable development of member states. The OAS General Assembly established the IACNDR based on the need to strengthen the role of the OAS in natural disaster reduction and emergency preparedness.

Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), Washington DC, USA
The IADB is the oldest and largest regional multilateral development institution. It was established in December 1959 to help accelerate economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean. http://www.iadb.org

Inter-departmental Disaster Management Committee, South Africa
In April 1999, the Interim Disaster Management Centre was replaced with the Inter-departmental Disaster Management Committee to deal with disasters and other phenomena and to give advice to the Committee. The National Disaster Management Centre came into operation on 1 April 2000. http://www.gov.za/structure/disaster.htm

Interdepartmental Mitigation Coordinating Committee (IMCC), Canada
The Government of Canada has taken the first steps toward national leadership on mitigation. In January of 2001, a federal interdepartmental committee on mitigation, coordinated by OCIPEP, was established to compile information on roles, responsibilities, programs and activities related to mitigation in order to assess gaps and overlaps, and evaluate opportunities and priorities for federal government action on mitigation. In the future, this federal interdepartmental committee could serve as a standing committee for the review of internal priorities for the Government of Canada. The committee could help ensure that initiatives are consistent with the NDMS guiding principles and criteria (that may be developed in the future) and complement the goals and objectives of other jurisdictions and stakeholders. http://www.ocipep-bpiepc.gc.ca/NDMS/consult_e.asp

Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Djibouti (Autorité Intergouvernementale pour le développement)
IGAD’s vision is based on determination of the Governments of the Sub-region to pool resources and coordinate development activities in order to tackle the present and future challenges more efficiently, and enable the sub-region to interact and compete in the global economy. http://www.igadregion.org

Intergovernmental Committee on Disaster Management, South Africa
To strengthen the Government's commitment to developing a national policy and strategy for disaster management, the Cabinet approved the formation of an Interministerial Committee for Disaster Management (IMC) in mid-1997. The IMC is being convened and chaired by the Minister of Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development. In order to move the policy process forward, the IMC formed a task team in August 1997. In February 1998, the Green paper on Disaster Management was launched in Cape Town. This will pave the way for a White Paper during 1998, and subsequently legislation in 1999. http://www.southafrica-newyork.net

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), Paris, France
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO was founded in 1960 on the basis of the recognition that “the oceans, covering some seventy percent of the earth’s surface, exert a profound influence on mankind and even on all forms of life on earth... In order to properly interpret the full value of the oceans to mankind, they must be studied from many points of view. http://ioc.unesco.org

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
In 1988, UNEP and WMO jointly established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as concern over climate change became a political issue. The purpose of the IPCC was to assess the state of knowledge on the various aspects of climate change including science, environmental and socio-economic impacts and response strategies. The IPCC is recognized as the most authoritative scientific and technical voice on climate change, and its assessments had a profound influence on the negotiators of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol. The IPCC continues to provide governments with scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to evaluating the risks and developing a response to global climate change. http://www.ipcc.ch
Working Group II of the IPCC assesses the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change, negative and positive consequences of climate change, and options for adapting to it.

Inter-ministerial Committee for Disaster Management (IMC), South Africa
The IMC provides leadership for the development and implementation of national policy on disaster management. Under the leadership of the IMC, the Department of Constitutional Development published the Green Paper on Disaster Management for South Africa for comment in February 1998. After consultation with key role players and comments from both the private and public sectors around the Green Paper, the White Paper evolved. http://www.polity.org.za

International Association of Earthquake Engineering (IAEE), Japan
The IAEE aims to promote international cooperation among scientists and engineers in the field of earthquake engineering through interchange of knowledge, ideas, and results of research and practical experience. http://www.iaee.or.jp

International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth’s Interior (IASPEI)
The purpose of IASPEI is to promote the study of problems relating to earthquakes, to the propagation of seismic waves, and to the internal structure, properties and processes of the earth; to initiate and coordinate the conduct of researches which depend on cooperation between different countries, and to provide for their scientific discussion; to facilitate particular researches on scientific and applied seismology, such as the comparison of instruments used in different countries, researches on blasting and generally all matters to which seismology is related. ttp://www.seismo.com/iaspei/home.html

International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI)
The Association represents the primary international focus for research in volcanology, efforts to mitigate volcanic disasters, and research into closely related disciplines, such as igneous geochemistry and petrology, geochronology, volcanogenic mineral deposits, and the physics of the generation and ascent of magmas in the upper mantle and crust. http://www.iavcei.org

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), World Bank
Established in 1945, IBRD aims to reduce poverty in middle-income and creditworthy poorer countries by promoting sustainable development, through loans, guarantees, and other analytical and advisory services.

International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Nepal
ICIMOD is committed to developing an economically and environmentally sound ecosystem and improving living standards of mountain communities, mainly in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas area. http://www.icimod.org.sg

International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy
Founded in 1964 by Abdus Salam (Nobel Laureate), ICTP operates under the aegis of two United Nations Agencies: UNESCO and IAEA and is regularized by agreement with the government of Italy. One of the main aims of ICTP is to foster the growth of advanced studies in developing countries. http://www.ictp.trieste.it

International Center for Disaster Mitigation Engineering (INCEDE), University of Tokyo, Japan
Established in 1991 as a national contribution of Japan towards the United Nations IDNDR, INCEDE serves as a forum for national and international researchers in disaster-mitigation engineering and as an information clearance house. http://incede.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp

International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR), Internationalen Kommission zum Schutz des Rheins
The Rhine pollution has always shown particularly negative effects in the Netherlands. That is why the Netherlands united the Rhine-bordering countries (Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Germany) to discuss problems of water protection and to look for common solutions. The ICPR was founded in Basel on July, 1950. http://www.iksr.org/index.htm

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
ICRC is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance. It directs and coordinates the international relief activities conducted by the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in situations of conflict. It also endeavours to prevent suffering by promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles. http://www.icrc.org

International Council on Chemical Associations/UNEP, (ICCA)
ICCA is the world-wide voice of the chemical industry, representing chemical manufacturers and producers all over the world. It accounts for more than 80 per cent of chemical manufacturing operations with a production exceeding US 1,6 trillion annually. Almost 30 percent of this production is traded internationally. ICCA promotes and co-ordinates Responsible Care and other voluntary chemical industry initiatives. ICCA has a central role in the exchange of information within the international industry, and in the development of position statements on matters of policy. It is also the main channel of communication between the industry and various international organizations that are concerned with health, environment and trade-related issues, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD). http://www.icca-chem.org

International Council of Science (ICSU), Paris, France
ICSU is a non-governmental organization, founded in 1931 to bring together natural scientists in international scientific endeavour. It comprises 98 multidisciplinary National Scientific Members (scientific research councils or science academies) and 26 international, single discipline Scientific Unions to provide a wide spectrum of scientific expertise enabling members to address international, interdisciplinary issues which none could handle alone. http://www.icsu.org

International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), Switzerland
The International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), founded in 1962, is a global network of human rights, humanitarian, and development NGOs, which focuses its information exchange and advocacy efforts primarily on humanitarian affairs and refugee issues. http://www.icva.ch

International Consortium on Landslides (ICL)
ICL wa launched by the 2002 Kyoto Declaration. Its main objectives are: a) to promote landslide research for the benefit of society and the environment, and capacity building, including education, notably in developing countries; b) to integrate geosciences and technology within the appropriate cultural and social contexts in order to evaluate landslide risk in both urban, rural and developing areas and cultural and natural heritage sites, as well as to contribute to the protection of the natural environment and sites of high societal value; c) to combine and coordinate international expertise in landslide risk assessment and mitigation studies, thereby resulting in a renowned international organization which will act as a partner in various international and national projects; and d) to promote a global, multidisciplinary programme on landslides. http://www.unesco.org/science/earthsciences/disaster/icl.htm

International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR), 1990-1999
An International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, beginning on 1 January 1990, was launched by the United Nations, following the adoption of Resolution 44/236 (22 December 1989). The Decade was intended to reduce, through concerted international action, especially in developing countries, loss of life, poverty damage and social and economic disruption caused by natural disasters. To support the activities of the Decade, a Secretariat was established at the United Nations Office in Geneva, in close association with UNDRO.

International Development Association (IDA), World Bank
IDA is the World Bank’s concessional lending window. It provides long-term loans at zero interest to the poorest of the developing countries. IDA helps build the human capital, policies, institutions, and physical infrastructure that these countries urgently need to achieve faster, environmentally sustainable growth. IDA’s goal is to reduce disparities across and within countries, especially in access to primary education, basic health, and water supply and sanitation and to bring more people into the mainstream by raising their productivity. http://www.worldbank.org/ida

International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada
IDRC is a public corporation created by the Parliament of Canada in 1970 to help developing countries use science and technology to find practical, long-term solutions to the social, economic, and environmental problems they face. Support is directed toward developing an indigenous research capacity to sustain policies and technologies developing countries need to build healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous societies. http://www.idrc.ca

International Drought Information Center (IDIC), University of Nebraska, USA
The University of Nebraska at Lincoln established the International Drought Information Center (IDIC) to better understand the problem of drought. IDIC strives to improve communication about prediction, monitoring, impact assessment, adjustment and adaptation, and planning and response to drought.
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/hazard/resource/methaz/drtinfoa.html
http://www.enso.unl.edu/agmet/centers.htm

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, providing assistance without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. http://www.ifrc.org

International Institute for Disaster Risk Management (IDRM), Manila, Philippines
The IDRM promotes international standards and best practices in disaster and risk management. It works on principles of continuous learning, organizational and individual professional development. IDRM experts and partners are committed to applying appropriate, innovative and inexpensive solutions to development and disaster risk management. http://www.idrmhome.org

International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES), Tehran, Iran
The main goal of IIEES is seismic risk reduction and mitigation both in Iran and the region by promoting research and education in science and technology related to seismotectonic, seismology and earthquake engineering. IIEES activity in research covers all aspects of earthquakes from tectonic study to retrofitting complex structure; and in education from public education to PhD programmes in earthquake engineering. http://www.iiees.ac.ir

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxemburg, Austria
The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is a non-governmental research organization located in Austria. The institute conducts inter-disciplinary scientific studies on environmental, economic, technological and social issues in the context of human dimensions of global change. IIASA researchers study environmental, economic, technological, and social developments. In doing so, they generate methods and tools useful to both decision makers and the scientific community. The work is based on original state-of-the-art methodology and analytical approaches and links a variety of natural and social science disciplines. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/
International Institute for Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), The Netherlands
ITC is an autonomous organisation operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Minister for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands and closely linked to Twente University. ITC is an internationally recognized centre of excellence aiming at capacity building and institutional development specifically in countries that are economically and/or technologically less developed. http://www.itc.nl

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Winnipeg, Canada
Its mission is to champion innovation, enabling societies to live in a sustainable way. It advances policy recommendations on international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change, measurement and indicators, and natural resource management to make development sustainable. By using the Internet it covers and reports on international negotiations and brokers knowledge gained through collaborative projects with global partners, resulting in more rigorous research, capacity building in developing countries and a better dialogue between North and South. IISDnet identifies issues, sets goals, and compiles information on sustainable growth. http://www.iisd.org

International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Geneva, Switzerland
ISO is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies from some 140 countries, one from each country. ISO is a non-governmental organization established in 1947. The mission of ISO is to promote the development of standardization and related activities in the world with a view to facilitating the international exchange of goods and services, and to developing cooperation in the spheres of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity. ISO’s work results in international agreements which are published as International Standards. http://www.iso.org

International Research Committee on Disasters (IRCD)
IRCD establishes international linkages among disaster researchers around the world.
http://www.udel.edu/DRC/IRCD.html

International Research Institute for Climate Prediction (IRI), New York, USA
IRI was established as a cooperative agreement between US NOAA Office of Global Programs and Columbia University. IRI is a unit of the Columbia Earth Institute located at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. The vision of the IRI is that of an innovative science institution working to accelerate the ability of societies worldwide to cope with climate fluctuations, especially those that cause devastating impacts on humans and the environment, thereby reaping the benefits of decades of research on the predictability of El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomenon and other climate variations. By orchestrating a wide network of collaborations and comprehensive programs that couple physical science research and applications research with capacity building, the IRI is a unique institution in the international development of applications of climate prediction. http://iri.ldeo.columbia.edu

Internationale Kommission zum Schutz des Rheines (IKSR), Germany
See: International Commission for the protection of the Rhine (ICPR). http://www.iksr.org

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR)
The International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) came to an end in December 1999. The General Assembly endorsed in its resolution 54/219 the proposals put forward in the report of the Secretary-General to ensure the establishment of successor arrangements for disaster reduction for the effective implementation of the international strategy for disaster reduction. An inter-agency task force and inter-agency secretariat, under the authority of the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs have been established.

International Sociological Association (ISA)
ISA is a non-profit association for scientific purposes in the field of sociology and social sciences. The ISA was founded in 1949 under the auspices of UNESCO. The goal of the ISA, is to represent sociologists everywhere, regardless of their school of thought, scientific approaches or ideological opinion, and to advance sociological knowledge throughout the world. Its members come from 109 countries. The ISA is a member of the International Social Science Council and enjoys a status of the Non-Governmental Organization in formal associate relations with UNESCO and special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
http://www.ucm.es/info/isa

International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC), Honolulu, Hawaii
ITIC was established on 12 November 1965 by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic UNESCO. In 1968, IOC formed an International Coordination Group for the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific (ICG/ITSU). ITIC monitors the activities of the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific. http://www.shoa.cl/oceano/itic/frontpage.html

Instituto Nacional de Gestao de Calamidades, (INGC), Mozambique (National Institute for Disaster Management)
The National Institute for Disaster Management was created in June 1999, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. It has an executive role in preventive actions and assistance for victims and areas at risk or affected by disasters. http://www.teledata.mz/ingc/default_eng.htm

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
JICA is responsible for the technical cooperation aspect of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programs. Technical cooperation and a variety of programmes are aimed at the transfer of technology and knowledge that can serve the socio-economic development of the developing countries. http://www.jica.go.jp

Japan Meteorology Agency (JMA)
The major activities of JMA are to issue warnings, advisories and forecasts, to deal with the global environmental issues such as global warming and ozone depletion, and to provide information on earthquake and volcanic activities. http://www.kishou.go.jp

Joint Operations Technical Committee ZRA/Hidroélectrica de Cabora Bassa, Mozambique
The Zambesi River Authority (ZRA) was established by Zambia and Zimbabwe in 1998 to coordinate their decisions on water use, power generation, and upstream and downstream risk consequences of their water management policies. Following the 2000 floods, the ZRA formed Joint Operations Technical Committee with Hydroelectrica de Cabora Bassa in Mozambique to share data and technical information about the operations of their respective Kariba and Cabora Bassa reservoirs. http://www.worldwatercouncil.org

Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, Bogazici University, Turkey
The Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute offers graduate work leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in: Geodesy, Geophysics and Earthquake Engineering.The primary objective of the graduate program is to train specialists and/or theoreticians (required for research and teaching) in geodesy, geophysics and earthquake engineering, capable of creative and original thinking and disseminating new ideas and concepts in related activities in Turkey. http://www.koeri.boun.edu.tr/defaulteng.htm

Laboratory of Hydraulics and Glaciology, ETH Zurich
It is one of Europe's leading institutes in hydraulics, hydrology and glaciology. The 70 collaborators are organized in three sections which deal with research, teaching and applied research work, an administrative group and the chair of hydraulic structures. http://www.vaw.ethz.ch

La Red de Estudios Sociales en Prevención de Desastres en América Latina (LA RED), (The Latin American Network for the Social Study of Disaster Prevention)
Initially conceived as a mechanism to facilitate comparative research of natural disasters from a social perspective, LA RED has developed into the focal point for hundreds of individuals and institutions working in the field of disaster and risk management in the different countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. http://www.desenredando.org

Major Accident Hazards Bureau (MAHB)
The Major Accident Hazards Bureau (MAHB) is a special Unit within the Joint Research Centre's Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen, Technological and Economic Risk Management Unit, dedicated to scientific and technical support for the actions of the European Commission in the area of the control of Major Industrial Hazards.The overall mission of the Bureau is to assist other services of the Commission, and in particular Directorate General Environment in the successful implementation of European Union policy on the control of major hazards and the prevention and mitigation of major accidents. To fulfil this mission, MAHB carries out scientific and technical activities related to the day to day implementation of relevant Community legislation. Since 1982, when the Original Seveso Directive (Council Directive 82/501/EEC) was approved by the Council of Ministers after the famous accident at Seveso, there has been Community provision for the control of major industrial hazards. http://mahbsrv.jrc.it

Médecins sans Frontiéres (MSF)
MSF is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides emergency medical assistance to populations in danger in more than 80 countries. In countries where health structures are insufficient or even non existent, MSF collaborates with authorities such as the ministries of health to provide assistance. MSF works in rehabilitation of hospitals and dispensaries, vaccination programmes and water and sanitation projects. MSF also works in remote health care centres, slum areas and provides training of local personnel. All this is done with the objective of rebuilding health structures to acceptable levels. http://www.msf.org

Megacities 2000 Foundation, Netherlands
The Megacities Foundation in the Netherlands was started as a direct result of an initiative taken by UNESCO which asked the International Academy of Architecture (IAA) to focus attention on the problems of the explosively growing megalopolises. The Megacities Foundation was created in December 1994. http://www.megacities.nl

Mekong River Commission (MRC), Cambodia
MRC promotes and co-ordinates sustainable management and development of water and related resources among countries bordering the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. http://www.mrcmekong.org

Meteorological Service of Canada
The Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) is Canada's source for meteorological information. The Service monitors water quantities, provides information and conducts research on climate, atmospheric science, air quality, ice and other environmental issues, making it an important source of expertise in these areas.
http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca

Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARN), El Salvador (Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources)
Its mission is to direct an effective management of the environment through the clear policies and all-encompassing initiatives which help sustain development of the Salvadorian society. http://www.marn.gob.sv

Ministry of Environment, Planning and Public Works, Greece
In order to activate the participation and further the cooperation of all responsible Ministries and organisations, the Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works has developed a coordinating mechanism so that the concept of sustainable development is incorporated in their actions and their activities. http://www.minenv.gr

Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT), Venezuela
Its mission is to develop policies, strategies and plans which support the creation of a scientific and technical entity that carries out research and initiatives in pursuit of satisfying the needs of the population and promoting the national industry. It also aims to strengthen research and development initiatives for the improvement of innovations and national production, and support postgraduate programmes that foment scientific, technical and humanitarian development in the country. http://www.mct.gov.ve

Multi-disciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER), Buffalo, New York, USA
MCEER’s overall goal is to enhance the seismic resiliency of communities through improved engineering and management tools for critical infrastructure systems (water supply, electric power, hospitals, transportation systems). Seismic resilience (technical, organizational, social and economic) is by reduced probability of system failure, reduced consequences due to failure, and reduced time to system restoration. MCEER works toward this goal by conducting integrated research, outreach, and education activities in partnership with the users of the center products. http://mceer.buffalo.edu

Munich Reinsurance, Germany
Munich Re is not only a world leader in reinsurance but it has also strategically strengthened its business with strong involvement in primary insurance and in asset management. Knowledge and expertise, client services and preferred partner in risk: these are the attributes which characterize Munich Re. It covers a range of special subjects such as: risk management and industrial insurance, alternative risk transfer. In Topics, a publication which appears twice a year, Munich Re experts look at the current situation of natural disasters throughout the world and current topics and trends in the insurance industry. Topics also presents new Munich Re products and services, as well as the world map on natural catastrophes. http://www.munichre.com

India Musokotwane Environment Resource Centre for Southern Africa (IMERCSA), Zimbabwe
IMERCSA is a unit established in 1994 within the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC). IMERCSA has bibliographic databases with more than 6,000 records on the environment and disaster management issues. Its contacts databases, which list individual experts and organizations involved in environment and disaster management issues in the SADC region, have a total of about 2,600 entries. The centre also has a public library with reading facilities for policy planners, researchers, diplomats, journalists, and others interested in issues with a regional perspective. IMERCSA provides in-house training for young journalists. In collaboration, with regionally-based organizations, IMERCSA also carries out training workshops mainly for environmental journalists in Southern Africa. Although the centre does not carry out primary research, it responds to information requests from researchers who are involved in this activity. IMERCSA has produced several books and environmental articles, factsheets and reports on topical environmental issues in the SADC region. http://www.sardc.net/imercsa

National Academy of Sciences (CAS), China
CAS is China’s National Academy and was founded in Beijing in November 1949. It is China’s largest and most prestigious academic institution and runs more than a hundred research institutes throughout the country.
http://www.ma.hw.ac.uk/RSE/news/press/2002/china.htm

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USA
Since its inception in 1958, NASA has accomplished many great scientific and technological feats in air and space. NASA technology also has been adapted for many non-aerospace uses by the private sector. NASA remains a leading force in scientific research and in stimulating public interest in aerospace exploration, as well as science and technology in general. http://www.nasa.gov

National botanical Institute (NBI), South Africa
The mission of the NBI is to promote the sustainable use, conservation, appreciation and enjoyment of the exceptionally rich plant life of South Africa, for the benefit of all people. http://www.nbi.ac.za/homepage.htm

National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, USA
It is NCAR’s mission to plan, organize, and conduct atmospheric and related research programs in collaboration with the universities and other institutions, to provide state-of-the-art research tools and facilities to the atmospheric sciences community, to support and enhance university atmospheric science education, and to facilitate the transfer of technology to both the public and private sectors. Created in 1960, the Center is operated by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. http://www.ncar.ucar.edu/ncar/index.html

National Center for Disaster Management (NCDM), New Delhi, India
NCDM has been established by the Government of India and located in the Indian Institute of Public Administration with the objectives of providing training programs for senior and middle level administrative government officials which sensitize them for disaster mitigation; coordinating the research activities in different aspects of disaster management at national level.

National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), Phnom Penh, Cambodia
In 1995, as a result of the country’s experience with regularly occurring disasters, the Royal Government of Cambodia established NCDM. Its responsibilities are defined in terms of, not only providing timely and effective emergency relief to the victims of disasters, but also developing preventive measures to reduce loss of lives and property. This is accomplished by applying scientific and technical knowledge to mitigate disasters. http://www.cred.be/centre/research/ncdm.pdf

National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), Pretoria, South Africa
Its mission is to improve knowledge, awareness and understanding of disasters, and to coordinate and facilitate access to information and resources in order to promote and support comprehensive, integrated and effective disaster management in South Africa. http://sandmc.pwv.gov.za

Office of Civil Defence (OCD) and the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), Philippines
The OCD is the executive arm of the NDCC. Its primary mission is to coordinate, on the national level, the activities and functions of various agencies and instrumentality of the National Government, private institutions and civic organizations devoted to public welfare so that the facilities and resources of the entire nation may be utilized to the maximum extent for the protection and preservation of the civilians. http://www.ndcc.gov.ph/ocd_home.html
NDCC is the highest policy-making, coordinating and supervising body for disaster management in the Philippines. It strives to reach out to as many people as possible to provide relevant and timely information that are beneficial to the public. http://www.ndcc.gov.ph

National Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The Relief and Rehabilitation Commission was established in June 1974 following the outbreak of famine in the two northern provinces of Ethiopia. In August 1995, it was re-established as the DPPC. The objectives of the Commission cover prevention, preparedness and response aspects of disaster management.

National Directorate of Water (DNA), Mozambique, (Direcçao Nacional de Aguas)
DNA is responsible for water policy and its implementation, strategic and integrated planning on the management of water resources as well as water supply and sanitation services. The directorate is a government agency working under the ministry of public works and housing. http://www.dna.mz

National Institute for Disaster Prevention (NIDP), Republic of Korea
NIDP was established to reduce loss of life and property from natural and man-made disasters. Its research field is on disaster prevention as well as an evaluation field including an evaluation of the master plan for the creek improvement. http://www.nidp.go.kr

National Institute for Meteorology, Mozambique (INAM), (Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia)
Its mission is to minimize the impacts of hydrometeorological hazards and contribute to sustainable development and the reduction of poverty. http://www.inam.gov.mz

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan
AIST is an Independent Administrative Institution under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. On April, 2001, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology began operations. It comprises 15 research institutes previously under the former Agency of Industrial Science and Technology in the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and the Weights and Measures Training Institute. http://www.aist.go.jp

National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), USA
NIBS was authorized by the U.S. Congress in the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, Public Law 93-383.
Through NIBS, Congress established a public/private partnership to enable findings on technical, building-related matters to be used effectively to improve government, commerce and industry. NIBS is a non-profit, non-governmental organization bringing together representatives of government, the professions, industry, labor and consumer interests to focus on the identification and resolution of problems and potential problems that hamper the construction of safe, affordable structures for housing, commerce and industry throughout the United States NIBS' councils and standing committees -- the Consultative Council, established as mandated in NIBS' authorizing legislation; the Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC); the Building Environment and Thermal Envelope Council (BETEC); the Facility Information Council (FIC); the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI); the Multihazard Mitigation Council (MMC); and the Facility Maintenance and Operations Committee (FMOC) -- are integral and vital components of NIBS. http://www.nibs.org

National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad, India
NIRD is India’s apex body for undertaking training, research, action research and consultancy functions in the rural development sector. It works as an autonomous organization supported by the Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment of the government of India. http://www.nird.org

National Institute of Water and Atmoshpheric Research in New Zealand
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand, was established in 1992 as one of nine New Zealand Crown Research Institutes (CRIs). NIWA's mission is to provide a scientific basis for the sustainable management of New Zealand's atmospheric, marine and freshwater systems and associated resources. NIWA maintains the New Zealand Freshwater Fish Databse (NZFFD) and the Water Resources Archive, the national repository for freshwater time-series data. http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/hazard/resource/methaz/hydrniwa.html

National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), USA
NEMA is the professional association of state, Pacific and Caribbean insular state emergency management directors committed to providing national leadership and expertise in comprehensive emergency management. It serves as a vital information and assistance resource for state and territorial directors and their governors, while forging strategic partnerships to advance continuous improvements in emergency management. http://www.nemaweb.org

National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS)
The Technical Co-operation Programme (TCOP) was developed to ensure that national Meteorological and Hydrological Services have the required means to fulfil their mission. Projects in several WMO Member countries and regions are currently being implemented with the aim of improving and strengthening the capacities of national Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS's) to participate effectively in other WMO programmes. http://www.wmo.ch/wmo50/e

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Washington DC, USA
NOAA’s mission is to describe and predict changes in the earth’s environment, and conserve and wisely manage the nation’s coastal and marine resources. NOAA’s strategy consists of seven interrelated strategic goals for environmental assessment, prediction and stewardship. http://www.noaa.gov

NOAA Coastal Services Centre (CSC), USA
CSC is an office within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration devoted to serving the nation's state and local coastal resource management programs. Its mission is to support the environmental, social, and economic well being of the coast by linking people, information, and technology. http://www.csc.noaa.gov

National Policy on Disaster Prevention and Management (NPDPM), Ethiopia
NPDPM is one of the major components of this policy is Employment Generation Schemes (EGS). The national institution mandated for execution of the NPDPM is the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC). http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy

National Risk Prevention and Emergency Response Commission (CNE), Costa Rica
On 13 October 1999, the new National Emergency Law went into effect in Costa Rica. Its most innovative feature is its emphasis on prevention. The law seeks to provide an effective and efficient juridical framework for regulating State activity in emergency situations and promoting disaster prevention throughout the country. The law creates the National Risk Prevention and Emergency Response Commission, formerly the National Emergency Commission and still employing the acronym CNE, as part of the President’s Office, but with its own legal identity and budget.

National Science Foundation (NSF), Washington DC, USA
NSF is an independent agency of the US government, established by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950. Its mission is to promote the progress of science, to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare, and to secure the national defence. http://www.nsf.gov

National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET), Kathmandu, Nepal
NSET strives to assist all communities in Nepal to become earthquake safer by developing and implementing organized approaches to managing and minimizing earthquake risks. http://www.nset.org.np

NASA Earth Observatory, USA
The purpose of NASA's Earth Observatory is to provide a freely-accessible publication on the Internet where the public can obtain new satellite imagery and scientific information about our home planet. The focus is on Earth's climate and environmental change. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
NATO is an alliance of 19 countries from North America and Europe committed to fulfilling the goals of the North Atlantic Treaty signed on 4 April 1949. http://www.nato.int

Natural Hazards Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand
The Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences (GNS) and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) have created a natural hazards information centre. It aims to provide New Zealanders with a single point of contact for the latest research, resources, and scientific expertise. http://www.naturalhazards.net.nz

Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA
The centre is a national and international clearinghouse that provides information on natural hazards and human adjustments to these risks. The centre’s prime goal is to increase communication among hazard and disaster researchers and individuals, agencies, and organizations actively working to reduce disaster damage and suffering. The Natural Hazards Center carries out its mission in four principal areas: information dissemination, an annual workshop, research, and library services. http://www.colorado.edu/hazards

Netherlands Red Cross Centre on climate change and disaster preparedness
In response to the growing concerns regarding climate change, in June 2002 the Netherlands Red Cross officially launched the International Red Cross Red Crescent Centre on Climate Change and Disaster Preparedness. The centre will address the threat millions of people face from climate change related disasters every year by seeking to bridge the gap between meteorological science and relief aid. http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/dp/climate/centre.asp

Niger Basin Authority
The aim of the Niger Basin Authority is to promote cooperation among the member countries and to ensure integrated development in all fields through development of its resources, notably in the fields of energy, water resources, agriculture, forestry exploitation, transport and communications, industry. http://www.abn.ne/webeng/index-eng.html

Norvegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI)
NGI is a private foundation doing research and consulting in the geo-sciences, including soil, rock and snow. http://www.ngi.no/english

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), USA
NRC is an independent agency established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 to regulate civilian use of nuclear materials. http://www.nrc.gov

Office Fédéral de l’Environnement, des Forêts, et du Paysage (OFEFP), Switzerland (Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape (SAEFL))
SAEFL is the federal office responsible for environment. It is integrated in the Federal Department of Environment, Transportation, Energy and Communication. http://www.umwelt-schweiz.ch/buwal

Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance/US Agency for International Development (OFDA/USAID)
OFDA/USAID has been the principal US agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms. USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the secretary of state. http://www.usaid.gov

Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Kingston, Jamaica
ODPEM is committed to taking pro-active and timely measures to prevent or reduce the impact of hazards in Jamaica, its people, natural resources and economy through its trained and professional staff, the use of appropriate technology and collaborative efforts with national, regional and international agencies. http://www.odpem.org.jm

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Paris, France
The OECD groups 30 member countries sharing a commitment to democratic government and the market economy. With active relationships with some 70 other countries, NGOs and civil society, it has a global reach. Best known for its publications and its statistics, its work covers economic and social issues from macroeconomics, to trade, education, development, science and innovation. http://www.oecd.org

Organization of American States (OAS), Washington, DC, USA, (Organización de Estados Americanos)
The nations of the Americas are working more closely together than ever before strengthening democracy, advancing human rights, promoting peace and security, expanding trade and tackling complex problems caused by poverty, drugs and corruption. Together they are building a better future for the next generation. At the outset of a new century and a new millennium, the challenge is how to turn citizens’ high expectations into reality. OAS is playing a central role in working toward many of the goals that are shared by the countries of North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. http://www.oas.org

OAS's Unit for Sustainable Development (USDE); Washington, DC, USA, (Organización de Estados Americanos)
The Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment (USDE) is the principal technical arm of the OAS General Secretariat responsible for meeting the needs of the member states in matters of sustainable economic development. Among its areas of concern are transboundary water resources management, reduction of vulnerability to natural hazards, public participation in decision-making, climate change and sea- level rise, coastal-zones management, renewable-energy planning, and biodiversity.
Formed in 1963, the Unit has evolved from an office dealing with natural resource inventories in different countries to one whose main task is to follow up on the mandates emanating from Agenda 21 and the Bolivia Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development. Its mission is to serve the interests of the member states by helping to improve integrated management of natural resources as a key component of sustainable development. This mission is defined by the technical and political mandates derived from the Summit process and the political bodies of the Organization. http://www.oas.org/usde

Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Castries, St Lucia
The OECS came into being on 18 June, 1981, when seven Eastern Caribbean countries signed a treaty agreeing to co-operate with each other and promote unity and solidarity among the Members. It is composed of 9 Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and 2 Associated Member States: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands. http://oecs.org

Organization of Rural Associations for Progress (ORAP), Zimbabwe
ORAP was founded in 1981 by a small group of people in Matabeleland Province to discuss development options following the independence war which ended in 1980. ORAP aims at creating employment and greater self reliance through promoting culturally relevant self-help activities. The organization also aims at encouraging grassroots programme development and promoting economic and financial autonomy.
http://iisd1.iisd.ca/50comm/commdb/desc/d41.htm

Overseas Development Institute (ODI), UK
Its mission is to inspire and inform policy and practice which lead to the reduction of poverty, the alleviation of suffering and the achievement of sustainable livelihoods in developing countries. It does this by locking together high-quality applied research, practical policy advice, and policy-focused dissemination and debate. It works with partners in the public and private sectors, in both developing and developed countries. http://www.odi.org.uk

OXFAM, United Kingdom
Oxfam's work is dedicated to finding lasting solutions to poverty and suffering
http://www.oxfam.org.uk

Oxford Center for Disaster Studies (OCDS)
OCDS is one of the leading organisations in consultancy, training and research in the field of disaster management and protection. http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/town/estate/vz92

Pacific Disaster Center (PDC)
The Pacific Disaster Center’s mission is to provide applied information research and analysis support for the development of more effective policies, institutions, programs, and information products for the disaster management and humanitarian assistance communities of the Asia Pacific region and beyond.

The Pacific Disaster Center’s strategic program focuses on five areas:

• Decision and Policy Support;
• Institutional Capacity Development;
• Risk and Vulnerability;
• Humanitarian Assistance Support; and
• Security and Substainabililty

Through these programs the Pacific Disaster Center promotes the partnerships and technology required to create disaster information networks and disaster resistant communities in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.

In 2001, the East-West Center became the managing partner of PDC. The East-West Center handles PDC’s administrative and personnel systems, as well as assists PDC in reaching out to the disaster management community that could benefit from its expertise and services. www.pdc.org

Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC), Hawaii, USA
Established in 1949, the PTWC in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, provides warnings for tsunamis to most countries in the Pacific Basin as well as to Hawaii and all other U.S interests in the Pacific outside of Alaska and the U.S West Coast. Those areas are served by the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC) in Palmer, Alaska. PTWC is also the warning center for Hawaïi’s local and regional tsunamis. http://www.prh.noaa.gov/pr/ptwc

Pan-American Engineering Association for the Public Health and Environment (Asociación Interamericana de Ingeniería Sanitaria y Ambiental (AIDIS)
The mission of AIDIS-Canada is to further the goals of AIDIS Interamericana through programs and services that promote sound environmental practices, policies, management, and education to improve the quality of life throughout the Americas. http://www.aidis.org.br

Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) of Natural Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich
The Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) conducts basic research, mostly financed by Swiss tax moneys. http://www.psi.ch/index_e.shtml

Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
CHED is mandated to undertake the following tasks: Promote quality education; take appropriate steps to ensure that education shall be accessible to all, and insure and protect academic freedom for the continuing intellectual growth, the advancement of learning and research, the development of responsible and effective leadership, the education of high level professionals, and the enrichment of historical and cultural heritage. http://www.info.com.ph/~chedco

Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), Quezon City, Philippines
The principal goal of PHIVOLCS is to formulate up-to-date and comprehensive disaster preparedness and loss reduction action plans for volcanic eruption, earthquake occurrences and related geotectonic processes/phenomena which imprint significant impacts on man and his environment. A corollary goal is to exploit the positive aspects of these processes to uplift of the people’s quality of life. In line with its role in the promotion of science and technology in the country, PHIVOLCS undertakes activities geared towards making people aware of volcanoes and volcanology, earthquakes and seismology, and to understand why, where and how natural disasters of volcanic and seismic origins occur in the Philippines. http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph

Phnom Penh Regional Platform on Sustainable Development for Asia and the Pacific, Phnom Pehn, Cambodia
The High-level Regional Meeting for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) reviewed the progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 in the region and identifies key policy issues, priorities, goals, constraints and actions in preparation for the WSSD.

PLANAT (Swiss National Platform for Natural Hazards), Bern, Switzerland
The Federal Council aims to improve prevention in the field of natural hazards. To this end, it created the national PLANAT. This consultative body of the confederation is organized as an extra parliamentary commission. Whilst taking care to avoid a duplication of efforts, it also ensures a better use of the existing structures. http://www.planat.ch

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Potsdam, Germany
The founding of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in 1992 arose out of the growing need among political decision-makers to be informed about the consequences of Global Change. Of particular importance in this respect was the question of increasing concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere and the effect this would have on climate, the environment and society. Since then PIK has been involved in investigating the ecological, geophysical and socioeconomic aspects of worldwide climatic change, and climate-impact research has become part of a comprehensive Earth system analysis. http://www.pik-potsdam.de

ProVention Consortium (Disaster Management Facility, World Bank)
ProVention Consortium (hosted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva) The ProVention Consortium, launched by the World Bank in 2000 and currently hosted by the International Federation, is a global partnership dedicated
to increasing the safety of vulnerable communities and to reducing the impacts of disasters in developing countries, still disproportionately affected by disasters. A broad membership, ProVention includes international financial institutions and donor governments, international development and humanitarian organisations, leading academic institutions, private sector actors and civil society organisations. The goal of the Consortium is to reduce the risk and impacts of disasters on the poor through forging partnerships between different disciplines and sectors, supporting policy reform, developing innovative approaches to the practice of disaster risk management and sharing knowledge and resources. http://www.proventionconsortium.org

Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI)
The Public Entity Risk Institute's mission is to serve public, private, and nonprofit organizations as a dynamic, forward thinking resource for the practical enhancement of risk management.
http://www.riskinstitute.org/about.asp

Regional Advisory Board for Agriculture Cooperation
The Regional and Sustainable Development Department (RSDD) develops and monitors policies and guidelines for all the sectors and aspects of development that are important to ADB's work. It ensures that a high standard of quality and technical excellence is maintained across ADB. The department supports ADB's regional development functions and strengthens ADB's role in linking the region to global networks and partnerships. In addition, it monitors ADB's compliance with its own policies and guidelines. http://www.adb.org/RSDD/default.asp

Regional Consultative Committee (RCC) in Disaster Management, Bangkok, Thailand
Within the framework of the Advisory Council, an ADPC Consultative Committee on Regional Cooperation in Disaster Management has been established. The Committee comprises members of the ADPC Board of Trustees/Advisory Council who are working in key Government positions in the National Disaster Management systems of countries of the Asian region. The role of RCC is to provide an informal consultative mechanism for development of action strategies for disaster reduction in the region and promotion of cooperative programs on a regional and sub-regional basis; so as to guide ADPC’s work.
http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th/pdp/consultative.html

Regional Early Warning Unit (REWU), SADC, Harare, Zimbabwe
The SADC Regional Early Warning Unit is an institution of the Southern African Development Community financially supported through contributions from Member States. The SADC Regional Early Warning System operates as an integrated project, comprising a Regional Early Warning Unit (REWU), based in Harare, and autonomous National Early Warning Units in each of the ten original SADC member states.
http://www.sadc-fanr.org.zw/rewu/rewu.htm

Regional Remote Sensing Unit (RRSU), SADC, Harare, Zimbabwe
The main objective is to strengthen national and regional capabilities in the area of remote sensing and GIS for use of early warning for food security and natural resources management. http://www.sadc-fanr.org.zw/rrsu/rrsu.htm

Regional Unit for Technical Assistance (RUTA), Costa Rica (Unidad regional de assistencia técnica)
RUTA is the collaboration between governments and international development agencies in the sustainable development of rural areas in Central America. Its mission is to contribute to sustainable rural growth in order to reduce rural poverty in the Central American region by means of national and regional development agendas – a common effort between governments, civil societies and social agencies. http://www.ruta.org

Russian Academy of Sciences
The country's leading scientific institution, Russian Academy of Sciences is a self-governing organization entitled to manage its affairs and property. Its activities are regulated by the laws of Russian Federation and its own Charter. The Academy network comprises 440 research institutions and 12 major scientific centers located all over the country. http://www.ihst.ru/jubilee/academy_jubilee-e.htm

Save the Children Fund, UK (SCF-UK)
SCF-UK is the leading United Kingdom charity working to create a better world for children.

Secretaría General de Planificación (SEGEPLAN), Guatemala (Planning Secretariat)
SEGEPLAN supports decision-making, within the presidency and other centres of public policy formulation in the executive branch, by providing specific social-economic information that facilitates informed decisions related to the country’s development. http://www.segeplan.gob.gt

Seismic Safety Association (USSA), Uganda
USSA is a non-profit professional organization some of whose members are affiliated to the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Government Ministries, NGOs, insurance industry, community leaders, and members from the general public. The international community of experts (academics, researchers, professional engineers, and international organizations) have shown little interest todate in helping to develop awareness and expertise in the field of earthquake engineering in Africa. http://www.ehc.arch.vuw.ac.nz/newsletters/jan99/page8.htm

Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA)
SEWA’s main goals are to organise women workers for full emploreliance. Full employment means employment whereby workers obtain work security, income security, food security and social security (at least health care, child care and shelter). SEWA organises women to ensure that every family obtains full employment. By self-reliance we mean that women should be autonomous and self-reliant, individually and collectively, both economically and in terms of their decision-making ability. http://www.sewa.org

Simon Fraser University Telematics Research Lab (TRL)
The convergence of computers and communications, and the accelerating growth of global information networking is beginning to have profound impact on the organization of disaster mitigation, planning and response at all levels of society. During the past decade, the Centre for Policy Research on Science and Technology (CPROST) and its associated Telematics Research Laboratory (TRL) have been participating in these developments through applied disaster communication research in Canada and abroad in collaboration with civil emergency organizations at all levels of government and with the United Nations and international disaster relief organizations. http://www.cprost.sfu.ca/telematics.html

Sistema de Integración Centroamericana (SICA)
SICA, and its secretariat, is a regional organization created by the Central American Presidents in the Declaration of Tegucigalpa with the purpose of offering its technical services as well as political expertise to the initiatives of regional integration, and particularly to the development of the Centroamerican Union. http://www.sicanet.org.sv

Sistema Nacional para la Prevención, Mitigación y Atención de Desastres (SNPMAD), Nicaragua (National System for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Attention)
In March, 2000, legislation was approved for the establishment of the National System for the Prevention, Mitigation of, and Attention to Disasters. The National Committee is the administrative entity of the system, whose role is to define the policies and plans of the system, as well as to assist the president of the republic with the declaration of a state of emergency and approve the annual budget directed to the national fund for disasters. In order to meet its objectives in terms of the prevention, mitigation of, and attention to disasters, the system has established commissions for sectorial initiatives for the execution of the plans adopted by the system. The legislation stipulates that the commissions shall be organized and coordinated at the ministerial level. http://www.sosnicaragua.gob.ni

Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil (SINAPROC), Panama (National Civil Protection System)
SINAPROC is an infrastructure of programmes, institutional relationships, methodologies and processes, which coordinates the common efforts of the institutions of the three governmental hierarchies, as well as the public and private social agencies, to protect society against the dangers of natural risks and disasters.
http://www.c-com.net.pa/~snpce

OXFAM, Oxford, United Kingdom
Oxfam International is a confederation of 12 organizations working together in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty, suffering and injustice.
http://www.oxfam.org/eng/about.htm

South African Qualifications Authorities (SAQA)
The South African Qualifications Authority is a body of 29 members appointed by the Ministers of Education and Labour. The members are nominated by identified national stakeholders in education and training. Its National Qualifications Framework is the set of principles and guidelines by which records of learner achievement are registered to enable national recognition of acquired skills and knowledge, thereby ensuring an integrated system that encourages life-long learning. http://www.saqa.org.za

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Kathmandu, Nepal
SAARC was established when its charter was formally adopted on 8 December, 1985 by the heads of state of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SAARC provides a platform for the peoples of South Asia to work together in a spirit of friendship, trust and understanding. It aims to accelerate the process of economic and social development in member states. http://www.saarc-sec.org

South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), Fiji
Its mission is to improve the well being of the peoples of Pacific Island developing states through the application of geoscience to the management and sustainable development of their non-living resources. SOPAC member countries include Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia (Associate), Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia (Associate), Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu. http://www.sopac.org.fj

Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), Gaborone, Botswana
The primary role of SADC is to help define regional priorities, facilitate integration, assist in mobilizing resources and to maximize the regional impact of projects. The approach is to address national priorities through regional action. The SADC Programme of Action is made up of all the programmes and projects approved by the Council of Ministers. http://www.sadc.int

SADC Food and Natural Resources Coordination Unit (See FANR)
The SADC Environment and Land Management Sector (ELMS) has been given the responsibility to make the transition towards environmentally sustainable development within the SADC countries. Thus the overall objective of the sector, like its mandate, is long term and conforms to the SADC treaty “to achieve sustainable utilisation of natural resources and effective protection of the environment.” http://www.sadcreview.com

SADC Water Resources Coordination Unit
In view of the importance of the role that water plays in ensuring the well-being of the peoples of SADC, a distinct Water Sector was established by the community in 1996. The day-to-day coordination activities of the sector are undertaken by a dedicated unit known as the SADC Water Sector Coordinating Unit (SADC WSCU), located in the Ministry of Natural Resources, in Lesotho. The vision of the SADC Water Sector is, “to attain the sustainable, integrated planning, development, utilization and management of water resources that contribute to the attainment of SADC’s overall objectives of an integrated regional economy on the basis of balance, equity and mutual benefit for all member States”. http://www.sadcwscu.org.ls

SAHEL Institute (INSAH), Bamako, Mali
INSAH, a specialized institution of CILSS, provides food security in a balanced ecological environment; coordinate, harmonize and promote scientific and technical research and training and disseminate scientific and technical information on issues related to drought control, desertification management and population. http://www.insah.org/index.html

South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP), Colombo, Sri Lanka
SACEP is an intergovernmental organization established in 1982 by the Governments of South Asia to promote and support protection, management and enhancement of the environment in the region. Eight countries, namely; Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the members of SACEP.

South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Apia, Westner Samoa
SPREP is a regional organisation established by the governments and administrations of the Pacific region to look after its environment. SPREP was formally established in 1980 as a joint initiative of the South Pacific Forum (SPF), the annual meeting of Heads of Government of Pacific countries, and the South Pacific Conference (SPC), the annual meeting of representatives of all the region's countries and territories. Its members are : American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, NewCaledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, Western Samoa and four developed countries with direct interests in the region (Aust ralia, France, New Zealand, the United States.

Southern Alliance for Indigenous Resources (SAFIRE), Harare, Zimbabwe
SAFIRE was founded in October 1994 and since then it has steadily evolved to become one of the larger environmental NGOs in Southern Africa, and is associated particularly with natural products development, forestry-related issues on communal land, and with participatory approaches to community based natural resource management. http://www.safireweb.org

Southern African Research and Documentation Center (SARDC), Harare, Zimbabwe
SARDC’s objective is to improve the base of knowledge about economic, political, cultural and social developments, and their implications, by making information accessible to governments and policy makers, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, regional and international organizations, development agencies, parliaments, and the media. http://www.sardc.net

State Agency for Civil Protection, Bulgaria
The State Agency for Civil Protection is a legal entity funded by the state budget with headquarters in Sofia. The Agency implements the state policy in the area of the protection in crisis situations caused by natural factors and by technical activities. It is a working body of the Standing Committee on the Protection of the Population in the Cases of Disasters and Accidents at the Council of Ministers. http://www.cp.government.bg/about-en.php

Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Sweden
SEI's mission is to support decision-making and induce change towards sustainable development around the world by providing integrative knowledge that bridges science and policy in the field of environment and development. http://www.sei.se

StormCenter Communications, Maryland, USA
StormCenter Communications provides leading-edge monitoring and visuals to help the media, government agencies and emergency managers better understand environmental issues to enable the media and educators to increase public awareness. http://www.stormcenter.com/terms.php

Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS), New Delhi, India
SEEDS, a non-profit voluntary organization, is a collective endeavour of young professionals drawn from development related fields. It originated as an informal group of like-minded people, getting together for the purpose of creative research projects of academic interest. The group was later formalized in early 1994 and has been active in the field ever since. It is involved in research activities in community development, disaster management, environmental planning, transport planning, and urban and regional planning. Activities are carried out on behalf of government, semi-government and international development agencies. Independent programs on vital issues are also taken up. http://www.gdrc.org/uem/seeds.html

Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), India
SSP began in 1989 as a self-education network facilitated by the Society for Promotion of Area Resource Centres, in rural Maharashtra and neighboring states. At this time, the collectives and NGOs in the learning network came together to evolve alternate strategies that sought to empower women's collectives around issues of livelihoods, credit, access to and management of resources in rural communities. SSP began working directly with women's groups and communities in the under-developed districts of Latur and Osmanabad in 1994. http://www.indiatogether.org/women/profiles/ssprayog.htm

Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA)
SIDA creates the preconditions for change and sustainable development. http://www.sida.org

SWISSAID
Motor and motivation of its work is the vision of an equitable, peaceful and many-faceted world, of a worthy future for children and grandchildren on a planet free from hunger, poverty, violence and war. SWISSAID is a small, decentralised multinational organisation with offices in 10 countries. The Head Office is in Switzerland. http://www.swissaid.ch/index_e.html

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), (Agencia Suiza para el desarrollo y la cooperacion)
SDC is part of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Its mandate is based on the Federal Law on International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid enacted on 19 March 1976, and on a federal decree of 24 March 1995 on cooperation with the countries of Eastern Europe. In order to make the greatest contribution, SDC concentrates its long-term efforts on cooperating in development in specific sectors and with a limited number of countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. In Latin America, the Swiss Cooperation has chosen to focus its efforts on Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Central America, particularly Nicaragua. http://www.eda.admin.ch

Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (EAWAG), Dübendorf
EAWAG's task as the national research center for water pollution control is to ensure that: Concepts and technologies pertaining to the use of natural waters are continuously improved. Ecological, economical and social water interests are brought into line. Multidisciplinary teams of specialists in the fields of Environmental Engineering, Natural and Social Sciences jointly develop solutions to environmental problems. The acquired knowledge and know-how is transmitted nationally and internationally by publications, lectures, teaching, and consulting to the private and public sector. http://www.eawag.ch

Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL)
WSL is a federal research institute within the domain of the Federal Institutes of Technology. WSL conducts research into the environment and sustainability. Its key areas are the "use, management and protection of near-natural terrestrial habitats" and the "management of natural hazards". These provide a basis for the sustainable use of the landscape. http://www.wsl.ch/welcome-en.ehtml

Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich is a science and technology university with an outstanding research record. Excellent research conditions, state-of-the-art infrastructure and an attractive urban environment add up to the ideal setting for creative personalities. 18'000 people from Switzerland and abroad are currently studying, working or conducting research at ETH Zurich. ETH earned its excellent national and international reputation through major achievements in research as well as through first-rate teaching and services. http://www.ethz.ch

Swiss National Alarm Centre
On average, the National Alarm Office in Zurich gets around 400 calls a year for assessment by duty personnel. Certain calls need to be referred to partner organisations in Switzerland or even abroad. As a result of this, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) co-ordination centre relies on efficient communication channels for example, to the local police deployment centres. Direct links are also set up with other important Swiss partners such as nuclear power stations and the regulatory authorities like the Department for Safety at Nuclear Installations. These communication links need to be maintained and accessed regularly so speed and trouble-free data input are essential. https://www.naz.ch/home.html

Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South, University of Bern, Switzerland
The NCCR North-South focuses on international research cooperation and promotes high-quality disciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research with the aim of contributing to an improved understanding of the status of different syndromes of global change, of the pressures these syndromes and their causes exert on different resources (human, natural, economic), and of the responses of different social groups and society as a whole. By identifying the potential of social systems to mitigate syndromes, by considering their dynamics, and by adopting existing innovative solutions, the NCCR North-South primarily aims to help design ways to mitigate syndromes. It enables Swiss research institutions to enhance partnerships with institutions in developing and transition countries, thereby building the competence and capacity of research on both sides to develop socially robust knowledge for mitigation action.It is co-funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). http://www.nccr-north-south.unibe.ch

Swiss Natural Hazards Competence Centre (CENAT) (Centre de Compétence Dangers Naturels)
The competence centre for natural hazards was founded by the ETH-Council in 1995 to bring together the existing technical, scientific and socio-economic resources in the ETH group.The main aim of this competence centre is to effect interdisciplinary research on the causes of natural hazards, the processes involved, their effects on people and objects, and on appropriate means of protection. It serves to identify the existing potential of specialists and know-how within the ETH group in the field of natural hazards, and constitutes a contact point for public and private institutions as well as national and international organisations. CENAT also co-ordinates teams of specialists and thus contributes towards the development of specialised domains and priorities within the ETH group. It supports these specialised teams in fulfilling their role in teaching, research and services performed in relation to natural hazards. The competence centre brings all the various activities to light as well as their national and international requirements. http://www.cenat.ch/Cenat.htm

Swiss Reinsurance Company (Swiss Re), Zurich, Switzerland
Swiss Re, the global reinsurer, has more than 70 offices in 30 countries. The Financial Services Business Group brings together world-class capital management expertise and risk-taking capabilities. Swiss Re’s success in business is attributable to intelligent risk management and an in-depth analysis of the nature of risk. http://www.swissre.com

Tearfund
As part of its strategy Tearfund has identified the following key areas: Development and Capacity Building; Public health, including HIV/AIDS, Children at Risk Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation. http://www.tearfund.org/homepage/index.asp

Technicon, University of Technology, Free State, South Africa
The research mission of the Technikon Free State, a South African university of technology is in line with the higher education mission of teaching, research and community service: To advance, transfer and sustain knowledge and understanding, through the conduct of career teaching, research and scholarship, as well as community capacity building and services, at the highest international standards, for the benefit of national and international communities and that of the Free State Province in particular. http://www.tofs.ac.za/index.asp

Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Italy
TWAS is an autonomous international organization, founded in Trieste, Italy, in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists under the leadership of the late Nobel laureate Abdus Salam of Pakistan. It was officially launched by the then Secretary General of the United Nations in 1985. Since 1986, TWAS has been supporting research work of scientific merit in 100 countries in the South through a variety of programmes. In addition, joint activities have been developed with UNESCO, the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), ICSU, International Foundation for Science (IFS) and the International Science Programme (ISP).

Tropical Cyclone Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres (RSMC), WMO
RSMC is a network of five centres designated by WMO and located in:
La Réunion, Miami, Nadi, New Delhi and Tokyo. There are a further six specialized tropical cyclone warning centres with regional responsibility to carry out activities coordinated at the global and regional levels by WMO through its World Weather Watch and Tropical Cyclone Programmes. They are located in Brisbane, Darwin, Perth, Wellington, Port Moresby and Honolulu.

Tyndall Centre for Climate Change, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
The Tyndall Centre is a national UK centre for trans-disciplinary research on climate change. It is dedicated to advancing the science of integration, to seeking, evaluating and facilitating sustainable solutions to climate change and to motivate society through promoting informed and effective dialogue. The Centre was constituted in October 2000 and launched officially on 9 November 2000. Its purpose is to research, assess and communicate from a distinct trans-disciplinary perspective the options to mitigate, and the necessities to adapt to, climate change, and to integrate these into the global, national and local contexts of sustainable development. http://www.tyndall.ac.uk

City of Tshwane Metropolitan Council, South Africa
Its mission is to enhance the quality of life of all the people in the City of Tshwane through a developmental system of local government and the rendering of efficient, effective and affordable services. http://www.tshwane.gov.za

Turkana Drought Contingency Planning Unit (TDCPU), Kenya
The Early Warning System of Turkana was set up in 1987. It operates at the sub-national level, for the district of Turkana in the northern part of Kenya. It is run by local government, by the TDCPU. It provides information on how early warning data can be translated and communicated to decision makers.

Uganda’s Seismic Safety Association (USSA)
In 1997, following the WSSI High Level Meeting in Kampala, the Uganda Seismic Safety Association was formed. USSA is a non-profit professional organization some of whose members are affiliated to the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Government Ministries, NGOs, insurance industry, community leaders, and members from the general public.

Ukuvuka – Operation Firestop, South Africa
Operating within the scope of the authority of the local municipal authorities and the Cape Peninsula National Park, the Ukuvuka Campaign intends to accomplish the work identified by a public awareness campaign, through management support, funding, communication, monitoring and facilitation. http://www.ukuvuka.org.za

Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment of the Organization of American States (USDE/OAS), Washington DC, USA
The Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment is the principal technical arm of the OAS General Secretariat for responding to the needs of member states on issues relating to sustainable development within an economic development context. Technical issues addressed by the USDE include transboundary management of water resources, reduction of vulnerability to natural hazards, public participation in decision-making, climate change, sea-level rise, coastal-zone management, renewable energy planning, and biodiversity. http://www.oas.org/usde/USDE.htm

United Nations Center for Regional Development/Disaster Management Planning Hyogo Office (UNCRD/DMPHO), Japan
UNCRD/DMPHO was established in Kobe in 1999 after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995. While applying the lessons learned from the experience of the earthquake of 1995, the Hyogo office has formulated integrated projects for sustainable development through disaster management. The office has three basic research programmes; design of community-based projects for disaster management planning, school earthquake safety project, and disaster management capacity building programmes to introduce best practices case studies on disaster management in developing countries. http://www.hyogo.uncrd.or.jp

United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington DC, USA
USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. The agency works to support long-term and equitable economic growth and advancing US foreign policy objectives by supporting economic growth, agricultural and trade, global health, democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance. http://www.usaid.gov

United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Washington DC, USA
FEMA is an independent agency of the federal government, reporting to the President. Its mission is to reduce loss of life and property and to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure from all types of hazards through a comprehensive, risk-based, emergency management program of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. http://www.fema.gov

United States Geological Survey (USGS), Reston, USA
The USGS provides reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy and mineral resources and enhance and protect the quality of life. http://www.usgs.gov

United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)
USTDA advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. http://www.tda.gov

Urban Geoscience Division of Geoscience Australia
Geoscience Australia is the national agency for geoscience research and geospatial information. It is located within the Industry, Tourism and Resources portfolio. As part of its extensive work on urban centres, Geoscience Australia watches and assesses earth-surface processes that pose a risk to Australia. It gathers data and develops tools that governments and other authorities may use to make the nation as safe as possible from natural and human-induced hazards. http://www.ga.gov.au

Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) The Alaska Aviation Weather Unit performs two roles as part of its mission to provide timely, accurate forecasts and warnings to the aviation community: Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC), Meteorological Watch Office (MWO). The goal of the international volcanic ash program is to provide worldwide warnings and advisories to aviation interests regarding volcanic ash hazards. Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers are responsible for providing ash movement and dispersion guidance to Meteorological Watch Offices and neighboring VAACs. There are nine VAACs world-wide. Each one is named for the city in which it is located. Warning responsability is passed from office to office as the ash cloud crosses the borders of the VAAC areas. http://aawu.arh.noaa.gov/vaac.php Warton School, Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, University of Pennsylvania, USA The mission of the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center is to carry out a program of basic and applied research to promote effective policies and programs for low-probability events with potentially catastrophic consequences. The Center is especially concerned with natural and technological hazards and with the integration of industrial risk management policies with insurance. The Center is also concerned with promoting a dialogue among industry, government, interest groups and academics through its research and policy publications and through sponsored workshops, roundtables and forums. http://grace.wharton.upenn.edu/risk West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Union Economique et Monetaire de l’ouest Africaine (UEMOA) Formerly known as the West African Monetary Union (WAMU/UMOA), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) was founded on 10 January 1994 in response to the devaluation of the common currency, the CFA Franc, on 11 January 1994. The Treaty establishing UEMOA (the Dakar Treaty of 10 January 1994) theoretically came into effect on 1 August 1994 after ratification by the seven member countries, thereby also replacing the since then dissolved West African Economic Union (WAEU/CEAO). http://www.dfa.gov.za/for-relations/multilateral/waemu.htm Wetlands International Wetlands International is a leading global non-profit organization dedicated solely to the crucial work of wetland conservation and sustainable management. Well-established networks of experts and close partnerships with key organizations provide Wetlands International with the essential tools for conducting conservation activities worldwide. Activities are based on sound science and have been carried out in over 120 countries. Its mission is to sustain and restore wetlands, their resources and biodiversity for future generations through research, information exchange and conservation activities worldwide. http://www.wetlands.org World Consevation Union (IUCN), Switzerland IUCN’s mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. http://www.iucn.org World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) WOVO was established as the result of a meeting of representatives from worldwide volcano observatories, held in Guadeloupe in 1981. WOVO became the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior Commission in the following year. http://www.wovo.org World Trade Organization (WTO) WTO is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business. http://www.wto.org World Vision World Vision is an international Christian relief and development organisation working to promote the well being of all people - especially children. In 2002, World Vision offered material, emotional, social and spiritual support to 85 million people in 96 countries. http://www.wvi.org/home.shtml World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Since it was founded in 1961, WWF has become one of the world’s largest and most effective independent organizations dedicated to the conservation of nature. http://www.panda.org Zambesi River Authority (ZRA) ZRA was established through an agreement between Zambia and Zimbabwe. ZRA now has the responsibility for operation and maintenance of the Kariba Dam, while two power plants are operated by power companies Zambia and Zimbabwe. Zentrum für Naturrisiken und Entwicklung (ZENEB), Germany (Center for Natural Hazards and Development) The objective of ZENEB is the creation of a culture of prevention for the advancement of sustainable development. Accordingly, initiatives in the reduction of vulnerability of natural hazards are being made in cooperation with issues of science and policy. http://www.giub.uni-bonn.de/zeneb

African Centre for Disaster Studies (ACDS), Potchefstroom University, South Africa The ACDS was established in January 2002 at the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education within the School for Social and Government Studies. The explicit aim of the ACDS is to address the need for world-class training, education and research in disaster related activities within Southern Africa and the wider African context. http://acds.co.za  Associación para la investigación del desarrollo sostenible de las Segovias(ADESO), Nicaragua ADESO is a scientific non profit association. Together with the local actors it identifies the problematic of the development of the region "Las Segovias". http://www.adeso.org.ni African Center of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD), Niamey, Niger ACMAD is the focal point in fostering regional cooperation among the 53 African states with the rest of the world in climate and environmental concerns with regard to sustainable social and economic development. ACMAD coordinates the activities of the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services of these countries. http://www.acmad.ne/uk African Development Bank (AFDB) The African Development Bank's Group Vision adopted by its Boards of Governors in 1999 was the product of extensive consultations with all stakeholders. In order to operationalize this Vision, the Boards of Directors approved a new organizational structure that became effective 1st January 2002 and have recently approved the Bank's First Strategic Plan for the Period 2003-2007. http://www.afdb.org African Union (AU) The African Union is the successor to the Organization of African Unity, launched in Durban, South Africa in July, 2002. http://www.africa-union.org Agence européenne pour le developpement et la santé (AEDES) The European Agency for the Development and Health focuses on public health policies, food security and social programmes such as gender policy. http://www.aedes.be Agency for Monitoring and Forecasting of Emergency Situations in Moscow, Russia Ministry of Emergency Situation Agency of monitoring and forecast of Emergency Situations in Russian Federation was created on March 27, 1997. Creation purpose is association of scientific, technical and information possibilities of establishments and organizations, Russian executive authority organs, Russian Academy of Sciences and other organizations for development and perfecting of a state system of monitoring and forecasting of extreme situations, realization of the risk decrease strategy and reducing of natural disasters, failures and catastrophes consequences, coordination in this area. http://www.ampe.ru/english/index.shtml Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan AIST is an independent administrative institution administered by the ministry of economy, trade and industry. In April, 2001, the new AIST began operations. It comprises 15 research institutes previously under the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology in the Ministry of International Trade and the Weights and Measures Training Institute. AIST is Japan’s largest public research organization. http://www.aist.go.jp/index_en.html Agricultural Research Council (ARC), South Africa ARC's Vision is "To be an internationally recognized centre of excellence in agricultural science and innovation"; To promote the agricultural and related sectors through research, technology development and transfer in order to enhance the natural resource base and environment, sustain a competitive agricultural economy, provide new economic opportunities, ensure high quality and safe food, support an informed society and encourage the national growth and development of South Africa". http://www.arc.agric.za Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) AOSIS is a coalition of small and low-lying coastal countries that share similar development challenges and concerns about the environment, especially their vulnerability to the adverse effects of global climate change. It functions primarily as an ad hoc lobby and negotiating voice for small island developing states (SIDS) within the United Nations system. AOSIS has a membership of 43 states and territories, drawn from all oceans and regions of the world. Thirty-seven are members of the United Nations. Together, SIDS constitute some 5 per cent of the global population. Member states of AOSIS work together primarily through their New York diplomatic missions to the United Nations. http://www.sidsnet.org/aosis American Jewish World Services (AJWS) AJWS is an independent not-for-profit organization founded in 1985 to help alleviate poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the world regardless of race, religion or nationality. http://www.ajws.org American National Geographic Society On the evening of January 13, 1888, thirty-three men traveled on foot, horseback, and inhorsedrawn carriages through the streets of Washington to the Cosmos Club, then on Lafayette Square across from the White House. They discussed “the advisability of organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge.” The entity they were about to create would become the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institution in the world. http://www.nationalgeographic.com Atelier Parisien d'Urbanisme (APUR) APUR was created by the Council of Paris in 1967. Its mission is to follow urban evolutions, participate at the elaboration of definitions of urban and land use planning policies and at the preparation of projects for Paris and the region of Ile de France.It observes and analyses demographic, economic and social data of the French Capital and other big cities in order to engage and elaborate action plans proposals, and prepare urban studies. http://www.apur.org ASEAN Experts Group on Disaster Management (AEGDM) ASEAN cooperation on natural and man-made disasters is coordinated by AEGDM which was established in 1976 and meets regularly to discuss and share experiences of the region’s disaster management and mitigation activities. http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th/pdr-sea/newsletter/issue3/pdr-update.html ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) ARF is a regional platform consisting of ASEAN countries and dialogue partners for confidence building and dialogue on regional security concerns. It was established in 1994. It draws together 23 countries which have an impact on or are involved in the security of the Asia Pacific region. It comprises the 10 ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam); the 10 ASEAN dialogue partners (Australia, Canada, China, EU, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the USA); the one ASEAN observer (Papua New Guinea); as well as the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea and Mongolia. http://www.dfat.gov.au/arf/arfintro.html Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila, Philippines ADB is a multilateral development finance institution dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific. http://www.adb.org Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Bangkok, Thailand ADPC is a regional resource center established in 1986 dedicated to disaster reduction for safer communities and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific. It is recognized as an important focal point for promoting disaster awareness and developing capabilities to foster institutionalized disaster management and mitigation policies. http://www.adpc.net Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC), Kobe, Japan ADRC was established in July 1998 to promote multilateral cooperation for disaster reduction and to network the various players in the region. It has held annual meetings to network the focal points in governments of its member countries. Its activities focus on information sharing, capacity building and cooperation. It has developed several successful capacity building programmes with its member countries. http://www.adrc.or.jp Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand AIT is an international graduate institution of higher learning with a mission to develop highly qualified and committed professionals who will play a leading role in the sustainable development of the region and its integration into the global economy. http://www.ait.ac.th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Singapore Its goal is to advance economic dynamism and sense of community within the Asia-Pacific region. APEC has established itself as the primary regional vehicle for promoting open trade and practical economic and technical cooperation. http://www.apecsec.org.sg Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago The convention establishing the ACS was signed on 24 July 1994 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, with the aim of promoting consultation, cooperation and concerted action among all the countries of the Caribbean, comprising 25 member states and three associate members. Eight other non-independent Caribbean states are eligible for associate membership. Its current focus is on cooperation in trade, transport, sustainable tourism and natural disasters. http://www.acs-aec.org Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Bangkok, Thailand The ASEAN Declaration states that the aims and purposes of the association are to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of South-East Asian nations. It further aims to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter. http://www.aseansec.org Auckland Local Authority Hazard Liaison Group, New Zealand It was established by the Auckland Regional Council to enhance communication between local authorities in hazard management issues and to facilitate intra-council communication. The group was set up to recognize the link between hazard mitigation and land use planning, and the need to develop tools in areas to successfully manage risk, and to improve communication between those working in the area of sustainable development and environment management. http://www.ema.gov.au/5virtuallibrary/pdfs/vol16no4/pardy.pdf Australian Emergency Management Institute (AEMI), Victoria, Australia (See also: EMA) AEMI was an arm of Emergency Management Australia (EMA), which is the federal agency responsible for reducing the impact of disasters on the Australian community. AEMI is a registered training organization, annually conducting a range of Commonwealth-funded activities designed to improve Australia’s capacity to cope with disasters. http://www.emergency.nsw.gov.au/AEMI.htm Geoscience Australia (GA) Geoscience Australia is the national agency for geoscience research and information. It contributes to enhance economic, social and environmental benefits to the community – by providing input for decisions that impact upon resource use, management of the environment, and the safety and well-being of Australians. Its major planned outcomes are: enhanced global attractiveness of Australia’s offshore and onshore exploration, improved resource management and environmental protection, safer communities and transportation. http://www.ga.gov.au Bangladesh Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF) The Ministry of Environment and Forest takes care of the management aspect of biotechnology activities. The following institutions are under Ministry of Environment & Forest (MOEF) :1. Bangladesh Forest Research Institute 2. Department of Environment 3. Forest Department. http://www.rbp-iucn.lk/biosafety/ Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, Indonesia In 1959, the present lnstitut Teknologi Bandung was founded by the Indonesian government as an institution of higher learning of science, technology, and fine arts, with a mission of education, research, and service to the community. http://www.itb.ac.id Building and Housing Research Centre (BHRC), Iran BHRC is affiliated to the Ministry of Housing & Urban Development. It is a national center for research and assessment of products and systems in the building and housing fields in Iran. Its principal objectives are study, coordination, centralization, and performance of research projects on building and housing systems, materials and constructional technologies, and the effects of climatic and environmental conditions. http://www.bhrc.gov.ir Bureau de recherches géologiques et minière (BRGM), France Established in 1959, its activities on risks cover seismic risk, landslides, drought, volcanic risk. It also deals with pollution. http://www.brgm.fr Benfield Greig Hazard Research Centre (BGHRC), London, UK The BGHRC is an academic research centre based at London’s University College which comprises three groups: Geological Hazards, Meteorological and Space Hazards, and Disaster Management. The BGHRC provides a conduit for the transfer of cutting-edge natural hazard and risk research, practice, and innovation from the academic environment to the business world and government and international agencies. http://www.bghrc.com Bureau de la protection des infrastructures essentielles et de la protection civile (BPIEPC)/Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP), Canada Its mission is to enhance the safety and security of Canadians in their physical and cyber environment. http://www.ocipep-bpiepc.gc.ca/index.html Business and Industry Council for Emergency Planning and Preparedness (BICEPP) In 1983, the Mayor of Los Angeles and a group of business leaders met to discuss disaster preparedness. This group subsequently became a steering committee and formed the Business and Industry Council for Emergency Planning and Preparedness (BICEPP). It was established as a private sector, self- help association funded by annual sponsorship donations. BICEPP later evolved into a non-profit corporation, lead by an Executive Committee and a Board of Directors. Its goal is to provide a forum for information exchange, to enhance emergency preparedness and contingency planning within the business community. http://www.bicepp.org Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) CIDA supports sustainable development activities in order to reduce poverty and to contribute to a more secure, equitable and prosperous world. http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/index.htm CARE International CARE is an independent humanitarian organisation working to end world poverty. CARE International's mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world. Drawing strength from our global diversity, resources and experience, we promote innovative solutions and are advocates for global responsibility. http://www.careinternational.org.uk Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Its mission is “to provide dynamic leadership and service, in partnership with Community institutions and Groups, toward the attainment of a viable, internationally competitive and sustainable Community, with improved quality of life for all.” http://www.caricom.org National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) (formerly the Natural Resources Conservation Authority, NRCA), Jamaica NEPA is a new Executive Agency that became operational on April 1, 2001. It is an agency of the Ministry of Land and the Environment. NEPA represents a merger between the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA), the Town Planning Department (TPD) and the Land Development and Utilization Commission (LDUC). The Agency results from the work of the Government of Jamaica Public Sector Modernization Programme (PSMP). The aim of the merger is to integrate environmental, planning and sustainable development policies and programmes and to improve customer service. Its mission is to promote Sustainable Development by ensuring protection of the environment and orderly development in Jamaica through highly motivated staff performing at the highest standard. http://www.nrca.org Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), St. Michael, Barbados CDB intends to be the leading Caribbean development finance institution, working in an efficient, responsive and collaborative manner with its borrowing members, leading towards the systematic reduction of poverty in member countries, through social and economic development. http://www.caribank.org Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA), St. Michael, Barbados CDERA is an intergovernmental, regional disaster management organization with 16 participating states, headquartered in Barbados. CDERA’s main function is to launch an immediate and coordinated response to any disastrous event affecting any participating state, once the state requests such assistance. http://www.cdra.org CARITAS India Caritas India is an official organization of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India. (C.B.C.I.). It began work in 1962 with the headquarters in the C.B.C.I. Centre, New Delhi.The activities of the Caritas can be broadly divided into the following areas: Emergency Aid - Relief and Rehabilitation, Animation and Development, Campaign against Hunger and Disease. http://www.cbcisite.com/caritas.html Catholic Relief Services (CRS) CRS was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and disadvantaged outside the country. CRS provides direct aid to the poor, and involves people in their own development, helping them to realize their potential. http://www.catholicrelief.org Center for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad, India The Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) is sponsored by the Ahmedabad Education Society (AES). The CEPT is a voluntary non-profit organisation established in 1935, devoted to the cause of education at all levels in several branches of learning. It is now a registered society and a public trust. CEPT offers full time undergraduate programmes of five year duration in Architecture, Construction Technology and Interior Design supported by State Government and post graduate programmes of one and a half year duration in Urban and Regional Planning, Housing, Environmental Planning, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture funded by All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and Construction and Project Management and Structural Design which are self financing. The ultimate aim of education is to make students aware of the multidimensional issues of contemporary society and to meet the challenges arising out of resolving these issues. It deals with accumulated knowledge helping students to translate these into actions, appropriate to their own time. In process, it is dynamic analysis of culture, values, knowledge and methodology. http://www.alumni.net/aboutus.asp http://www.gisdevelopment.net/education/inst/cept.htm Centre for Disaster Management (CENDIM), Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey CENDIM was established in January 2001 as an interdisciplinary research center for disaster management. The center is in strategic partnership with many national and international organizations to develop disaster, engineering and risk management plans and to facilitate information sharing with governmental, non-governmental and community based organizations. CENDIM also aims to deploy the synergy of multi-disciplinary collaboration by national and international organizations. http://www.cendim.boun.edu.tr Center for Security Studies, ETH Zurich, Switzerland The Center for Security Studies specializes in the field of national and international security studies. Activities include research, teaching, and information services. The center has developed and maintains two electronic information services - the International Relations and Security Network (ISN) and the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA). http://www.fsk.ethz.ch/about Center for Research and Transfer of Appropriate Technology (CITTA), University of Buenos Aires, Argentina The Center has taken a leading role in the development of architectural and urban planning techniques for the reduction of disaster risk. Recent work in conjunction with the World Bank has focused on the reduction of consequences of urban flooding in Argentina. Central American and Panamanian Institute for Nutrition (INCAP) INCAP is specialized in food security and nutrition. http://www.incap.org.gt Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), Honduras CABEI, as a development bank and the financial arm of integration, has as its mission to promote progress and integration in the Isthmus, to foment economic growth with equity and to respect the environment, by means of supporting public and private projects and programs that create productive employment and contribute to improve productivity and competitiveness, as well as to increase the human development indices of the region. Headquartered in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, CABEI was founded on December 13, 1960, by the Republics of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica to promote regional integration and development. The bank’s membership has since grown to include the extra-regional members of Mexico, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Argentina and, most recently, Colombia. http://www.bcie.org Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), India The Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, India, has been vested with the responsibility of generating, cultivating and promoting building science and technology in the service of the country. Since it's inception in 1947, the Institute has been assisting the building construction and building material industries in finding timely, appropriate and economical solutions to the problems of materials, rural and urban housing, energy conservation, efficiency, fire hazards, structural and foundation problems and disaster mitigation. http://www.cbri.org Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control (CCFSC), Viet Nam The CCFS Control is responsible for emergency responses to disastrous events in Viet Nam. Central Cyclone Committee, Mauritius The Government convenes a planning session of relevant ministries, departments and services, which comprises the Central Cyclone Committee. Local cyclone committees also meet annually. Centre d'Etude des Risques Géologiques (CERG-UNIGE), University of Geneva The goal of the CERG is to form experts who can advise the public and private sectors to take preventive measures which can reduce the impact of natural disasters. It is usually taught at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, with field studies in Switzerland and in neighbouring countries such as France and Italy. http://www.unige.ch/hazards Centre International de Formation des Acteurs locaux (CIFAL), France (International Training Centre for Local Actors) The objectives of the center are: to contribute to crisis management by UN agencies; to focus on the role of local community for emergency humanitarian response and aids for reconstruction and to establish partnership with UN agencies and other international actors. http://www.unitar.org/cifal Center for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), United Kingdom The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’s site at Wallingford is home to the hydrology research centre for the United Kingdom (the former Institute of Hydrology), as well as the British Geological Survey’s hydrogeology research group, the publishing office of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS Press) and a section of the Natural Environmental Research Council’s (NERC) central IT Solutions and Services Group. http://www.ceh.ac.uk http://www.nercwallingford.ac.uk Center for Integration of Natural Disaster Information (CINDI), United States Geological Survey CINDI is a research and operational facility that explores methods for collecting, integrating, and communicating information about the risks posed by natural hazards and the effects of natural disasters. http://mac.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/factsheets/fs00301.html Center of Scientific Investigation and Higher Education (CICESE), Ensenada, Mexico CICESE is dedicated to conducting scientific research in basic and applied science, as well as developing new technologies and highly skilled human resources in three major disciplines: Earth Sciences, Oceanography and Applied Physics. http://www.cicese.mx/cicese/ingles.html Center on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), Dhaka, Bangladesh CIRDAP is a regional, intergovernmental and autonomous institution established in July 1979 by the countries of Asia and the Pacific region. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, which had the support of several other UN bodies and donor countries and agencies such as Japan, and the Swedish International Development Agency took the initiative for its creation. The member countries of CIRDAP are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. http://www.cirdap.org.sg Centre for Disaster Studies, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia The Centre is a multi disciplinary research unit presently housed in the School of Tropical Environment Studies and Geography of James Cook University. The Centre has acted as the university's face to the public and the professionals in the Emergency Management and Meteorology fields, city councils and other researchers since its establishment in 1979. This has coincided with a trend in that direction at State, National and International levels, although research expenditure remains dominated by mainstream science. While this will probably continue to be the case on account of the much heavier equipment costs associated with meteorological, climatological, geological and geomorphological research, all of these scientists are increasingly expected to relate their findings to human and community impacts. http://www.tesag.jcu.edu.au/cds/cdsweb.htm Centre for Hazard and Risk - Risk Frontiers (formely the Natural Hazards Research Centre-NHRC, Macquairie University, Sydney, Australia Its mission is to create strategic risk management and training solutions for insurance companies and their clients through world leading research into natural perils and their consequences. http://www.es.mq.edu.au/NHRC Centro International de Investigación sobre el Fenómeno El Niño (CIIFEN) CIIFEN has been established as a centre drawing together information on ENSO and its impacts, collaborating with regional and national partners in climate data processing, applications and prediction. http://www.ciifen-int.org/ Centre européen de prévention des risques (CEPR), France The CEPR is a center on applied sciences in the field of prevention. Its work is founded on the expertise of insurers, researchers, and manufacturers of products and services. http://www.cepr.tm.fr Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), UK The CEH is the leading body in the UK for research, survey, and monitoring in terrestrial and freshwater environments. http://www.ceh.ac.uk Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering (CESE), Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), Bombay, India CESE has a dedicated group of ten faculty members with multi-disciplinary background and interests together with faculty co-opted from allied disciplines to lead the activities of the centre. The Centre offers M.Tech. and Ph.D. programmes, which are interdisciplinary in nature and consists of course work followed by a research project. The centre is offering wide professional expertise and is actively pursuing several sponsored research, consultancy and technical services and has established strong links with leading industries, institutions and national/international agencies. CESE has been very active in man-power development by organizing tailor-made workshops and training programmes. During 1999-2000 the centre offered two training programmes on hazardous waste and biomedical waste management for representatives from various industries and central and state pollution control boards. The centre plans to consolidate the on-going programmes in the emerging fields of Environmental biotechnology, clean technology, environmental impact assessment, novel technologies for industrial/hazardous waste management besides addressing issues of global concern like ozone depletion. http://www.cese.iitb.ac.in Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium Although the main focus of the Centre is on safeguards, public health and the sanitary aspects of disasters, CRED also studies the socio-economic and long-term effects of these large-scale disasters. Increasingly, preparedness, principally at the level of human resource development as well as problems linked to the management of crises, have gained a higher profile within CRED’s activities. It maintains the OFDA/CRED international disaster database EM-DAT. http://www.cred.be Centre of Competence on Natural Disaster Reduction (CENAT) The competence centre for natural hazards was founded by the ETH-Council in 1995.The main aim of this competence centre is to effect interdisciplinary research on the causes of natural hazards, the processes involved, their effects on people and objects, and on appropriate means of protection. The competence centre serves to identify the existing potential of specialists and know-how within the ETH group in the field of natural hazards, and constitutes a contact point for public and private institutions as well as national and international organisations. http://www.cenat.ch/cenat.html Centre of Studies in Resources Engineering (CSRE), at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay CSRE is one of the Centres at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Since its inception in 1976, the Centre has been actively involved in developing remote sensing technology and its application to natural resources management and Environmental monitoring. The Centre has also done pioneering work in the area of Low Cost Geographical Information System (GIS) development in the country. http://www.csre.iitb.ac.in Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia & Pacific (CIRDAP) CIRDAP is a regional, intergovernmental and autonomous institution established in July 1979 by the countries of Asia and the Pacific region. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, which had the support of several other UN bodies and donor countries and agencies such as Japan, and the Swedish International Development Agency took the initiative for its creation.The member countries of CIRDAP are Afghanistan, Bangladesh (host-state), India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan , Philippines, Sri Lanka , Thailand, and Vietnam. http://www.cirdap.org.sg Centre Régional AGRHYMET, Niamey, Niger Created in 1974, AGRHYMET is a specialized hydrometeorological institute of the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel. http://www.agrhymet.ne/AGRHYMET Centro de Coordinacion para la Prevención de Desastres Naturales en América Central (CEPREDENAC), Republic of Panama (Coordinating Centre for the Prevention of Natural Disasters in Central America) CEPREDENAC was established in 1988 as a coordination center for strengthening the capacity of the region as a whole to reduce the vulnerability of the population to the effects of natural disasters. In May 1995, CEPREDENAC became an official organization set up to foster the Central American Integration System (SICA) with the Governments of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama as members. http://www.cepredenac.org Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres (CENAPRED), Mexico (National Center for Disaster Prevention) The National Centre for Disaster Prevention was created by an Agreement of Cooperation between the governments of Mexico and Japan for the use and transfer of technology for the prevention of disasters. http://www.cenapred.unam.mx Centro Regional de Informacion de Desastres (CRID), San José, Costa Rica (Regional Disaster Information Centre) CRID is an initiative sponsored by six organizations that decided to join efforts to ensure the compilation and dissemination of disaster-related information in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its mission is to promote the development of a prevention culture in the Latin American and Caribbean countries, through the compilation and dissemination of disaster-related information, and the promotion of co-operative efforts to improve risk management in the region. http://www.crid.or.cr Center for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) Atlanta, USA CDC is recognized as the lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people – at home and abroad, providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships. CDC serves as the national focus for developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and education activities. http://www.cdc.gov Center for Hazards and Risk Research, Lamont-Dohert and Earth Obsevatory of Columbia University, New York, USA The mission of the Center is to advance the predictive science of natural and environmental hazards and the integration of science with hazard risk assessment and risk management. http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/pi/CHRR China Association for Science and Technology The China Association of Science and Technology served three major purposes. First, it brought individual scientists and administrators together with their professional peers from other work units at conferences, lectures, and joint projects, and it promoted communication across administrative boundaries. Second, it had a major role in the popularization of science and dissemination of scientific knowledge to the general public. Third, it played a major role in China's international scientific exchanges and hosted delegations of foreign scientists, sponsored international scientific conferences in China, participated in many joint research projects with foreign associations and scientific bodies, and represented China in many international science societies. http://www.1upinfo.com/country-guide-study/china/china269.html Civil protection Command, Romania " The civil protection is a part of the national defence and contains the ensemble of measures, and activities aimed to protect the population, assets, cultural values and environment factors, in case of armed conflict or disaster". (Art.1-The Civil Protection Law no. 106 on 25/09/96) http://www.icdo.org/National%20structures/Romania.pdf Coastal Services Centre (CSC), NOAA, USA The NOAA Coastal Services Center is an office within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration devoted to serving the nation's state and local coastal resource management programs. http://www.csc.noaa.gov Comité permanent inter-états de lutte contre la sécheresse dans le Sahel (CILSS), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel) Its mission is to be involved in the research of food security and to combat the effects of drought and desertification for better ecological stability. http://www.cilss.org Comisión Centroamericana de Ambiente y Desarrollo (CCAD), El Salvador (Central American Commission for Environment and Development) It is called to protect and, at the same time, give value to the regional patrimony, which is characterized by its biological diversity and ecosystems. Accordingly, it is also called to be a bridge of collaboration between the countries of the region seeking the adoption of the themes of sustainable development by soliciting the collaboration of all the parties that work in the field of development. It is the regional institution in Central America responsible for the coordination of Corridor activities and other regional environment and development initiatives in Central America. http://ccad.sgsica.org Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias (CNE), Costa Rica (National Risk Prevention and Emergency Response Commission) The National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Management is the entity responsible for the coordination of prevention work on risk and for the mitigation and response to emergency situations (Article 19 of the Legislature). The development of the National Law for Emergencies, on 14 August, 1969, was the foundation for the National Commission. http://www.cne.go.cr Comisión Permanente de Contingencias (COPECO), Honduras (The Permanent Commission for Contingencies) Presently, the Executive Council is organizing the lobbying of a new law which will make the management of contingencies more efficient and which will support the creation of a National System for the prevention, mitigation and management of disasters and emergencies. Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW) The CGMW’s aims are to promote, coordinate and publish synthetic Earth sciences maps, at small scale, of continental and/or oceanic areas of the World. It is a non-profit scientific and pedagogic body governed by French law. http://ccgm.free.fr World Geological Maps Search System: http://www.aist.go.jp/RIODB/gmapi/welcome.html Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) CEOS is an international organization charged with coordinating international civil spaceborne missions designated to observe and study planet Earth. Comprising 41 space agencies and other national and international organizations, CEOS is recognized as the major international forum for the coordination of Earth observation satellite programs and for interaction of these programs with users of satellite data worldwide. http://www.ceos.org Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), United Nations The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space was set up by the United Nations General Assembly in 1959 to review the scope of international cooperation in peaceful uses of outer space, to devise programmes in this field to be undertaken under United Nations auspices, to encourage continued research and the dissemination of information on outer space matters, and to study legal problems arising from the exploration of outer space. http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/COPUOS/copuos.html Community Action Group for Floodwater, Old Community of Rodenkirchen, Germany The community action group for floodwater in the old community of Rodenkirchen is a non-profit association founded in a district of Cologne. This group advocates the interests of more than 4,000 residents in matters of local flood protection. In 2001, the group sailed the boat up the Rhine staging events and conducting discussions in 18 towns and cities together with other community action groups and representatives of local authorities. The overall promotional efforts of the campaign for greater awareness about flood issues is not limitted to Germany alone, as the group's trip also go through parts of France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. http://www.worldwatercouncil.org Concern Worldwide, British Red Cross Its mission is to enable poor people to achieve major improvements in their lifestyles which are sustainable without ongoing support from Concern. To this end it will work with the poor themselves and with local and international partners who share its vision to create just and peaceful societies where the poor can exercise their fundamental rights. http://www.concern.ie/news/dec_africa.htm Consejo Regional de Cooperación Agricola (CORECA) para America Central, Mexico y la Republica Dominicana (Regional Council for Agricultural Cooperation in Central America, Mexico and the Dominican Republic) The development of Regional Council for Agricultural Cooperation (CORECA) began in 1980 when a meeting of the International and Regional Committee on Agronomic Security, under the guidance of Panama and the Dominican Republic, put forward the idea of establishing a political forum at the Ministerial level for the agricultural sector. The Council’s principal objective was to serve as a permanent forum for consultation and cooperation between the various political parties of the regions’ agricultural sectors. Particularly, it would focus on raising the quality of life for farmers, improving the environment, initiating technological development and offering wide-ranging cooperation. The Member States of CORECA include : Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. http://www.sagarpa.gob.mx/Dgai/coreca.htm Consortium of Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering (CUREE), USA CUREE is a non-profit organization, established in 1988, devoted to the advancement of earthquake engineering research, education and implementation. http://www.curee.org Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) The CGIAR was created in 1971. Its mission is to contribute, through its research, to promoting sustainable agriculture for food security in developing countries. Membership of the Group has increased from eighteen to fifty-eight, the number of CGIAR centers has grown to sixteen, and their research interests have been diversified. http://www.cgiar.org Coordinating Committee for Coastal and Offshore Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP), Bangkok, Thailand CCOP is an Intergovernmental Organization focused on regional geo-scientific aspects. It consists of 11 member countries i.e., Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and is supported by 14 cooperating countries and several international organizations. http://www.ccop.or.th Coordinating Council for Disaster Management (CCGC), Mozambique CCGC is the government body responsible for policy decisions relating to disasters. The prime minister chairs the CCGC and his deputy is the minister of foreign affairs. Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) CARE, an NGO, consists of 11 member organizations, working as a global force dedicated to achieving lasting victory over poverty. http://www.care.org Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF), Caracas, Venezuela (Andean Development Corporation) CAF is made up of Latin American and Caribbean shareholders (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago and 22 private banks in the Andean region). It has the mission of backing the sustainable development of its shareholder countries and of integration by raising funds to provide a range of financial services. http://www.comunidadandina.org/ingles/who/caf.htm Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa Constituted as a Science Council by an Act of Parliament, the CSIR operates as a market-oriented contract and consortium research partner to its clients and stakeholders. CSIR focuses on building Africa’s capacity in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) project management. CSIR Water, Environment and Forestry Technology has been involved in the development and presentation of EIA capacity building courses for the past 10 years. http://www.csir.co.za Council of Europe – EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has set up the Open Partial Agreement in 1987. This intergovernmental Agreement is a platform for cooperation in the field of major natural and technological disasters between Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean area and Western Europe concerning knowledge about prevention, risk management, post-crisis analysis and rehabilitation. http://www.coe.int/T/E/Cultural_Co-operation/Disasters County Fire Authority (CFA), Australia The devastation of the 1944 fires emphasised the urgency of better coordination of country fire services. CFA has evolved to become one of the world’s largest volunteer based emergency services. The ties between CFA and state government, local government, industry and brigades are essential to the successful operation of CFA. As a community service organisation, CFA brigades are strongly supported by their local communities and CFA infrastructure in responding to meet Victoria’s fire safety and emergency management needs. http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au Darmouth flood Observatory The Observatory provides current information (updated daily) on flooding. It uses satellite technology to help detect such events as they occur. It also archives the obtained cartographic information about flooded lands into the first global atlas of flood hazard. This on-line and rapidly growing atlas records for posterity 15 years of flood history, world-wide. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~floods/index.html David and Lucile Packard Foundation, USA The Foundation was created in 1964 by David Packard, co-founder of the Hewlett-Packard Company, and Lucile Salter Packard. Together, universities, national institutions, community groups, youth agencies, family planning centers, and hospitals constitute a tradition that complements government efforts to focus on society's needs. http://www.packard.org Department for Earthquake Engineering at the University of Roorkee, State of Uttar Pradesh, India Established in 1960 as School of Research and Training in Earthquake Engineering, the department has been actively engaged in teaching, basic and applied research, and providing consultancy services in the seismic design of almost all major engineering projects in the country, with an aim of mitigating disasters caused by earthquakes. The department has been consulted by a large number of governmental and nongovernmental organizations with regard to earthquake resistant design of such structures. This has also helped the industry in obtaining certification of the seismic withstand capability of equipment and other systems to be installed in seismic areas. A large portion of the software used for analysis and design has been developed in-house. In addition, the department has also undertaken programmes of seismic instrumentation in the country with a view to have better understanding of the ground motion characteristics and seismicity of various regions. The department has rendered technical services to UNESCO on Influence of Natural Disasters on Educational Facilities for the West and South East Asian countries and has prepared a manual on protective measures needed to save educational facilities from the disastrous effects of earthquakes. http://www.rurkiu.ernet.in/acads/depts/earthquake/about/about.shtml Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), Nepal DHM is an organization under the ministry of science and technology. The department with headquarters in Kathmandu has four basin offices: Karnali Basin Office in Surkhet, Narayani Basin Office in Pokhara, Bagmati Basin Office in Kathmandu, and Kosi Basin Office in Dharan. DHM has a mandate from to monitor all the hydrological and meteorological activities in Nepal. The scope of work includes the monitoring of river hydrology, climate, agrometeorology, sediment, air quality, water quality, limnology, snow hydrology, glaciology, and wind and solar energy. General and aviation weather forecasts are the regular services provided by DHM. As a member of the WMO, DHM contributes to the global exchange of meteorological data on a regular basis. DHM actively participates in the programs of relevant international organizations, such as, UNESCO’s International Hydrological Program (IHP) and WMO’s Operational Hydrology Program (OHP). http://www.dhm.gov.np Department of International Development (DFID), UK DFID is a UK government department working to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty. http://www.dfid.gov.uk Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTRS), Australia The Department provides policy advice to the Ministers for the Transport and Regional Services portfolio and delivers a variety of programs on behalf of the Commonwealth Government. It also conduct research, analysis and safety investigations; provide safety information and advice based upon these investigations; and perform regulatory functions. It has a strong policy development role, together with program administration and service delivery responsibilities. It involves key stakeholders, clients and customers in all stages of our work. http://www.dotrs.gov.au Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF), South Africa DWAF is the custodian of South Africa's water and forestry resources. It is primarily responsible for the formulation and implementation of policy governing these two sectors. It also has override responsibility for water services provided by local government. While striving to ensure that all South Africans gain access to clean water and safe sanitation, the water sector also promotes effective and efficient water resources management to ensure sustainable economic and social development.The forestry programme promotes the sustainable management of the country's natural forest resources and commercial forestry for the lasting benefit of the nation. http://www.dwaf.gov.za/default.asp Deutsches Forschungsnetz Naturkatastrophen (DFNK), Germany (German Research Network for Natural Disasters) DFNK is an initiative of German research programmes and institutions. The Network’s goal is to collect, organize and disseminate information from research, knowledge and methodology on the topic of natural disasters taken from technical, environmental and social research sources working in this field. http://dfnk.gfz-potsdam.de Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), Germany (German Agency for Technical Cooperation) GTZ is a government-owned corporation for international cooperation with worldwide operations. In more than 120 partner countries, GTZ is supporting many development projects and programmes, chiefly under commissions from the German Federal Government. GTZ’s aim is to improve the living conditions and perspectives of people in developing and transition countries. http://www.gtz.de Deutsches Komite für Katastrophenvorsorge e.V. (DKKV) (German Committee for Disaster Reduction) The tasks of the DKKV for disaster reduction are numerous and to a degree very particular: from technical projects researching the effects of disasters on society to political programmes encouraging the growth of disaster reduction initiatives. http://www.dkkv.org Disaster Research Center, Ohio State University, USA The Center, was established at Ohio State University in 1963 and moved to the University of Delaware in 1985. The Center conducts field and survey research on group, organizational and community preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural and technological disasters and other community-wide crises. DRC researchers have carried out systematic studies on a broad range of disaster types, including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous chemical incidents, and plane crashes. http://www.udel.edu/DRC Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), Zambia In 1998, the government of Zambia established the DMMU as part of the vice president’s office to coordinate disaster related activities. The DMMU is supported by a technical committee, which includes the ministry of agriculture’s office of early warning, the ministry of agriculture, food and fisheries, the central statistical office, and key line ministries such as health, finance and economic development. Disaster Management Bureau (DMB), Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MDMR), Bangladesh MDMR is the principal government body, overseeing the disaster management activities in the country. Disaster Management Bureau and Directorate of Relief and Rehabilitation work directly under the Ministry. Bangladesh has established various disaster management committees at different levels from National Disaster Management Council (NDMC), headed by the Honorable Prime Minister, to the field level committee such as District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC), headed by Deputy Commissioner (DC). Under the supervision of MDMR, there are a number of disaster response units. source : ADPC http://www.bdmb.org Disaster Management Center (DMC), University of Wisconsin, USA The center’s goal is to help improve the emergency management performance of non-governmental organizations, local and national governments, and international organizations, through a comprehensive professional development program in disaster management. Distance learning is the principal approach for this international program. http://dmc.engr.wisc.edu/about/edlinks.html Disaster Management Facility (DMF), World Bank, Washington D.C., USA DMF aims to reduce human suffering and economic losses caused by natural and technological disasters. Making sure that disaster prevention and mitigation are integral parts of development requires action, the DMF takes action by providing technical support to World Bank operations, promoting capacity-building, and establishing partnerships with the international and scientific community working on disaster issues. http://www.worldbank.org/dmf/mission.htm Disaster Management Institute of Southern Africa (DMISA), South Africa DMISA is an organization where everyone involved in disaster management can relate to others with similar interests, and creates opportunities for the improvement of disaster management in Southern Africa. http://www.cmc.gov.za/pht/DMISA.htm Disaster Management Technical Council (CTGC), Mozambique The CTGC provides technical back-up to the National Disaster Management Institute (INGC), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Disaster Management Unit, (DMU), Standing Office of the Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control (CCFSC), Vietnam The Vietnam Disaster Management Unit (DMU) is the mechanism chosen by the Government of Vietnam and UNDP to join together over 1000 years of Vietnamese flood protection culture with twenty-first century western technology to better protect the entire population of Vietnam against the annual natural disasters that ravage the country. http://www.undp.org.vn/dmu/index.html Disaster Mitigation Facility (DMF) for the Caribbean, CBD, USAID/OFDA On February 20, 2002, the Caribbean Development Bank launched its Disaster Mitigation Facility for the Caribbean (DMFC) at the Sherbourne Conference Centre in Barbados. The Facility was established based on a limited scope grant agreement between CDB and USAID, and has two objectives: to assist CDB’s borrowing member countries (BMCs) with the adoption and institutionalization of successful disaster mitigation plans and policies; and to strengthen CDB’s institutional capacity to effectively implement its revised disaster management strategy, focusing on mitigation, and to integrate the revised strategy into all CDB’s policies, projects and programmes. http://www.caribank.org/downloads/dmfcpage.pdf Disaster Mitigation Institute (DMI), India DMI, India is a community based action research, action planning and action advocacy non-governmental organisation. It works towards bridging the gap between policy, practice, and research related to disaster mitigation, in an effort to link the community to the (inter)national level humanitarian scenario. http://www.southasiadisasters.net Disaster Recovery Business Alliance (DRBA) DRBA is an organization, a process and a product that is designed to provide an improvement in a community’s ability to deal with disaster recovery by the formation of an effective alliance between the private and public sectors of a community. It offers a tested model to assist local leaders in forming and facilitating a lifeline-based planning organization to serve a local community. It was established and funded by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and co-founded by the Department of Energy, and the Association of Contingency Planners (ACP). DRBA has formed partnerships with many public and private sector organizations such as the Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC), National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) and many others. http://www.acp-international.com/drba Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware, USA DRC is a social science research center devoted to the study of disasters. It was established at Ohio State University in 1963 and moved to the University of Delaware in 1985. The center conducts field and survey research on group, organizational and community preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural and technological disasters and other community-wide crises. DRC researchers have carried out systematic studies on a broad range of disaster types, including hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hazardous chemical incidents, plane crashes. http://www.udel.edu/DRC/nodhtml.html Discipleship Centre, Hind Swaraj Mandal The Discipleship Centre is a Non-Governmental Organization involved in Gujarat Earthquake Relief and Rehabilitation efforts. Drought Monitoring Centre (DMC), Harare, Zimbabwe and Nairobi, Kenya The Drought Monitoring Centres for Eastern and Southern Africa are charged with the responsibility of monitoring of drought and other climatic conditions in a timely manner with respect to intensity, geographical extent, duration and impact upon agricultural production and to give early warning for the formulation of appropriate strategies to combat any anticipated adverse effects. http://www.meteo.go.ke/dmc/contact.html Earthquake Disaster Mitigation Research Center (EDM), Miki, Japan The main purpose of the EDM is to produce “frontier research on earthquake disaster mitigation for urban regions.” The major research activities are performed by three research teams: the disaster process simulation team, the disaster information system team and the structural performance team. http://www.edm.bosai.go.jp Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), Oakland, USA The objective of EERI is to reduce earthquake risk by advancing the science and practice of earthquake engineering, by improving understanding of the impact of earthquakes on the physical, social, economic, political and cultural environment, and by advocating comprehensive and realistic measures for reducing the harmful effects of earthquakes. http://www.eeri.org Earthquake Hazard Centre (EHC), Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand The Earthquake Hazard Centre (EHC) is an information network and dissemination centre for earthquake-resistant construction in Developing Countries. The EHC seeks to share basic earthquake engineering knowledge, common place in many countries, with those working in construction-related fields in developing countries. The EHC aims to provide information which is relevant and appropriate to the limited resources available in the communities where this information is most needed. The EHC is a non-profit organisation supported by Robinson Seismic Ltd and the New Zealand Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management. It is based at the School of Architecture, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. http://www.ehc.arch.vuw.ac.nz East West Center, Honolulu, Hawai The East-West Center is an internationally recognized education and research organization established by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen understanding and relations between the United States and the countries of the Asia Pacific region. The Center carries out its mission through programs of cooperative study, training and research. Professionals and students from the United States, Asia and the Pacific study and work together at the East-West Center to better understand issues of common and critical concern and explore mutually beneficial ways of addressing them. http://www.eastwestcenter.org/about-ov.asp Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ECOWAS was created in 1975 by the Heads of State and Government of the 16 countries of the region with the goal to achieve economic union. There are several agro-ecological zones within ECOWAS ranging from the north to the south. These are the Sahelian zone, Sudanese zone, Guinean zone and the forest areas. http://www.fao.org/tc/tca/pdf/fact_ECOWAS_en.pdf EMERCOM Russia Ministry of civil defense and emergencies. http://emercom.on.ufanet.ru Emergency Management Australia (EMA) EMA provides national leadership in the development of measures to reduce risk to communities and manage the consequences of disasters. It is the Federal Agency responsible for reducing the impact of natural and man-made disasters on the Australian community. http://www.ema.gov.au Emergency Management Australia Institute (EMAI), Mount Macedon, Australia Emergency Management Australia’s research and training centre at Mount Macedon was renamed the Emergency Management Australia Institute (EMAI) in January, 2002. The change was made to better reflect the institute as an integral part of EMA’s core business and to stress the holistic nature of the organization’s operations across its sites in Canberra and Mount Macedon Victoria. EMAI conducts a program of activities which includes the National Studies Program, education and training activities, resource development to support the curriculum and the provision of information through the Australian Emergency Management Information Centre. EMAI is the education and information arm of Emergency Management Australia (EMA). http://www.ema.gov.au/fs-education.html Emergency Preparedness Canada (EPC) See Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP). http://www.ocipep-bpiepc.gc.ca/home/index_e.html ENDA ENDA is involved in environmental development in the third world. http://www.enda.sn Environment and Society Institute (ESI), State University of New York, Buffalo, USA It offers courses on engineering and applied sciences and hosts the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA), the Center for Urban Studies. The Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER) is an affiliated research center. http://www.buffalo.edu European Commission/Commission Européenne The European Commission embodies and upholds the general interest of the Union. The President and Members of the Commission are appointed by the Member States after they have been approved by the European Parliament.The Commission is the driving force in the Union's institutional system: It has the right to initiate draft legislation and therefore presents legislative proposals to Parliament and the Council. As the Union's executive body, it is responsible for implementing the European legislation (directives, regulations, decisions), budget and programmes adopted by Parliament and the Council. It acts as guardian of the Treaties and, together with the Court of Justice, ensures that Community law is properly applied. It represents the Union on the international stage and negotiates international agreements, chiefly in the field of trade and cooperation. http://europa.eu.int/comm/index_en.htm European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) The European Union’s mandate to ECHO is to provide emergency assistance and relief to the victims of natural disasters or armed conflict outside the European Union. The aid is intended to go directly to those in distress, irrespective of race, religion or political convictions. http://europa.eu.int/comm/echo/en/index_en.htm European Environment Agency (EEA), Copenhagen, Denmark The EEA aims to support sustainable development and to help achieve significant and measurable improvement in Europe’s environment through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policy making agents and the public. http://www.eea.eu.int European Directorate General Joint Research Centre (JRC) The Joint Research Centre (JRC) Directorate-General is an integral part of the European Commission. It provides independent scientific and technical advice to the Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and EU Member States in support of European Union (EU) policies. Its main aim is to help to create a safer, cleaner, healthier and more competitive Europe. Its seven scientific institutes carry out research of direct concern to EU citizens. It provides technical know-how both directly and through coordinating and contributing to numerous broader networks linking industry, universities and national institutes. The JRC is playing an important role in helping establish the European Research Area (ERA). http://www.jrc.org European Laboratory for Structural Assessment – Earthquake Engineering (ELSA), Ispra, Italy The construction of bridges, viaducts, buildings or tunnels, which can withstand earthquakes, involves using particularly sophisticated simulation laboratories. The most prestigious of these is ELSA, which is a technological flagship for the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/success/en/env/0071e.html European Research Area (ERA) On 18, January 2000 the European Commission adopted the platform “Towards a European Research Area” which is meant to contribute to the creation of better overall framework conditions for research in Europe. ERA is regrouping all Community supports for the better coordination of research activities and the convergence of research and innovation policies, at national and EU levels. http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/era/index_en.html European Space Agency (ESA) The European Space Agency is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the people of Europe. ESA has 15 Member States. By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, it can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/index.html European Union (EU) The European Union was set through the process of European integration was launched on 9 May 1950 when France officially proposed to create “the first concrete foundation of a European federation.” Six countries (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) joined from the very beginning. Today, after four waves of accessions (1973: Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom; 1981: Greece; 1986: Spain and Portugal; 1995: Austria, Finland and Sweden). The EU has 15 Member States and is preparing for the accession of other eastern and southern European countries. Its main agencies are: European Parliament, Council of the Union, European Commission, Court of Justice, Court of Auditors, European Central Bank, European Economic and Social Committee, Committee of the Regions, European Investment Bank, European Ombudsman. http://www.europa.eu.int European Centre for Disaster Medicine/ Centre européen pour la Médecine des catastrophes (CEMEC), San Marino It promotes the prevention and mitigation of the effects of natural and technological disasters. http://www.diesis.com/cemec European University Centre for Cultural Heritage/Centre Universitaire Européen pour les Biens Culturels (CUEBC), Ravello, Italy. CUEBC is an experimental laboratory that conducts scientific research and specialist matters. It is part of the European University for Cultural Heritage. http://www.cuebc.amalficoast.it European Natural Disasters Training Centre/Centre Européen de Formation sur les Risques Naturels (AFEM), Ankara, Turkey. AFEM's main goal is to reduce the destructive effects of hazards through research, training and education at all levels, from policy makers to field workers associated with disaster preparedness and response. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/afem50.htm European Centre for Prevention and Forecasting of Earthquakes/Centre Européen pour la Prévention et la Prévision des Tremblements de Terre (ECPFE), Athens, Greece. ECPFE is involved in all aspects of prevention as well as in the development of practical ways of managing earthquakes. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ecpfe50.htm European Centre on Geomorphological Hazards/Centre Européen sur les Risques Geomorphologiques (CERG), Strasbourg, France CERG is concerned with studying the major hazards associated with earthquakes and landslides. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/cerg50.htm Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre/Centre Sismologique Euro-Méditerranéen (CSEM), Bruyères-le-Châtel, France The activity of CSEM members is devoted to the promotion of seismological research. http://www.emsc-csem.org http://www.csem.bruyeres.cea.fr European Centre for Geodynamis and Seismology/Centre Européen de Géodynamique et de Sismologie (ECGS), Walferdange, Luxemburg The Centre acts as a link between scientific research and its application to the prevention and interpretation of hazards. http://www.ecgs.lu European Centre on Training and Information of Local and Regional Authorities and Population on the Field of Natural and Technological Disasters /Centre Européen de Formation des Autorités Locales et Régionales dans le domaine des Catastrophes Naturelles et Technologiques (ECMHT), Baku, Azerbaïjan. It provides training and information of local and regional authorities in the field of major hazards. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ecmht50.htm Euro Mediterranean Centre on Evaluation and Prevention of Seismic Risk/Centre Européen sur l’Evaluation et la Prévention du Risque Sismique (CEPRIS), Rabat, Morocco. It works to develop a unified strategy and common framework for coordinating regional seismo-tectonic zoning and assessment of seismic hazards and risks in the Mediterranean region. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/cepris50.htm European Centre for School Training in Risk Prevention/Centre Européen sur la Formation Scolaire à la Prévention des Risques (CSLT), Sofia, Bulgaria The Centre develops and promotes general and partial educational policies, training concepts and teaching methods in the field of risk prevention training in schools. http://www.bg400.bg/cslt Euro-mediterranean Centre for Research on Arid Zones/Centre Euro-Mediterranééen sur les Zones Arides (CRSTRA), Algiers, Algeria The centre conducts scientific and technical research programmes on arid zones and zones threatened with desertification and drought. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/crstra50.htm European Centre of Technogenic Safety/Centre Européen de Sécurité Technologique (TESEC), Kiev, Ukraine TESEC is a scientific research and educational organization. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/tesec50.htm European Centre for Vulnerability of Industrial and Lifeline Systems/Centre Européen sur la Vulnérabilité des Réseaux et Systèmes Industriels (ECILS), Skopje (Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia) It promotes programmes for theoretical and applied research of urban vulnerability. http://www.iziis.ukim.edu.mk European Centre on Urban Risks/Centre Européen sur les Risques Urbains (CERU), Lisbon, Portugal Its principal functions are to provide a framework for coordinating relief and natural and technological hazard management and for devising a common strategy to combat urban hazards. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ceru50.htm European Centre on Floods/Centre Européen sur les Inondations (AECF), Kishinev, Moldova It concentrates on proposals to prevent the risk of flooding. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/aecf50.htm Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Insular Coastal Dynamics/Centre Européen de la Dynamique Côtière Insulaire (IcoD), Valletta, Malta ICoD’s main brief is to work in three main areas of education, applied research and information activities related to coastal dynamics. http://www.icod.org.mt/IcoD/ICoD main.htm Scientific Centre of Monaco, European Oceanological Observatory/Centre scientifique de Monaco, Observatoire Océanologique Européen (OOE), Monaco It conducts research with the objective of evaluating major ecological risks and restoring degraded habitats. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ooe50.htm European Centre of New Technologies for the Management of Major Natural and Technological Hazards/Centre Européen des Nouvelles Technologies pour la Gestion des Risques Naturels et Technologiques Majeurs (ECNTRM), Moscow, Federation of Russia One of its primary objectives is the use of space technologies for the forecasting, prevention and relief in major natural and technological disasters. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ecntrm50.htm Higher Institute of Emergency Planning/Institut Supérieur de Planification d’Urgence (ISPU), Archennes, Belgium The Institute organizes specific courses concerning problems of emergency planning for officials in public office. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ispu50.htm European Centre for Research into Techniques for Informing Populations in Emergency Situations/Centre Européen de Recherche sur les Techniques d’Information de la Population dans les Situations d’Urgences/Centro Europeo de Investigacion de técnicas de information a la poblacion en Situaciones de Emergencia (CEISE), Madrid, Spain Its work concerns methods of informing the public in ermergency situations. http://www.proteccioncivil.org European Inter-regional Centre for Training Rescue Workers /Centre Européen de Formation Inter-Régionale pour les Sauveteurs (ECTR), Yerevan, Armenia It provides training of rescue workers and related instructors for humanitarian assistance. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ectr50.htm European Centre on Geodynamical Hazards of High Dams/Centre Européen sur les Risques Géodynamiques liés aux Grands Barrages (GHHD), Tbilissi, Georgia The Centre is created to develop multinational, multidisciplinary approaches to the problems of geodynamic hazards, generated by high dams. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/ghhd50.htm European Advisory Evaluation Committee for Earthquake Prediction (EAECEP) While not a Centre but a Committee of the Council of Europe, this institution of 13 specialists was established in 1993 by the Committee of Ministers and works closely with the EUR-OPA Specialized Centres. It is responsible for giving advice on earthquake prediction made by scientists. http://www.europarisks.coe.int/eaecep.htm European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) The Centre is an international organisation supported by 24 European States, based in Reading, west of London, in the United Kingdom. The principal objectives of the Centre are: the development of numerical methods for medium-range weather forecasting; the preparation, on a regular basis, of medium-range weather forecasts for distribution to the meteorological services of the Member States; scientific and technical research directed to the improvement of these forecasts; collection and storage of appropriate meteorological data. In addition, the Centre: makes available a proportion of its computing facilities to its Member States for their research; assists in implementing the programmes of the World Meteorological Organisation; provides advanced training to the scientific staff of the Member States in the field of numerical weather prediction; makes the data in its extensive archives available to outside bodies. http://www.ecmwf.int Experimental Climate Prediction Center (ECPC), USA ECPC is developing an integrated regional climate prediction capability by undertaking basic research to identify coupled land-atmosphere-ocean linkages. ECPC models are being used to make routine experimental forecasts, which are continually evaluated in order to demonstrate their utility to various sectors on temporal scales ranging from seasonal to biennial but also touching upon daily and decadal to centennial time scales. Once ECPC has demonstrated the usefulness of various forecast tools and methodologies, its goal is to transfer these experimental methodologies to NCEP, IRI and various regional application centers. http://ecpc.ucsd.edu Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLASCO) (Latin American Social Science Faculty) The faculty’s creation is based on the recommendation of UNESCO and the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean. Its objective is to promote education, research and technical cooperation in the field of social sciences for the entire region. http://www.flacso.cl Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), US Government The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a part of the US Department of Transportation, headquartered in Washington, D.C., with field offices across the United States. Its mission is to provide leadership, expertise, resources and information in cooperation with partners to enhance the country’s economic vitality, the quality of life, and the environment. The FHWA directly administers a number of highway transportation activities including standards development, research and technology, training, technical assistance, highway access to federally owned lands and Indian lands, and commercial vehicle safety enforcement. Further, FHWA has a significant role, working through partnerships, programs, policies, and allocating resources which facilitate the strategic development and maintenance of State and local transportation systems as effective and efficient elements of the national intermodal transportation system. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, (FIMA), Federal Management Agency (FEMA), USA The Mitigation Division manages the National Flood Insurance Program and oversees FEMA's mitigation programs. It has of a number of programs and activities of which provide citizens Protection, with flood insurance; Prevention, with mitigation measures and Partnerships, with communities throughout the country. The overall mission is to protect lives and prevent the loss of property from natural hazards. http://www.fema.gov/fima Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) FICCI was established in 1927, on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi, to garner support for India’s independence and to further the interests of the Indian business community. Today, after five decades of Indian independence, FICCI is in the vanguard of nation building and is moving ahead to integrate the Indian economy with the global mainstream. http://www.ficci.com Fundación de Edificaciones y Dotaciones Educatives (FEDE), Venezuela The Foundation of Constructions and Educational Endowments "FEDE" is an institution of public administration, dedicated exclusively to solve the problems of the educational physical plant. It was created by means of the Presidential Ordinance N° 1555 dated May 11 of 1976, exercising the guides of the Ministry of Urban Development. http://www.fede.gov.ve Fondo para la Reconstruccion y el Desarrollo Social del Eje Cafetero (FOREC), Armenia, Colombia The Fund for Reconstruction and Social Development in the Coffee Region is a specialized agency with its headquarters in Armenia administered by a legal staff under financial and political autonomy. Its objective is to promote the necessary work on economic, social and ecological reconstruction in the Andean region affected by the earthquake of 25 January, 1999. FOREC’s mission is to manage the public commitment of national institutions and agencies in the reconstruction work with honesty, clarity, will and efficiency in the use of the public resources and technological assistance offered for this work. FOREC received the UN Sasakawa Award for Disaster Reduction in 2000. http://www.forec.gov.co Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) – Development Unit, Harare, Zimbabwe The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is promoting regional Cooperation in economic development. It has adopted a Programme of Action covering cooperation in various sectors, including food security and natural resources management. In order to enhance food security for all in the region, SADC established a Food Security Programme. Its secretariat is formed by the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) Development Unit. http://www.sadc-fanr.org.zw Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA) FINCA has been helping families to create their own solution to poverty since 1984. FINCA provides financial services to the world’s poorest families so they can create their own employment, raise household incomes and improve their standard of living. http://www.villagebanking.org Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work (FSWW) The FSWW established in 1986 by a group of women from different backgrounds, is a non-profit NGO. It aims to build social, economic and community assets for and by grassroots women, and support their leadership throughout Turkey in improving the quality of their lives and of the community. http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw Fundación Nacional para el Desarrollo (FUNDE), El Salvador (National Development Foundation) FUNDE’s mission is to offer critical thinking, analysis and proposals for sustainable development and to engage the different parties and leading institutions of the country with research and assistance in order to better the quality of life and opportunities of the marginalized. http://www.funde.org Fundación para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Communal (CORDES), El Salvador (Development Corporation) Founded in 1988, CORDES is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the management of socio-economic development of the rural communties in El Salvador, where the poverty and destruction from the war have affected human settlements by forcing the people out of their land. http://www.geocities.com/lia_hernandez/Perfil.html Fundación Salvadoreña para la Asistencia Integral (FUSAI), El Salvador (Salvadorian Foundation for Integral Assistance) Its mission is to support the socioeconomic integration of sectors, regions and parties marginalized in society with the benefits of development. http://www.fusai.org GeoHazards International (GHI), California, USA GHI was established in 1993 as a nonprofit organization to reduce death and injury caused by earthquakes in the world’s most vulnerable communities. In particular, GHI makes a community safer by raising awareness of its risk, building local institutions to manage that risk, and strengthening schools to protect and train the community’s future generations. http://www.geohaz.org Geological Survey of Iran (GSI) As an affiliate organization of the Ministry of Industries and Mines of Iran, GSI is basically an applied research center with a high caliber scientists and technical staff, and state of the art laboratory technology. GSI mandate includes geological survey throughout the country and overseeing mineral exploration. Outcomes of the GSI surveys are produced at the scale of 1:1'000'000, 1:250'000, and 1:100'000 or larger on thematic subjects (digital or paper print) and are made available to the public. http://www.gsi.org.ir Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ) GSJ is one of the 15 research institutes of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). http://www.aist.go.jp/GSJ Geophysics Institute of Teheran University The activities of this Institute are concentrated on research, education, and scientific services. The Institute has two research and educational departments. The first department, namely Earth Physics consists of the following research sections: Earthquake Seismology, Gravity, Geomagnetism, Geophysical Explorations, the Earth’s Tide, Rock Physics.The second department, namely Space Physics, consists of the following research sections: Meteorology, Air Pollution, Ozone, Solar Physics, Ionosphere http://www.ut.ac.ir/faculties/geophysics/index.htm General Directorate of Civil Protection, Governorate of Grand Alger, Algeria The General Directorate has carried out significant training activities on disaster prevention and the organization of international forums on disaster prevention. Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), Freiburg, Germany The Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) has been established in 1998 as a contribution of Germany to the IDNDR. In continuation of support of the ISDR the GFMC is serving as a member and representative of civil society in the Inter-Agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction, and as coordinator of the ISDR Wildland Fire Advisory Group and the Global Wildland Fire Network. http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/ Global Monitoring for the Environment and Security (GMES) GMES is a joint initiative of the European Space Agency and the EC. Many programmes (EC, ESA, others) will eventually contribute to GMES. In November 2001 the ESA Ministerial Council approved a new 5-year ESA programme dedicated to GMES, called the Earthwatch GMES Services Element (GSE for short). This is the very first programme dedicated to GMES. GSE will deliver policy-relevant services to end-users, primarily (but not exclusively) from Earth Observation sources. GSE is a key element of GMES, because it will enable end-users to become key players in the move from present generation Earth Observation satellites to future European systems that will deliver vital information on global environment and security. http://earth.esa.int/gmes Gujarat State Disaster Management Authorities (GSDMA), India The Government of Gujarat established the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority in February, 2001 to co-ordinate the comprehensive earthquake recovery program. The GSDMA is registered as a society with a vision to go beyond reconstruction and make Gujarat economically vibrant, agriculturally and industrially competitive with improved standards of living and with a capacity to mitigate and manage future disasters. http://www.gsdma.org Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center, Texas A & M University, Texas, USA The Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center (HRRC) was established at Texas A&M University in 1988. The center engages in research on hazard mitigation, disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The staff of the HRRC is interdisciplinary in nature and includes the expertise of architects, engineers, geographers, psychologists, and sociologists. The HRRC is dedicated to providing access to hazards information for home owners, professionals, business investors, and the academic community. http://hrrc.tamu.edu Health Canada Health Canada is the federal department responsible for helping the people of Canada maintain and improve their health. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca High Powered Committee (HPC) on Disaster Management Plans, government of India HPC has been constituted to review existing arrangements for preparedness and mitigation of natural and man made disasters including industrial, nuclear, biological and chemical disasters; recommend measures for strengthening organizational structures, and recommend a comprehensive model plan for management of these disasters at National, State and District Level. http://www.ndmindia.nic.in/committee/hpcomm.html Hungarian National Directorate General for Disaster Management (HNDGDM), Budapest From January, 2000 an integrated organization, the National Directorate for Disaster Management, Ministry of Interior has been established in Hungary as the central organ of the integral national disaster management. It was established on the basis of the legal predecessors, that is, the Civil Protection and the Fire Service. The system of protection against disasters is divided into three levels: international, national, the level of municipalities. Ibero-American Association of Civil Defense and Civil Protection, Spain The Ibero-American Association for Civil Defense and Protection emerged from a 1-5 July 1996 meeting organized in Santiago, Chile, by the Pro Tempore Secretariat of the Space Conference of the Americas and Chile’s ONEMI. The subject of the meeting was the use of aerospace technology in disaster prevention and mitigation. http://www.proteccioncivil.org Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), USA The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology is a university research consortium dedicated to exploring the Earth's interior through the collection and distribution of seismographic data. IRIS programs contribute to scholarly research, education, earthquake hazard mitigation, and the verification of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Support for IRIS comes from the National Science Foundation, other federal agencies, universities, and private foundations. http://www.iris.washington.edu Indian Association of Social Science Institutions (IASSI) The Association is a collective body of organisations which are involved in teaching, research and related activities in the area of social sciences.Most Indian Universities and research institutions are members of this Association.It was formed primarily for bringing these organisations together in meaningful dialogue's exchange and cooperation so as to crystallize ideas useful for evolving solutions to problems of social concern. All its activities like organisation of seminars and conferences, production of a multi disciplinary journal and publications have been directed to this end. http://iassi.nic.in Indian Famine Commission The wide-spread suffering caused by successive famines in the closing decades of the 19th century led to the setting up of a series of famine commissions. The first commission was appointed in 1878. It made several suggestions on the basis of which the famine codes were promulgated from 1883 onwards.The Second Famine Commission was set up after the drought of 1896-97. It recommended that "Among the measures that may be adopted for giving India direct protection from drought, the first place must unquestionably be assigned to works of irrigation". http://wrmin.nic.in/policy Information Technology Centre for Africa (ITCA) ITCA is an information and communication technology (ICT) focused exhibition and learning centre to demonstrate to African policy makers and planners the value of ICT for African development. http://www.uneca.org/itca Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) The Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) unites the major satellite and surface-based systems for global environmental observations of the atmosphere, oceans and land. http://ioc.unesco.org/igospartners/igoshome.htm Institute for Business Home Safety (IBHS), Boston, USA The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is a nonprofit association sponsored by the insurance industry that engages in communication, education, engineering and research. Its mission is to reduce deaths, injuries, property damage, economic losses and human suffering caused by natural disasters. http://www.ibhs.org Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) ICLR is a research institute established by Canada’s property and casualty insurers to reduce disaster losses. The Institute is internationally recognized for its leadership in multi-disciplinary disaster prevention research. Quality research provides the foundation for better public policy and disaster management. http://www.uwo.ca/wnews/issues/2001/apr26/centre Institute for Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management (ICDRM), George Washington University, USA Established in 1994, ICDRM is an interdisciplinary academic center that provides a unique educational environment in the fields of crisis, disaster, and risk management. The Institute integrates the existing diverse expertise and research related to crisis, disaster, and risk management at the George Washington University and is unique in its interdisciplinary focus and structure. The synergy that results from this interdisciplinary approach produces innovative research, training, and education that enhances crisis and emergency management, risk management, contingency planning, emergency response, disaster recovery, and business continuity, and organizational learning. http://www.gwu.edu/~icdrm Institute for Hazards Mitigation Planning and Research, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Washington, USA The objective of the Institute for Hazards Mitigation Planning and Research is to encourage the incorporation of hazards mitigation principles into disaster preparedness, response and recovery practices through planning programs, community involvement and research to support the creation of more disaster-resistant and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest. http://depts.washington.edu/mitigate http://www.caup.washington.edu Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen, Technological and Economic Risk (IPSC) IPSC is one of seven institutes that constitute the European Commission’s Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (DG-JRC). Situated in Ispra, Northern Italy, IPSC came into being on 1st September 2001 as a result of a fusion between the Institute for Systems, Informatics and Safety (ISIS) and part of the Space Applications Institute (SAI). IPSC provides research-based, systems-oriented support to EU policies so as to protect the citizen against economic and technological risk. IPSC offers a service that meets with the requirements of other Directorates-General (DGs) of the European Commission, thereby providing a direct contribution to European policy processes. IPSC provides high value added scientific and technological support where a European perspective and an independence of commercial and the European Research Area, which offers a new horizon for scientific and technical activity and for a research policy in Europe, IPSC is well-positioned and prepared to offer to its customers a competent scientific and technical base of expertise and an impartiality, which guarantees its independence of national and private interests. http://ipsc.jrc.it Institute of Geography of the Romanian Academy It is the main national institution in Romania that carries out fundamental and applied geographical research. The institute is engaged in research, documentation and professional training, supervising the work of Ph. D. candidates.The members of the Institute participate in a series of national and international interdisciplinary programmes, have membership in several I.G.U. commissions in the International Association of Hydrological Sciences and contribute to the activity of the National Committees for: the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), International Hydrological Programme (UNESCO), the UN International Decade for Natural Disasters Reduction (IDNDR), Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), and are involved in national environmental protection projects, in the complex study of the Danube Delta. http://www.geoinst.ro Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, ETH Zurich The Division of Geotechnics IGT collects some information, which may be of general interest to other researchers and geotechnical engineers. http://www.igt.ethz.ch Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Japan RIKEN carries out high level experimental and research work in a wide range of fields, including physics, chemistry, medical science, biology, and engineering extending from basic research to practical application. http://www.riken.go.jp Institute of Seismology, Kazakhstan The Institute of Seismology is the head organization in the sphere of basic and applied researches regarding the problems of providing seismic safety. It was formed by the Decree of the Government of the Kazakh SSR and Enactment of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR dated from June 16, 1976. During the years of its existence it underwent structural changes to optimize and correspond more sufficiently to the scientific tasks being solved. At present, the organization chart of the Institute includes six scientific-research laboratories conducting basic and applied researches of the main seismological aspects; Seismological Experimental-Methodical Expedition carrying out continuous instrumental observation of seismic regime, geophysical fields, gas and chemical composition of the underground water in the territory of South-Eastern Kazakhstan, and also the Center of Analysis and Prediction. Engineering and Seismometric Service consisting of 15 sites equipped with digital stations of strong motions has been created in the territory of the city of Almaty. The received information is intended to solve problems of seismic microzonation. http://www.seismology.kz/eng/index.shtml Instituto Geofisico, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Ecuador (IG-EPN) The IG monitors and maps hazards of Ecuadorian volcanoes and tectonic faults. After nearly 20 years of quiescence, Tungurahua, Guagua Pichincha, Reventador, and Cayambe volcanoes have been unusually active since 1999. http:/www.epn.edu.ec/geo Instituto Nacional de Gestao de Calamidades (INGC), Mozambique (National Disaster Management Institute) It manages day-to-day matters relating to disasters is the responsibility of the National Disaster Management Institute. This is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Instituto Nicaraguense de Estudios Territoriales (INETER), Managua, Nicaragua, (Nicaraguan Institute for Territorial Studies) INETER is the technical and scientific body of the state that provides its services to the entire population in such areas as basic information as well as projects and studies of the environment which contribute to socio-economic development and the lowering of vulnerability to natural disasters, continuously tracking dangerous natural phenomena. http://www.ineter.gob.ni Insurance Council of Australia The mission of ICA is to influence, ethically, and expertly, the political, social, business and economic environment in order to promote members' role in providing insurance protection and security to the community. http://www.ica.com.au Inter-African Centre for studies on Rural Radio/Centre interafricain d'études en radio rurale (CIERRO), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso CIERRO's main mission is to make at the disposal of the personnel of african radios training capacities initial and continued, in the following fields: programmes for technical kowledge, programmes for mastering national languages for radio animateurs. CIERRO abrites also the Rural and Local Radios Network, an initiative from the Agence intergouvernenentale de la Francophonie. The creation of this network responds to the necessity to make available new information and communication technologies to the rurals through rural radios. It permits exchange of programmes, coproductions by themes, constitution of an african programmes bank, training for its members. http://www.radios-rurales.net/Reseau/index.htm Inter-American Committee for Natural Disaster Reduction (IACNDR) The IACNDR is the main forum of the OAS and the Inter American System for the analysis of policies and strategies aimed at natural disaster reduction in the context of the sustainable development of member states. The OAS General Assembly established the IACNDR based on the need to strengthen the role of the OAS in natural disaster reduction and emergency preparedness. Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), Washington DC, USA The IADB is the oldest and largest regional multilateral development institution. It was established in December 1959 to help accelerate economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean. http://www.iadb.org Inter-departmental Disaster Management Committee, South Africa In April 1999, the Interim Disaster Management Centre was replaced with the Inter-departmental Disaster Management Committee to deal with disasters and other phenomena and to give advice to the Committee. The National Disaster Management Centre came into operation on 1 April 2000. http://www.gov.za/structure/disaster.htm Interdepartmental Mitigation Coordinating Committee (IMCC), Canada The Government of Canada has taken the first steps toward national leadership on mitigation. In January of 2001, a federal interdepartmental committee on mitigation, coordinated by OCIPEP, was established to compile information on roles, responsibilities, programs and activities related to mitigation in order to assess gaps and overlaps, and evaluate opportunities and priorities for federal government action on mitigation. In the future, this federal interdepartmental committee could serve as a standing committee for the review of internal priorities for the Government of Canada. The committee could help ensure that initiatives are consistent with the NDMS guiding principles and criteria (that may be developed in the future) and complement the goals and objectives of other jurisdictions and stakeholders. http://www.ocipep-bpiepc.gc.ca/NDMS/consult_e.asp Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Djibouti (Autorité Intergouvernementale pour le développement) IGAD’s vision is based on determination of the Governments of the Sub-region to pool resources and coordinate development activities in order to tackle the present and future challenges more efficiently, and enable the sub-region to interact and compete in the global economy. http://www.igadregion.org Intergovernmental Committee on Disaster Management, South Africa To strengthen the Government's commitment to developing a national policy and strategy for disaster management, the Cabinet approved the formation of an Interministerial Committee for Disaster Management (IMC) in mid-1997. The IMC is being convened and chaired by the Minister of Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development. In order to move the policy process forward, the IMC formed a task team in August 1997. In February 1998, the Green paper on Disaster Management was launched in Cape Town. This will pave the way for a White Paper during 1998, and subsequently legislation in 1999. http://www.southafrica-newyork.net Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), Paris, France The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO was founded in 1960 on the basis of the recognition that “the oceans, covering some seventy percent of the earth’s surface, exert a profound influence on mankind and even on all forms of life on earth... In order to properly interpret the full value of the oceans to mankind, they must be studied from many points of view. http://ioc.unesco.org Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) In 1988, UNEP and WMO jointly established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as concern over climate change became a political issue. The purpose of the IPCC was to assess the state of knowledge on the various aspects of climate change including science, environmental and socio-economic impacts and response strategies. The IPCC is recognized as the most authoritative scientific and technical voice on climate change, and its assessments had a profound influence on the negotiators of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol. The IPCC continues to provide governments with scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to evaluating the risks and developing a response to global climate change. http://www.ipcc.ch Working Group II of the IPCC assesses the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change, negative and positive consequences of climate change, and options for adapting to it. Inter-ministerial Committee for Disaster Management (IMC), South Africa The IMC provides leadership for the development and implementation of national policy on disaster management. Under the leadership of the IMC, the Department of Constitutional Development published the Green Paper on Disaster Management for South Africa for comment in February 1998. After consultation with key role players and comments from both the private and public sectors around the Green Paper, the White Paper evolved. http://www.polity.org.za International Association of Earthquake Engineering (IAEE), Japan The IAEE aims to promote international cooperation among scientists and engineers in the field of earthquake engineering through interchange of knowledge, ideas, and results of research and practical experience. http://www.iaee.or.jp International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth’s Interior (IASPEI) The purpose of IASPEI is to promote the study of problems relating to earthquakes, to the propagation of seismic waves, and to the internal structure, properties and processes of the earth; to initiate and coordinate the conduct of researches which depend on cooperation between different countries, and to provide for their scientific discussion; to facilitate particular researches on scientific and applied seismology, such as the comparison of instruments used in different countries, researches on blasting and generally all matters to which seismology is related. ttp://www.seismo.com/iaspei/home.html International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI) The Association represents the primary international focus for research in volcanology, efforts to mitigate volcanic disasters, and research into closely related disciplines, such as igneous geochemistry and petrology, geochronology, volcanogenic mineral deposits, and the physics of the generation and ascent of magmas in the upper mantle and crust. http://www.iavcei.org International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), World Bank Established in 1945, IBRD aims to reduce poverty in middle-income and creditworthy poorer countries by promoting sustainable development, through loans, guarantees, and other analytical and advisory services. International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Nepal ICIMOD is committed to developing an economically and environmentally sound ecosystem and improving living standards of mountain communities, mainly in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas area. http://www.icimod.org.sg International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy Founded in 1964 by Abdus Salam (Nobel Laureate), ICTP operates under the aegis of two United Nations Agencies: UNESCO and IAEA and is regularized by agreement with the government of Italy. One of the main aims of ICTP is to foster the growth of advanced studies in developing countries. http://www.ictp.trieste.it International Center for Disaster Mitigation Engineering (INCEDE), University of Tokyo, Japan Established in 1991 as a national contribution of Japan towards the United Nations IDNDR, INCEDE serves as a forum for national and international researchers in disaster-mitigation engineering and as an information clearance house. http://incede.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR), Internationalen Kommission zum Schutz des Rheins The Rhine pollution has always shown particularly negative effects in the Netherlands. That is why the Netherlands united the Rhine-bordering countries (Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Germany) to discuss problems of water protection and to look for common solutions. The ICPR was founded in Basel on July, 1950. http://www.iksr.org/index.htm International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) ICRC is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance. It directs and coordinates the international relief activities conducted by the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in situations of conflict. It also endeavours to prevent suffering by promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles. http://www.icrc.org International Council on Chemical Associations/UNEP, (ICCA) ICCA is the world-wide voice of the chemical industry, representing chemical manufacturers and producers all over the world. It accounts for more than 80 per cent of chemical manufacturing operations with a production exceeding US 1,6 trillion annually. Almost 30 percent of this production is traded internationally. ICCA promotes and co-ordinates Responsible Care and other voluntary chemical industry initiatives. ICCA has a central role in the exchange of information within the international industry, and in the development of position statements on matters of policy. It is also the main channel of communication between the industry and various international organizations that are concerned with health, environment and trade-related issues, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD). http://www.icca-chem.org International Council of Science (ICSU), Paris, France ICSU is a non-governmental organization, founded in 1931 to bring together natural scientists in international scientific endeavour. It comprises 98 multidisciplinary National Scientific Members (scientific research councils or science academies) and 26 international, single discipline Scientific Unions to provide a wide spectrum of scientific expertise enabling members to address international, interdisciplinary issues which none could handle alone. http://www.icsu.org International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), Switzerland The International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), founded in 1962, is a global network of human rights, humanitarian, and development NGOs, which focuses its information exchange and advocacy efforts primarily on humanitarian affairs and refugee issues. http://www.icva.ch International Consortium on Landslides (ICL) ICL wa launched by the 2002 Kyoto Declaration. Its main objectives are: a) to promote landslide research for the benefit of society and the environment, and capacity building, including education, notably in developing countries; b) to integrate geosciences and technology within the appropriate cultural and social contexts in order to evaluate landslide risk in both urban, rural and developing areas and cultural and natural heritage sites, as well as to contribute to the protection of the natural environment and sites of high societal value; c) to combine and coordinate international expertise in landslide risk assessment and mitigation studies, thereby resulting in a renowned international organization which will act as a partner in various international and national projects; and d) to promote a global, multidisciplinary programme on landslides. http://www.unesco.org/science/earthsciences/disaster/icl.htm International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR), 1990-1999 An International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, beginning on 1 January 1990, was launched by the United Nations, following the adoption of Resolution 44/236 (22 December 1989). The Decade was intended to reduce, through concerted international action, especially in developing countries, loss of life, poverty damage and social and economic disruption caused by natural disasters. To support the activities of the Decade, a Secretariat was established at the United Nations Office in Geneva, in close association with UNDRO. International Development Association (IDA), World Bank IDA is the World Bank’s concessional lending window. It provides long-term loans at zero interest to the poorest of the developing countries. IDA helps build the human capital, policies, institutions, and physical infrastructure that these countries urgently need to achieve faster, environmentally sustainable growth. IDA’s goal is to reduce disparities across and within countries, especially in access to primary education, basic health, and water supply and sanitation and to bring more people into the mainstream by raising their productivity. http://www.worldbank.org/ida International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada IDRC is a public corporation created by the Parliament of Canada in 1970 to help developing countries use science and technology to find practical, long-term solutions to the social, economic, and environmental problems they face. Support is directed toward developing an indigenous research capacity to sustain policies and technologies developing countries need to build healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous societies. http://www.idrc.ca International Drought Information Center (IDIC), University of Nebraska, USA The University of Nebraska at Lincoln established the International Drought Information Center (IDIC) to better understand the problem of drought. IDIC strives to improve communication about prediction, monitoring, impact assessment, adjustment and adaptation, and planning and response to drought. http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/hazard/resource/methaz/drtinfoa.html http://www.enso.unl.edu/agmet/centers.htm International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, providing assistance without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. http://www.ifrc.org International Institute for Disaster Risk Management (IDRM), Manila, Philippines The IDRM promotes international standards and best practices in disaster and risk management. It works on principles of continuous learning, organizational and individual professional development. IDRM experts and partners are committed to applying appropriate, innovative and inexpensive solutions to development and disaster risk management. http://www.idrmhome.org International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES), Tehran, Iran The main goal of IIEES is seismic risk reduction and mitigation both in Iran and the region by promoting research and education in science and technology related to seismotectonic, seismology and earthquake engineering. IIEES activity in research covers all aspects of earthquakes from tectonic study to retrofitting complex structure; and in education from public education to PhD programmes in earthquake engineering. http://www.iiees.ac.ir International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxemburg, Austria The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is a non-governmental research organization located in Austria. The institute conducts inter-disciplinary scientific studies on environmental, economic, technological and social issues in the context of human dimensions of global change. IIASA researchers study environmental, economic, technological, and social developments. In doing so, they generate methods and tools useful to both decision makers and the scientific community. The work is based on original state-of-the-art methodology and analytical approaches and links a variety of natural and social science disciplines. http://www.iiasa.ac.at/ International Institute for Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), The Netherlands ITC is an autonomous organisation operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Minister for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands and closely linked to Twente University. ITC is an internationally recognized centre of excellence aiming at capacity building and institutional development specifically in countries that are economically and/or technologically less developed. http://www.itc.nl International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Winnipeg, Canada Its mission is to champion innovation, enabling societies to live in a sustainable way. It advances policy recommendations on international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change, measurement and indicators, and natural resource management to make development sustainable. By using the Internet it covers and reports on international negotiations and brokers knowledge gained through collaborative projects with global partners, resulting in more rigorous research, capacity building in developing countries and a better dialogue between North and South. IISDnet identifies issues, sets goals, and compiles information on sustainable growth. http://www.iisd.org International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Geneva, Switzerland ISO is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies from some 140 countries, one from each country. ISO is a non-governmental organization established in 1947. The mission of ISO is to promote the development of standardization and related activities in the world with a view to facilitating the international exchange of goods and services, and to developing cooperation in the spheres of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity. ISO’s work results in international agreements which are published as International Standards. http://www.iso.org International Research Committee on Disasters (IRCD) IRCD establishes international linkages among disaster researchers around the world. http://www.udel.edu/DRC/IRCD.html International Research Institute for Climate Prediction (IRI), New York, USA IRI was established as a cooperative agreement between US NOAA Office of Global Programs and Columbia University. IRI is a unit of the Columbia Earth Institute located at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. The vision of the IRI is that of an innovative science institution working to accelerate the ability of societies worldwide to cope with climate fluctuations, especially those that cause devastating impacts on humans and the environment, thereby reaping the benefits of decades of research on the predictability of El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomenon and other climate variations. By orchestrating a wide network of collaborations and comprehensive programs that couple physical science research and applications research with capacity building, the IRI is a unique institution in the international development of applications of climate prediction. http://iri.ldeo.columbia.edu Internationale Kommission zum Schutz des Rheines (IKSR), Germany See: International Commission for the protection of the Rhine (ICPR). http://www.iksr.org International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) The International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) came to an end in December 1999. The General Assembly endorsed in its resolution 54/219 the proposals put forward in the report of the Secretary-General to ensure the establishment of successor arrangements for disaster reduction for the effective implementation of the international strategy for disaster reduction. An inter-agency task force and inter-agency secretariat, under the authority of the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs have been established. International Sociological Association (ISA) ISA is a non-profit association for scientific purposes in the field of sociology and social sciences. The ISA was founded in 1949 under the auspices of UNESCO. The goal of the ISA, is to represent sociologists everywhere, regardless of their school of thought, scientific approaches or ideological opinion, and to advance sociological knowledge throughout the world. Its members come from 109 countries. The ISA is a member of the International Social Science Council and enjoys a status of the Non-Governmental Organization in formal associate relations with UNESCO and special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. http://www.ucm.es/info/isa International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC), Honolulu, Hawaii ITIC was established on 12 November 1965 by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic UNESCO. In 1968, IOC formed an International Coordination Group for the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific (ICG/ITSU). ITIC monitors the activities of the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific. http://www.shoa.cl/oceano/itic/frontpage.html Instituto Nacional de Gestao de Calamidades, (INGC), Mozambique (National Institute for Disaster Management) The National Institute for Disaster Management was created in June 1999, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. It has an executive role in preventive actions and assistance for victims and areas at risk or affected by disasters. http://www.teledata.mz/ingc/default_eng.htm Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) JICA is responsible for the technical cooperation aspect of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programs. Technical cooperation and a variety of programmes are aimed at the transfer of technology and knowledge that can serve the socio-economic development of the developing countries. http://www.jica.go.jp Japan Meteorology Agency (JMA) The major activities of JMA are to issue warnings, advisories and forecasts, to deal with the global environmental issues such as global warming and ozone depletion, and to provide information on earthquake and volcanic activities. http://www.kishou.go.jp Joint Operations Technical Committee ZRA/Hidroélectrica de Cabora Bassa, Mozambique The Zambesi River Authority (ZRA) was established by Zambia and Zimbabwe in 1998 to coordinate their decisions on water use, power generation, and upstream and downstream risk consequences of their water management policies. Following the 2000 floods, the ZRA formed Joint Operations Technical Committee with Hydroelectrica de Cabora Bassa in Mozambique to share data and technical information about the operations of their respective Kariba and Cabora Bassa reservoirs. http://www.worldwatercouncil.org Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, Bogazici University, Turkey The Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute offers graduate work leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in: Geodesy, Geophysics and Earthquake Engineering.The primary objective of the graduate program is to train specialists and/or theoreticians (required for research and teaching) in geodesy, geophysics and earthquake engineering, capable of creative and original thinking and disseminating new ideas and concepts in related activities in Turkey. http://www.koeri.boun.edu.tr/defaulteng.htm Laboratory of Hydraulics and Glaciology, ETH Zurich It is one of Europe's leading institutes in hydraulics, hydrology and glaciology. The 70 collaborators are organized in three sections which deal with research, teaching and applied research work, an administrative group and the chair of hydraulic structures. http://www.vaw.ethz.ch La Red de Estudios Sociales en Prevención de Desastres en América Latina (LA RED), (The Latin American Network for the Social Study of Disaster Prevention) Initially conceived as a mechanism to facilitate comparative research of natural disasters from a social perspective, LA RED has developed into the focal point for hundreds of individuals and institutions working in the field of disaster and risk management in the different countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. http://www.desenredando.org Major Accident Hazards Bureau (MAHB) The Major Accident Hazards Bureau (MAHB) is a special Unit within the Joint Research Centre's Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen, Technological and Economic Risk Management Unit, dedicated to scientific and technical support for the actions of the European Commission in the area of the control of Major Industrial Hazards.The overall mission of the Bureau is to assist other services of the Commission, and in particular Directorate General Environment in the successful implementation of European Union policy on the control of major hazards and the prevention and mitigation of major accidents. To fulfil this mission, MAHB carries out scientific and technical activities related to the day to day implementation of relevant Community legislation. Since 1982, when the Original Seveso Directive (Council Directive 82/501/EEC) was approved by the Council of Ministers after the famous accident at Seveso, there has been Community provision for the control of major industrial hazards. http://mahbsrv.jrc.it Médecins sans Frontiéres (MSF) MSF is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides emergency medical assistance to populations in danger in more than 80 countries. In countries where health structures are insufficient or even non existent, MSF collaborates with authorities such as the ministries of health to provide assistance. MSF works in rehabilitation of hospitals and dispensaries, vaccination programmes and water and sanitation projects. MSF also works in remote health care centres, slum areas and provides training of local personnel. All this is done with the objective of rebuilding health structures to acceptable levels. http://www.msf.org Megacities 2000 Foundation, Netherlands The Megacities Foundation in the Netherlands was started as a direct result of an initiative taken by UNESCO which asked the International Academy of Architecture (IAA) to focus attention on the problems of the explosively growing megalopolises. The Megacities Foundation was created in December 1994. http://www.megacities.nl Mekong River Commission (MRC), Cambodia MRC promotes and co-ordinates sustainable management and development of water and related resources among countries bordering the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. http://www.mrcmekong.org Meteorological Service of Canada The Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) is Canada's source for meteorological information. The Service monitors water quantities, provides information and conducts research on climate, atmospheric science, air quality, ice and other environmental issues, making it an important source of expertise in these areas. http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARN), El Salvador (Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources) Its mission is to direct an effective management of the environment through the clear policies and all-encompassing initiatives which help sustain development of the Salvadorian society. http://www.marn.gob.sv Ministry of Environment, Planning and Public Works, Greece In order to activate the participation and further the cooperation of all responsible Ministries and organisations, the Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works has developed a coordinating mechanism so that the concept of sustainable development is incorporated in their actions and their activities. http://www.minenv.gr Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT), Venezuela Its mission is to develop policies, strategies and plans which support the creation of a scientific and technical entity that carries out research and initiatives in pursuit of satisfying the needs of the population and promoting the national industry. It also aims to strengthen research and development initiatives for the improvement of innovations and national production, and support postgraduate programmes that foment scientific, technical and humanitarian development in the country. http://www.mct.gov.ve Multi-disciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER), Buffalo, New York, USA MCEER’s overall goal is to enhance the seismic resiliency of communities through improved engineering and management tools for critical infrastructure systems (water supply, electric power, hospitals, transportation systems). Seismic resilience (technical, organizational, social and economic) is by reduced probability of system failure, reduced consequences due to failure, and reduced time to system restoration. MCEER works toward this goal by conducting integrated research, outreach, and education activities in partnership with the users of the center products. http://mceer.buffalo.edu Munich Reinsurance, Germany Munich Re is not only a world leader in reinsurance but it has also strategically strengthened its business with strong involvement in primary insurance and in asset management. Knowledge and expertise, client services and preferred partner in risk: these are the attributes which characterize Munich Re. It covers a range of special subjects such as: risk management and industrial insurance, alternative risk transfer. In Topics, a publication which appears twice a year, Munich Re experts look at the current situation of natural disasters throughout the world and current topics and trends in the insurance industry. Topics also presents new Munich Re products and services, as well as the world map on natural catastrophes. http://www.munichre.com India Musokotwane Environment Resource Centre for Southern Africa (IMERCSA), Zimbabwe IMERCSA is a unit established in 1994 within the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC). IMERCSA has bibliographic databases with more than 6,000 records on the environment and disaster management issues. Its contacts databases, which list individual experts and organizations involved in environment and disaster management issues in the SADC region, have a total of about 2,600 entries. The centre also has a public library with reading facilities for policy planners, researchers, diplomats, journalists, and others interested in issues with a regional perspective. IMERCSA provides in-house training for young journalists. In collaboration, with regionally-based organizations, IMERCSA also carries out training workshops mainly for environmental journalists in Southern Africa. Although the centre does not carry out primary research, it responds to information requests from researchers who are involved in this activity. IMERCSA has produced several books and environmental articles, factsheets and reports on topical environmental issues in the SADC region. http://www.sardc.net/imercsa National Academy of Sciences (CAS), China CAS is China’s National Academy and was founded in Beijing in November 1949. It is China’s largest and most prestigious academic institution and runs more than a hundred research institutes throughout the country. http://www.ma.hw.ac.uk/RSE/news/press/2002/china.htm National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USA Since its inception in 1958, NASA has accomplished many great scientific and technological feats in air and space. NASA technology also has been adapted for many non-aerospace uses by the private sector. NASA remains a leading force in scientific research and in stimulating public interest in aerospace exploration, as well as science and technology in general. http://www.nasa.gov National botanical Institute (NBI), South Africa The mission of the NBI is to promote the sustainable use, conservation, appreciation and enjoyment of the exceptionally rich plant life of South Africa, for the benefit of all people. http://www.nbi.ac.za/homepage.htm National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, USA It is NCAR’s mission to plan, organize, and conduct atmospheric and related research programs in collaboration with the universities and other institutions, to provide state-of-the-art research tools and facilities to the atmospheric sciences community, to support and enhance university atmospheric science education, and to facilitate the transfer of technology to both the public and private sectors. Created in 1960, the Center is operated by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. http://www.ncar.ucar.edu/ncar/index.html National Center for Disaster Management (NCDM), New Delhi, India NCDM has been established by the Government of India and located in the Indian Institute of Public Administration with the objectives of providing training programs for senior and middle level administrative government officials which sensitize them for disaster mitigation; coordinating the research activities in different aspects of disaster management at national level. National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), Phnom Penh, Cambodia In 1995, as a result of the country’s experience with regularly occurring disasters, the Royal Government of Cambodia established NCDM. Its responsibilities are defined in terms of, not only providing timely and effective emergency relief to the victims of disasters, but also developing preventive measures to reduce loss of lives and property. This is accomplished by applying scientific and technical knowledge to mitigate disasters. http://www.cred.be/centre/research/ncdm.pdf National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), Pretoria, South Africa Its mission is to improve knowledge, awareness and understanding of disasters, and to coordinate and facilitate access to information and resources in order to promote and support comprehensive, integrated and effective disaster management in South Africa. http://sandmc.pwv.gov.za Office of Civil Defence (OCD) and the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), Philippines The OCD is the executive arm of the NDCC. Its primary mission is to coordinate, on the national level, the activities and functions of various agencies and instrumentality of the National Government, private institutions and civic organizations devoted to public welfare so that the facilities and resources of the entire nation may be utilized to the maximum extent for the protection and preservation of the civilians. http://www.ndcc.gov.ph/ocd_home.html NDCC is the highest policy-making, coordinating and supervising body for disaster management in the Philippines. It strives to reach out to as many people as possible to provide relevant and timely information that are beneficial to the public. http://www.ndcc.gov.ph National Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia The Relief and Rehabilitation Commission was established in June 1974 following the outbreak of famine in the two northern provinces of Ethiopia. In August 1995, it was re-established as the DPPC. The objectives of the Commission cover prevention, preparedness and response aspects of disaster management. National Directorate of Water (DNA), Mozambique, (Direcçao Nacional de Aguas) DNA is responsible for water policy and its implementation, strategic and integrated planning on the management of water resources as well as water supply and sanitation services. The directorate is a government agency working under the ministry of public works and housing. http://www.dna.mz National Institute for Disaster Prevention (NIDP), Republic of Korea NIDP was established to reduce loss of life and property from natural and man-made disasters. Its research field is on disaster prevention as well as an evaluation field including an evaluation of the master plan for the creek improvement. http://www.nidp.go.kr National Institute for Meteorology, Mozambique (INAM), (Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia) Its mission is to minimize the impacts of hydrometeorological hazards and contribute to sustainable development and the reduction of poverty. http://www.inam.gov.mz National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan AIST is an Independent Administrative Institution under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. On April, 2001, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology began operations. It comprises 15 research institutes previously under the former Agency of Industrial Science and Technology in the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and the Weights and Measures Training Institute. http://www.aist.go.jp National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), USA NIBS was authorized by the U.S. Congress in the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, Public Law 93-383. Through NIBS, Congress established a public/private partnership to enable findings on technical, building-related matters to be used effectively to improve government, commerce and industry. NIBS is a non-profit, non-governmental organization bringing together representatives of government, the professions, industry, labor and consumer interests to focus on the identification and resolution of problems and potential problems that hamper the construction of safe, affordable structures for housing, commerce and industry throughout the United States NIBS' councils and standing committees -- the Consultative Council, established as mandated in NIBS' authorizing legislation; the Building Seismic Safety Council (BSSC); the Building Environment and Thermal Envelope Council (BETEC); the Facility Information Council (FIC); the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI); the Multihazard Mitigation Council (MMC); and the Facility Maintenance and Operations Committee (FMOC) -- are integral and vital components of NIBS. http://www.nibs.org National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad, India NIRD is India’s apex body for undertaking training, research, action research and consultancy functions in the rural development sector. It works as an autonomous organization supported by the Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment of the government of India. http://www.nird.org National Institute of Water and Atmoshpheric Research in New Zealand The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, New Zealand, was established in 1992 as one of nine New Zealand Crown Research Institutes (CRIs). NIWA's mission is to provide a scientific basis for the sustainable management of New Zealand's atmospheric, marine and freshwater systems and associated resources. NIWA maintains the New Zealand Freshwater Fish Databse (NZFFD) and the Water Resources Archive, the national repository for freshwater time-series data. http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/hazard/resource/methaz/hydrniwa.html National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), USA NEMA is the professional association of state, Pacific and Caribbean insular state emergency management directors committed to providing national leadership and expertise in comprehensive emergency management. It serves as a vital information and assistance resource for state and territorial directors and their governors, while forging strategic partnerships to advance continuous improvements in emergency management. http://www.nemaweb.org National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) The Technical Co-operation Programme (TCOP) was developed to ensure that national Meteorological and Hydrological Services have the required means to fulfil their mission. Projects in several WMO Member countries and regions are currently being implemented with the aim of improving and strengthening the capacities of national Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS's) to participate effectively in other WMO programmes. http://www.wmo.ch/wmo50/e National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Washington DC, USA NOAA’s mission is to describe and predict changes in the earth’s environment, and conserve and wisely manage the nation’s coastal and marine resources. NOAA’s strategy consists of seven interrelated strategic goals for environmental assessment, prediction and stewardship. http://www.noaa.gov NOAA Coastal Services Centre (CSC), USA CSC is an office within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration devoted to serving the nation's state and local coastal resource management programs. Its mission is to support the environmental, social, and economic well being of the coast by linking people, information, and technology. http://www.csc.noaa.gov National Policy on Disaster Prevention and Management (NPDPM), Ethiopia NPDPM is one of the major components of this policy is Employment Generation Schemes (EGS). The national institution mandated for execution of the NPDPM is the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC). http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy National Risk Prevention and Emergency Response Commission (CNE), Costa Rica On 13 October 1999, the new National Emergency Law went into effect in Costa Rica. Its most innovative feature is its emphasis on prevention. The law seeks to provide an effective and efficient juridical framework for regulating State activity in emergency situations and promoting disaster prevention throughout the country. The law creates the National Risk Prevention and Emergency Response Commission, formerly the National Emergency Commission and still employing the acronym CNE, as part of the President’s Office, but with its own legal identity and budget. National Science Foundation (NSF), Washington DC, USA NSF is an independent agency of the US government, established by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950. Its mission is to promote the progress of science, to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare, and to secure the national defence. http://www.nsf.gov National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET), Kathmandu, Nepal NSET strives to assist all communities in Nepal to become earthquake safer by developing and implementing organized approaches to managing and minimizing earthquake risks. http://www.nset.org.np NASA Earth Observatory, USA The purpose of NASA's Earth Observatory is to provide a freely-accessible publication on the Internet where the public can obtain new satellite imagery and scientific information about our home planet. The focus is on Earth's climate and environmental change. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) NATO is an alliance of 19 countries from North America and Europe committed to fulfilling the goals of the North Atlantic Treaty signed on 4 April 1949. http://www.nato.int Natural Hazards Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand The Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences (GNS) and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) have created a natural hazards information centre. It aims to provide New Zealanders with a single point of contact for the latest research, resources, and scientific expertise. http://www.naturalhazards.net.nz Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA The centre is a national and international clearinghouse that provides information on natural hazards and human adjustments to these risks. The centre’s prime goal is to increase communication among hazard and disaster researchers and individuals, agencies, and organizations actively working to reduce disaster damage and suffering. The Natural Hazards Center carries out its mission in four principal areas: information dissemination, an annual workshop, research, and library services. http://www.colorado.edu/hazards Netherlands Red Cross Centre on climate change and disaster preparedness In response to the growing concerns regarding climate change, in June 2002 the Netherlands Red Cross officially launched the International Red Cross Red Crescent Centre on Climate Change and Disaster Preparedness. The centre will address the threat millions of people face from climate change related disasters every year by seeking to bridge the gap between meteorological science and relief aid. http://www.ifrc.org/what/disasters/dp/climate/centre.asp Niger Basin Authority The aim of the Niger Basin Authority is to promote cooperation among the member countries and to ensure integrated development in all fields through development of its resources, notably in the fields of energy, water resources, agriculture, forestry exploitation, transport and communications, industry. http://www.abn.ne/webeng/index-eng.html Norvegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) NGI is a private foundation doing research and consulting in the geo-sciences, including soil, rock and snow. http://www.ngi.no/english Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), USA NRC is an independent agency established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 to regulate civilian use of nuclear materials. http://www.nrc.gov Office Fédéral de l’Environnement, des Forêts, et du Paysage (OFEFP), Switzerland (Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape (SAEFL)) SAEFL is the federal office responsible for environment. It is integrated in the Federal Department of Environment, Transportation, Energy and Communication. http://www.umwelt-schweiz.ch/buwal Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance/US Agency for International Development (OFDA/USAID) OFDA/USAID has been the principal US agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms. USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the secretary of state. http://www.usaid.gov Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Kingston, Jamaica ODPEM is committed to taking pro-active and timely measures to prevent or reduce the impact of hazards in Jamaica, its people, natural resources and economy through its trained and professional staff, the use of appropriate technology and collaborative efforts with national, regional and international agencies. http://www.odpem.org.jm Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Paris, France The OECD groups 30 member countries sharing a commitment to democratic government and the market economy. With active relationships with some 70 other countries, NGOs and civil society, it has a global reach. Best known for its publications and its statistics, its work covers economic and social issues from macroeconomics, to trade, education, development, science and innovation. http://www.oecd.org Organization of American States (OAS), Washington, DC, USA, (Organización de Estados Americanos) The nations of the Americas are working more closely together than ever before strengthening democracy, advancing human rights, promoting peace and security, expanding trade and tackling complex problems caused by poverty, drugs and corruption. Together they are building a better future for the next generation. At the outset of a new century and a new millennium, the challenge is how to turn citizens’ high expectations into reality. OAS is playing a central role in working toward many of the goals that are shared by the countries of North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. http://www.oas.org OAS's Unit for Sustainable Development (USDE); Washington, DC, USA, (Organización de Estados Americanos) The Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment (USDE) is the principal technical arm of the OAS General Secretariat responsible for meeting the needs of the member states in matters of sustainable economic development. Among its areas of concern are transboundary water resources management, reduction of vulnerability to natural hazards, public participation in decision-making, climate change and sea- level rise, coastal-zones management, renewable-energy planning, and biodiversity. Formed in 1963, the Unit has evolved from an office dealing with natural resource inventories in different countries to one whose main task is to follow up on the mandates emanating from Agenda 21 and the Bolivia Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development. Its mission is to serve the interests of the member states by helping to improve integrated management of natural resources as a key component of sustainable development. This mission is defined by the technical and political mandates derived from the Summit process and the political bodies of the Organization. http://www.oas.org/usde Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Castries, St Lucia The OECS came into being on 18 June, 1981, when seven Eastern Caribbean countries signed a treaty agreeing to co-operate with each other and promote unity and solidarity among the Members. It is composed of 9 Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and 2 Associated Member States: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands. http://oecs.org Organization of Rural Associations for Progress (ORAP), Zimbabwe ORAP was founded in 1981 by a small group of people in Matabeleland Province to discuss development options following the independence war which ended in 1980. ORAP aims at creating employment and greater self reliance through promoting culturally relevant self-help activities. The organization also aims at encouraging grassroots programme development and promoting economic and financial autonomy. http://iisd1.iisd.ca/50comm/commdb/desc/d41.htm Overseas Development Institute (ODI), UK Its mission is to inspire and inform policy and practice which lead to the reduction of poverty, the alleviation of suffering and the achievement of sustainable livelihoods in developing countries. It does this by locking together high-quality applied research, practical policy advice, and policy-focused dissemination and debate. It works with partners in the public and private sectors, in both developing and developed countries. http://www.odi.org.uk OXFAM, United Kingdom Oxfam's work is dedicated to finding lasting solutions to poverty and suffering http://www.oxfam.org.uk Oxford Center for Disaster Studies (OCDS) OCDS is one of the leading organisations in consultancy, training and research in the field of disaster management and protection. http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/town/estate/vz92 Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) The Pacific Disaster Center’s mission is to provide applied information research and analysis support for the development of more effective policies, institutions, programs, and information products for the disaster management and humanitarian assistance communities of the Asia Pacific region and beyond. The Pacific Disaster Center’s strategic program focuses on five areas: Decision and Policy Support; Institutional Capacity Development; Risk and Vulnerability; Humanitarian Assistance Support; and Security and Substainabililty Through these programs the Pacific Disaster Center promotes the partnerships and technology required to create disaster information networks and disaster resistant communities in the Asia Pacific region and beyond. In 2001, the East-West Center became the managing partner of PDC. The East-West Center handles PDC’s administrative and personnel systems, as well as assists PDC in reaching out to the disaster management community that could benefit from its expertise and services. www.pdc.org Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC), Hawaii, USA Established in 1949, the PTWC in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, provides warnings for tsunamis to most countries in the Pacific Basin as well as to Hawaii and all other U.S interests in the Pacific outside of Alaska and the U.S West Coast. Those areas are served by the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC) in Palmer, Alaska. PTWC is also the warning center for Hawaïi’s local and regional tsunamis. http://www.prh.noaa.gov/pr/ptwc Pan-American Engineering Association for the Public Health and Environment (Asociación Interamericana de Ingeniería Sanitaria y Ambiental (AIDIS) The mission of AIDIS-Canada is to further the goals of AIDIS Interamericana through programs and services that promote sound environmental practices, policies, management, and education to improve the quality of life throughout the Americas. http://www.aidis.org.br Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) of Natural Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich The Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) conducts basic research, mostly financed by Swiss tax moneys. http://www.psi.ch/index_e.shtml Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) CHED is mandated to undertake the following tasks: Promote quality education; take appropriate steps to ensure that education shall be accessible to all, and insure and protect academic freedom for the continuing intellectual growth, the advancement of learning and research, the development of responsible and effective leadership, the education of high level professionals, and the enrichment of historical and cultural heritage. http://www.info.com.ph/~chedco Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), Quezon City, Philippines The principal goal of PHIVOLCS is to formulate up-to-date and comprehensive disaster preparedness and loss reduction action plans for volcanic eruption, earthquake occurrences and related geotectonic processes/phenomena which imprint significant impacts on man and his environment. A corollary goal is to exploit the positive aspects of these processes to uplift of the people’s quality of life. In line with its role in the promotion of science and technology in the country, PHIVOLCS undertakes activities geared towards making people aware of volcanoes and volcanology, earthquakes and seismology, and to understand why, where and how natural disasters of volcanic and seismic origins occur in the Philippines. http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph Phnom Penh Regional Platform on Sustainable Development for Asia and the Pacific, Phnom Pehn, Cambodia The High-level Regional Meeting for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) reviewed the progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 in the region and identifies key policy issues, priorities, goals, constraints and actions in preparation for the WSSD. PLANAT (Swiss National Platform for Natural Hazards), Bern, Switzerland The Federal Council aims to improve prevention in the field of natural hazards. To this end, it created the national PLANAT. This consultative body of the confederation is organized as an extra parliamentary commission. Whilst taking care to avoid a duplication of efforts, it also ensures a better use of the existing structures. http://www.planat.ch Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Potsdam, Germany The founding of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in 1992 arose out of the growing need among political decision-makers to be informed about the consequences of Global Change. Of particular importance in this respect was the question of increasing concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere and the effect this would have on climate, the environment and society. Since then PIK has been involved in investigating the ecological, geophysical and socioeconomic aspects of worldwide climatic change, and climate-impact research has become part of a comprehensive Earth system analysis. http://www.pik-potsdam.de ProVention Consortium (Disaster Management Facility, World Bank) ProVention Consortium (hosted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva) The ProVention Consortium, launched by the World Bank in 2000 and currently hosted by the International Federation, is a global partnership dedicated to increasing the safety of vulnerable communities and to reducing the impacts of disasters in developing countries, still disproportionately affected by disasters. A broad membership, ProVention includes international financial institutions and donor governments, international development and humanitarian organisations, leading academic institutions, private sector actors and civil society organisations. The goal of the Consortium is to reduce the risk and impacts of disasters on the poor through forging partnerships between different disciplines and sectors, supporting policy reform, developing innovative approaches to the practice of disaster risk management and sharing knowledge and resources. http://www.proventionconsortium.org Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI) The Public Entity Risk Institute's mission is to serve public, private, and nonprofit organizations as a dynamic, forward thinking resource for the practical enhancement of risk management. http://www.riskinstitute.org/about.asp Regional Advisory Board for Agriculture Cooperation The Regional and Sustainable Development Department (RSDD) develops and monitors policies and guidelines for all the sectors and aspects of development that are important to ADB's work. It ensures that a high standard of quality and technical excellence is maintained across ADB. The department supports ADB's regional development functions and strengthens ADB's role in linking the region to global networks and partnerships. In addition, it monitors ADB's compliance with its own policies and guidelines. http://www.adb.org/RSDD/default.asp Regional Consultative Committee (RCC) in Disaster Management, Bangkok, Thailand Within the framework of the Advisory Council, an ADPC Consultative Committee on Regional Cooperation in Disaster Management has been established. The Committee comprises members of the ADPC Board of Trustees/Advisory Council who are working in key Government positions in the National Disaster Management systems of countries of the Asian region. The role of RCC is to provide an informal consultative mechanism for development of action strategies for disaster reduction in the region and promotion of cooperative programs on a regional and sub-regional basis; so as to guide ADPC’s work. http://www.adpc.ait.ac.th/pdp/consultative.html Regional Early Warning Unit (REWU), SADC, Harare, Zimbabwe The SADC Regional Early Warning Unit is an institution of the Southern African Development Community financially supported through contributions from Member States. The SADC Regional Early Warning System operates as an integrated project, comprising a Regional Early Warning Unit (REWU), based in Harare, and autonomous National Early Warning Units in each of the ten original SADC member states. http://www.sadc-fanr.org.zw/rewu/rewu.htm Regional Remote Sensing Unit (RRSU), SADC, Harare, Zimbabwe The main objective is to strengthen national and regional capabilities in the area of remote sensing and GIS for use of early warning for food security and natural resources management. http://www.sadc-fanr.org.zw/rrsu/rrsu.htm Regional Unit for Technical Assistance (RUTA), Costa Rica (Unidad regional de assistencia técnica) RUTA is the collaboration between governments and international development agencies in the sustainable development of rural areas in Central America. Its mission is to contribute to sustainable rural growth in order to reduce rural poverty in the Central American region by means of national and regional development agendas – a common effort between governments, civil societies and social agencies. http://www.ruta.org Russian Academy of Sciences The country's leading scientific institution, Russian Academy of Sciences is a self-governing organization entitled to manage its affairs and property. Its activities are regulated by the laws of Russian Federation and its own Charter. The Academy network comprises 440 research institutions and 12 major scientific centers located all over the country. http://www.ihst.ru/jubilee/academy_jubilee-e.htm Save the Children Fund, UK (SCF-UK) SCF-UK is the leading United Kingdom charity working to create a better world for children. Secretaría General de Planificación (SEGEPLAN), Guatemala (Planning Secretariat) SEGEPLAN supports decision-making, within the presidency and other centres of public policy formulation in the executive branch, by providing specific social-economic information that facilitates informed decisions related to the country’s development. http://www.segeplan.gob.gt Seismic Safety Association (USSA), Uganda USSA is a non-profit professional organization some of whose members are affiliated to the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Government Ministries, NGOs, insurance industry, community leaders, and members from the general public. The international community of experts (academics, researchers, professional engineers, and international organizations) have shown little interest todate in helping to develop awareness and expertise in the field of earthquake engineering in Africa. http://www.ehc.arch.vuw.ac.nz/newsletters/jan99/page8.htm Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) SEWA’s main goals are to organise women workers for full emploreliance. Full employment means employment whereby workers obtain work security, income security, food security and social security (at least health care, child care and shelter). SEWA organises women to ensure that every family obtains full employment. By self-reliance we mean that women should be autonomous and self-reliant, individually and collectively, both economically and in terms of their decision-making ability. http://www.sewa.org Simon Fraser University Telematics Research Lab (TRL) The convergence of computers and communications, and the accelerating growth of global information networking is beginning to have profound impact on the organization of disaster mitigation, planning and response at all levels of society. During the past decade, the Centre for Policy Research on Science and Technology (CPROST) and its associated Telematics Research Laboratory (TRL) have been participating in these developments through applied disaster communication research in Canada and abroad in collaboration with civil emergency organizations at all levels of government and with the United Nations and international disaster relief organizations. http://www.cprost.sfu.ca/telematics.html Sistema de Integración Centroamericana (SICA) SICA, and its secretariat, is a regional organization created by the Central American Presidents in the Declaration of Tegucigalpa with the purpose of offering its technical services as well as political expertise to the initiatives of regional integration, and particularly to the development of the Centroamerican Union. http://www.sicanet.org.sv Sistema Nacional para la Prevención, Mitigación y Atención de Desastres (SNPMAD), Nicaragua (National System for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Attention) In March, 2000, legislation was approved for the establishment of the National System for the Prevention, Mitigation of, and Attention to Disasters. The National Committee is the administrative entity of the system, whose role is to define the policies and plans of the system, as well as to assist the president of the republic with the declaration of a state of emergency and approve the annual budget directed to the national fund for disasters. In order to meet its objectives in terms of the prevention, mitigation of, and attention to disasters, the system has established commissions for sectorial initiatives for the execution of the plans adopted by the system. The legislation stipulates that the commissions shall be organized and coordinated at the ministerial level. http://www.sosnicaragua.gob.ni Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil (SINAPROC), Panama (National Civil Protection System) SINAPROC is an infrastructure of programmes, institutional relationships, methodologies and processes, which coordinates the common efforts of the institutions of the three governmental hierarchies, as well as the public and private social agencies, to protect society against the dangers of natural risks and disasters. http://www.c-com.net.pa/~snpce OXFAM, Oxford, United Kingdom Oxfam International is a confederation of 12 organizations working together in more than 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty, suffering and injustice. http://www.oxfam.org/eng/about.htm South African Qualifications Authorities (SAQA) The South African Qualifications Authority is a body of 29 members appointed by the Ministers of Education and Labour. The members are nominated by identified national stakeholders in education and training. Its National Qualifications Framework is the set of principles and guidelines by which records of learner achievement are registered to enable national recognition of acquired skills and knowledge, thereby ensuring an integrated system that encourages life-long learning. http://www.saqa.org.za South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Kathmandu, Nepal SAARC was established when its charter was formally adopted on 8 December, 1985 by the heads of state of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SAARC provides a platform for the peoples of South Asia to work together in a spirit of friendship, trust and understanding. It aims to accelerate the process of economic and social development in member states. http://www.saarc-sec.org South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), Fiji Its mission is to improve the well being of the peoples of Pacific Island developing states through the application of geoscience to the management and sustainable development of their non-living resources. SOPAC member countries include Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia (Associate), Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, New Caledonia (Associate), Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu. http://www.sopac.org.fj Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), Gaborone, Botswana The primary role of SADC is to help define regional priorities, facilitate integration, assist in mobilizing resources and to maximize the regional impact of projects. The approach is to address national priorities through regional action. The SADC Programme of Action is made up of all the programmes and projects approved by the Council of Ministers. http://www.sadc.int SADC Food and Natural Resources Coordination Unit (See FANR) The SADC Environment and Land Management Sector (ELMS) has been given the responsibility to make the transition towards environmentally sustainable development within the SADC countries. Thus the overall objective of the sector, like its mandate, is long term and conforms to the SADC treaty “to achieve sustainable utilisation of natural resources and effective protection of the environment.” http://www.sadcreview.com SADC Water Resources Coordination Unit In view of the importance of the role that water plays in ensuring the well-being of the peoples of SADC, a distinct Water Sector was established by the community in 1996. The day-to-day coordination activities of the sector are undertaken by a dedicated unit known as the SADC Water Sector Coordinating Unit (SADC WSCU), located in the Ministry of Natural Resources, in Lesotho. The vision of the SADC Water Sector is, “to attain the sustainable, integrated planning, development, utilization and management of water resources that contribute to the attainment of SADC’s overall objectives of an integrated regional economy on the basis of balance, equity and mutual benefit for all member States”. http://www.sadcwscu.org.ls SAHEL Institute (INSAH), Bamako, Mali INSAH, a specialized institution of CILSS, provides food security in a balanced ecological environment; coordinate, harmonize and promote scientific and technical research and training and disseminate scientific and technical information on issues related to drought control, desertification management and population. http://www.insah.org/index.html South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP), Colombo, Sri Lanka SACEP is an intergovernmental organization established in 1982 by the Governments of South Asia to promote and support protection, management and enhancement of the environment in the region. Eight countries, namely; Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the members of SACEP. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Apia, Westner Samoa SPREP is a regional organisation established by the governments and administrations of the Pacific region to look after its environment. SPREP was formally established in 1980 as a joint initiative of the South Pacific Forum (SPF), the annual meeting of Heads of Government of Pacific countries, and the South Pacific Conference (SPC), the annual meeting of representatives of all the region's countries and territories. Its members are : American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, NewCaledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, Western Samoa and four developed countries with direct interests in the region (Aust ralia, France, New Zealand, the United States. Southern Alliance for Indigenous Resources (SAFIRE), Harare, Zimbabwe SAFIRE was founded in October 1994 and since then it has steadily evolved to become one of the larger environmental NGOs in Southern Africa, and is associated particularly with natural products development, forestry-related issues on communal land, and with participatory approaches to community based natural resource management. http://www.safireweb.org Southern African Research and Documentation Center (SARDC), Harare, Zimbabwe SARDC’s objective is to improve the base of knowledge about economic, political, cultural and social developments, and their implications, by making information accessible to governments and policy makers, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, regional and international organizations, development agencies, parliaments, and the media. http://www.sardc.net State Agency for Civil Protection, Bulgaria The State Agency for Civil Protection is a legal entity funded by the state budget with headquarters in Sofia. The Agency implements the state policy in the area of the protection in crisis situations caused by natural factors and by technical activities. It is a working body of the Standing Committee on the Protection of the Population in the Cases of Disasters and Accidents at the Council of Ministers. http://www.cp.government.bg/about-en.php Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Sweden SEI's mission is to support decision-making and induce change towards sustainable development around the world by providing integrative knowledge that bridges science and policy in the field of environment and development. http://www.sei.se StormCenter Communications, Maryland, USA StormCenter Communications provides leading-edge monitoring and visuals to help the media, government agencies and emergency managers better understand environmental issues to enable the media and educators to increase public awareness. http://www.stormcenter.com/terms.php Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS), New Delhi, India SEEDS, a non-profit voluntary organization, is a collective endeavour of young professionals drawn from development related fields. It originated as an informal group of like-minded people, getting together for the purpose of creative research projects of academic interest. The group was later formalized in early 1994 and has been active in the field ever since. It is involved in research activities in community development, disaster management, environmental planning, transport planning, and urban and regional planning. Activities are carried out on behalf of government, semi-government and international development agencies. Independent programs on vital issues are also taken up. http://www.gdrc.org/uem/seeds.html Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), India SSP began in 1989 as a self-education network facilitated by the Society for Promotion of Area Resource Centres, in rural Maharashtra and neighboring states. At this time, the collectives and NGOs in the learning network came together to evolve alternate strategies that sought to empower women's collectives around issues of livelihoods, credit, access to and management of resources in rural communities. SSP began working directly with women's groups and communities in the under-developed districts of Latur and Osmanabad in 1994. http://www.indiatogether.org/women/profiles/ssprayog.htm Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) SIDA creates the preconditions for change and sustainable development. http://www.sida.org SWISSAID Motor and motivation of its work is the vision of an equitable, peaceful and many-faceted world, of a worthy future for children and grandchildren on a planet free from hunger, poverty, violence and war. SWISSAID is a small, decentralised multinational organisation with offices in 10 countries. The Head Office is in Switzerland. http://www.swissaid.ch/index_e.html Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), (Agencia Suiza para el desarrollo y la cooperacion) SDC is part of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Its mandate is based on the Federal Law on International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid enacted on 19 March 1976, and on a federal decree of 24 March 1995 on cooperation with the countries of Eastern Europe. In order to make the greatest contribution, SDC concentrates its long-term efforts on cooperating in development in specific sectors and with a limited number of countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. In Latin America, the Swiss Cooperation has chosen to focus its efforts on Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Central America, particularly Nicaragua. http://www.eda.admin.ch Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (EAWAG), Dübendorf EAWAG's task as the national research center for water pollution control is to ensure that: Concepts and technologies pertaining to the use of natural waters are continuously improved. Ecological, economical and social water interests are brought into line. Multidisciplinary teams of specialists in the fields of Environmental Engineering, Natural and Social Sciences jointly develop solutions to environmental problems. The acquired knowledge and know-how is transmitted nationally and internationally by publications, lectures, teaching, and consulting to the private and public sector. http://www.eawag.ch Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) WSL is a federal research institute within the domain of the Federal Institutes of Technology. WSL conducts research into the environment and sustainability. Its key areas are the "use, management and protection of near-natural terrestrial habitats" and the "management of natural hazards". These provide a basis for the sustainable use of the landscape. http://www.wsl.ch/welcome-en.ehtml Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich is a science and technology university with an outstanding research record. Excellent research conditions, state-of-the-art infrastructure and an attractive urban environment add up to the ideal setting for creative personalities. 18'000 people from Switzerland and abroad are currently studying, working or conducting research at ETH Zurich. ETH earned its excellent national and international reputation through major achievements in research as well as through first-rate teaching and services. http://www.ethz.ch Swiss National Alarm Centre On average, the National Alarm Office in Zurich gets around 400 calls a year for assessment by duty personnel. Certain calls need to be referred to partner organisations in Switzerland or even abroad. As a result of this, the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) co-ordination centre relies on efficient communication channels for example, to the local police deployment centres. Direct links are also set up with other important Swiss partners such as nuclear power stations and the regulatory authorities like the Department for Safety at Nuclear Installations. These communication links need to be maintained and accessed regularly so speed and trouble-free data input are essential. https://www.naz.ch/home.html Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) North-South, University of Bern, Switzerland The NCCR North-South focuses on international research cooperation and promotes high-quality disciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research with the aim of contributing to an improved understanding of the status of different syndromes of global change, of the pressures these syndromes and their causes exert on different resources (human, natural, economic), and of the responses of different social groups and society as a whole. By identifying the potential of social systems to mitigate syndromes, by considering their dynamics, and by adopting existing innovative solutions, the NCCR North-South primarily aims to help design ways to mitigate syndromes. It enables Swiss research institutions to enhance partnerships with institutions in developing and transition countries, thereby building the competence and capacity of research on both sides to develop socially robust knowledge for mitigation action.It is co-funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). http://www.nccr-north-south.unibe.ch Swiss Natural Hazards Competence Centre (CENAT) (Centre de Compétence Dangers Naturels) The competence centre for natural hazards was founded by the ETH-Council in 1995 to bring together the existing technical, scientific and socio-economic resources in the ETH group.The main aim of this competence centre is to effect interdisciplinary research on the causes of natural hazards, the processes involved, their effects on people and objects, and on appropriate means of protection. It serves to identify the existing potential of specialists and know-how within the ETH group in the field of natural hazards, and constitutes a contact point for public and private institutions as well as national and international organisations. CENAT also co-ordinates teams of specialists and thus contributes towards the development of specialised domains and priorities within the ETH group. It supports these specialised teams in fulfilling their role in teaching, research and services performed in relation to natural hazards. The competence centre brings all the various activities to light as well as their national and international requirements. http://www.cenat.ch/Cenat.htm Swiss Reinsurance Company (Swiss Re), Zurich, Switzerland Swiss Re, the global reinsurer, has more than 70 offices in 30 countries. The Financial Services Business Group brings together world-class capital management expertise and risk-taking capabilities. Swiss Re’s success in business is attributable to intelligent risk management and an in-depth analysis of the nature of risk. http://www.swissre.com Tearfund As part of its strategy Tearfund has identified the following key areas: Development and Capacity Building; Public health, including HIV/AIDS, Children at Risk Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation. http://www.tearfund.org/homepage/index.asp Technicon, University of Technology, Free State, South Africa The research mission of the Technikon Free State, a South African university of technology is in line with the higher education mission of teaching, research and community service: To advance, transfer and sustain knowledge and understanding, through the conduct of career teaching, research and scholarship, as well as community capacity building and services, at the highest international standards, for the benefit of national and international communities and that of the Free State Province in particular. http://www.tofs.ac.za/index.asp Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Italy TWAS is an autonomous international organization, founded in Trieste, Italy, in 1983 by a distinguished group of scientists under the leadership of the late Nobel laureate Abdus Salam of Pakistan. It was officially launched by the then Secretary General of the United Nations in 1985. Since 1986, TWAS has been supporting research work of scientific merit in 100 countries in the South through a variety of programmes. In addition, joint activities have been developed with UNESCO, the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), ICSU, International Foundation for Science (IFS) and the International Science Programme (ISP). Tropical Cyclone Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres (RSMC), WMO RSMC is a network of five centres designated by WMO and located in: La Réunion, Miami, Nadi, New Delhi and Tokyo. There are a further six specialized tropical cyclone warning centres with regional responsibility to carry out activities coordinated at the global and regional levels by WMO through its World Weather Watch and Tropical Cyclone Programmes. They are located in Brisbane, Darwin, Perth, Wellington, Port Moresby and Honolulu. Tyndall Centre for Climate Change, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK The Tyndall Centre is a national UK centre for trans-disciplinary research on climate change. It is dedicated to advancing the science of integration, to seeking, evaluating and facilitating sustainable solutions to climate change and to motivate society through promoting informed and effective dialogue. The Centre was constituted in October 2000 and launched officially on 9 November 2000. Its purpose is to research, assess and communicate from a distinct trans-disciplinary perspective the options to mitigate, and the necessities to adapt to, climate change, and to integrate these into the global, national and local contexts of sustainable development. http://www.tyndall.ac.uk City of Tshwane Metropolitan Council, South Africa Its mission is to enhance the quality of life of all the people in the City of Tshwane through a developmental system of local government and the rendering of efficient, effective and affordable services. http://www.tshwane.gov.za Turkana Drought Contingency Planning Unit (TDCPU), Kenya The Early Warning System of Turkana was set up in 1987. It operates at the sub-national level, for the district of Turkana in the northern part of Kenya. It is run by local government, by the TDCPU. It provides information on how early warning data can be translated and communicated to decision makers. Uganda’s Seismic Safety Association (USSA) In 1997, following the WSSI High Level Meeting in Kampala, the Uganda Seismic Safety Association was formed. USSA is a non-profit professional organization some of whose members are affiliated to the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Government Ministries, NGOs, insurance industry, community leaders, and members from the general public. Ukuvuka – Operation Firestop, South Africa Operating within the scope of the authority of the local municipal authorities and the Cape Peninsula National Park, the Ukuvuka Campaign intends to accomplish the work identified by a public awareness campaign, through management support, funding, communication, monitoring and facilitation. http://www.ukuvuka.org.za Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment of the Organization of American States (USDE/OAS), Washington DC, USA The Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment is the principal technical arm of the OAS General Secretariat for responding to the needs of member states on issues relating to sustainable development within an economic development context. Technical issues addressed by the USDE include transboundary management of water resources, reduction of vulnerability to natural hazards, public participation in decision-making, climate change, sea-level rise, coastal-zone management, renewable energy planning, and biodiversity. http://www.oas.org/usde/USDE.htm United Nations Center for Regional Development/Disaster Management Planning Hyogo Office (UNCRD/DMPHO), Japan UNCRD/DMPHO was established in Kobe in 1999 after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995. While applying the lessons learned from the experience of the earthquake of 1995, the Hyogo office has formulated integrated projects for sustainable development through disaster management. The office has three basic research programmes; design of community-based projects for disaster management planning, school earthquake safety project, and disaster management capacity building programmes to introduce best practices case studies on disaster management in developing countries. http://www.hyogo.uncrd.or.jp United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington DC, USA USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. The agency works to support long-term and equitable economic growth and advancing US foreign policy objectives by supporting economic growth, agricultural and trade, global health, democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance. http://www.usaid.gov United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Washington DC, USA FEMA is an independent agency of the federal government, reporting to the President. Its mission is to reduce loss of life and property and to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure from all types of hazards through a comprehensive, risk-based, emergency management program of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. http://www.fema.gov United States Geological Survey (USGS), Reston, USA The USGS provides reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy and mineral resources and enhance and protect the quality of life. http://www.usgs.gov United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) USTDA advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. http://www.tda.gov Urban Geoscience Division of Geoscience Australia Geoscience Australia is the national agency for geoscience research and geospatial information. It is located within the Industry, Tourism and Resources portfolio. As part of its extensive work on urban centres, Geoscience Australia watches and assesses earth-surface processes that pose a risk to Australia. It gathers data and develops tools that governments and other authorities may use to make the nation as safe as possible from natural and human-induced hazards. http://www.ga.gov.au Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) The Alaska Aviation Weather Unit performs two roles as part of its mission to provide timely, accurate forecasts and warnings to the aviation community: Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC), Meteorological Watch Office (MWO). The goal of the international volcanic ash program is to provide worldwide warnings and advisories to aviation interests regarding volcanic ash hazards. Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers are responsible for providing ash movement and dispersion guidance to Meteorological Watch Offices and neighboring VAACs. There are nine VAACs world-wide. Each one is named for the city in which it is located. Warning responsability is passed from office to office as the ash cloud crosses the borders of the VAAC areas. http://aawu.arh.noaa.gov/vaac.php Warton School, Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, University of Pennsylvania, USA The mission of the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center is to carry out a program of basic and applied research to promote effective policies and programs for low-probability events with potentially catastrophic consequences. The Center is especially concerned with natural and technological hazards and with the integration of industrial risk management policies with insurance. The Center is also concerned with promoting a dialogue among industry, government, interest groups and academics through its research and policy publications and through sponsored workshops, roundtables and forums. http://grace.wharton.upenn.edu/risk West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), Union Economique et Monetaire de l’ouest Africaine (UEMOA) Formerly known as the West African Monetary Union (WAMU/UMOA), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) was founded on 10 January 1994 in response to the devaluation of the common currency, the CFA Franc, on 11 January 1994. The Treaty establishing UEMOA (the Dakar Treaty of 10 January 1994) theoretically came into effect on 1 August 1994 after ratification by the seven member countries, thereby also replacing the since then dissolved West African Economic Union (WAEU/CEAO). http://www.dfa.gov.za/for-relations/multilateral/waemu.htm Wetlands International Wetlands International is a leading global non-profit organization dedicated solely to the crucial work of wetland conservation and sustainable management. Well-established networks of experts and close partnerships with key organizations provide Wetlands International with the essential tools for conducting conservation activities worldwide. Activities are based on sound science and have been carried out in over 120 countries. Its mission is to sustain and restore wetlands, their resources and biodiversity for future generations through research, information exchange and conservation activities worldwide. http://www.wetlands.org World Consevation Union (IUCN), Switzerland IUCN’s mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. http://www.iucn.org World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) WOVO was established as the result of a meeting of representatives from worldwide volcano observatories, held in Guadeloupe in 1981. WOVO became the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior Commission in the following year. http://www.wovo.org World Trade Organization (WTO) WTO is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business. http://www.wto.org World Vision World Vision is an international Christian relief and development organisation working to promote the well being of all people - especially children. In 2002, World Vision offered material, emotional, social and spiritual support to 85 million people in 96 countries. http://www.wvi.org/home.shtml World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Since it was founded in 1961, WWF has become one of the world’s largest and most effective independent organizations dedicated to the conservation of nature. http://www.panda.org Zambesi River Authority (ZRA) ZRA was established through an agreement between Zambia and Zimbabwe. ZRA now has the responsibility for operation and maintenance of the Kariba Dam, while two power plants are operated by power companies Zambia and Zimbabwe. Zentrum für Naturrisiken und Entwicklung (ZENEB), Germany (Center for Natural Hazards and Development) The objective of ZENEB is the creation of a culture of prevention for the advancement of sustainable development. Accordingly, initiatives in the reduction of vulnerability of natural hazards are being made in cooperation with issues of science and policy. http://www.giub.uni-bonn.de/zeneb