UN-SPIDER Awareness Raising Outline. Report at United Nations/China Regional UN-SPIDER Workshop

1. The United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for
Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER)
UN-SPIDER Awareness Raising
——Report at Outline
United Nations/China
Regional UN-SPIDER Workshop
National Committee for Disaster Reduction
National Disaster Reduction Center of China
3 December,2007
CNDR NDRCC

2. Contents
Awareness Raising in China
Awareness Raising Strategy

4. Background of Raising Public Awareness for
Disaster Reduction in China(1)
China remains one of few countries that are most severely afflicted
by natural disasters across the world.
74% of provincial capitals and 62% of municipalities are prone to high-
intensity earthquakes, over 70% of large cities and over 50% of the population
are vulnerable to meteorological, seismic, geological and oceanic disasters.
For the past decade, China has faced a still more gloomy picture of natural
disasters, with roughly 300 million people affected, 4 million houses collapsed,
4 million people evacuated and over 200 billion RMB yuan of direct economic
losses incurred every year on the average.
the most severe summer drought since 1951 hit Shalan school was destroyed by flood in
Sichuan and Chongqing,2006. Heilongjiang Province, June 13, 2005.

5. Background of Raising Public Awareness for
Disaster Reduction in China(2)
It is great significance to disaster mitigation by raising the public
disaster reduction awareness especially to children.
As public disaster reduction awareness is relative weak,
propagandizing disaster reduction knowledge is shouldering heavy
responsibilities .
In order to deliver upon scientific outlook on development in all
aspects and put people first in administration, the Chinese
government attaches great importance to the work of public disaster
reduction rising and considers it as a practical urgent task to
effectively deal with disaster.

6. Important Progress of Public Disaster Reduction
Awareness Raising in China
 In April 2005, China National Committee for the International
Decade on Natural Disaster Reduction was renamed as National
Commission for Disaster Reduction, together with the creation of
Board of Experts. NCDR is headed by a leader of the State
Council, composed of 30 ministries and departments, including
relevant military agencies and social groups. NCDR’s office is
affiliated to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. To carry on a series of
disaster reduction activities for public awareness-raising is an
important responsibility of NCDR.
TV Contest on Disaster Reduction and Community-based Disaster Reduction
Emergency Response Campaign

7. Important Progress(1)
Cases in point are as follows: the General Office of the State Council
issued the Overall Program for the Implementation of Public Awareness
Raising of Scientific Emergency Management; National Committee for
Disaster Reduction of China, Ministry of Education and Ministry of
Civil Affairs jointly issued Recommendations on Strengthening School
Disaster Reduction; Governments at different levels and relevant
departments have organized and unfolded science programs of all kinds
to reach out to the public about knowledge in disaster reduction, raise
public awareness of disaster prevention and equip them with proven
know-how to save their own lives and others in case of disasters.

8. Important Progress(2)
Pop-science awareness campaigns on disaster reduction have been
organized to “reach out to the rural areas, communities, enterprises and
schools” about the knowledge needed for disaster resilience. Community
Disaster Reduction Campaign and National Disaster Reduction Contest
have also been undertaken to add more substance to the outreach
campaigns. China has also built up capabilities to work out emergency
response plans, embark on drills and build disaster-resistant facilities at
the grass-roots level. With all these initiatives in place, the public are
now more aware of how to live with disasters and the grass-roots
communities are more resilient to disasters.

9. Important Progress(3)
To raise the disaster awareness of children and students is most
important in China. To popularize the disaster reduction knowledge is
very useful for them.
Children and students education

10. Important Progress(4)
Different disaster reduction drills in China
Fight floods and disaster Protecting against and
relief drill
mitigating earthquake drill
anti-terrorist
cooperation drill
air defense drill
public health safety drill

11. Important Progress(5)
Quiz Competition through CCTV and local TV stations in China are
held to raise public disaster reduction awareness.

12. Important Progress(6)
Training is also an important measure to raise public disaster
awareness especially for governmental officials.

13. Important Progress(7)
As approved by the State Council, China has
outlined National Eleventh Five-Year Plan for
Comprehensive Disaster Reduction. The program is
indicative of the fact that disaster mitigation has been
incorporated into national and local programs of
socio-economic development. National Eleventh Five-
Year Plan for Comprehensive Disaster Reduction
points out one of its goals is that “the public
awareness of disaster reduction expertise will be
raised markedly. Publicity of awareness knowledge
and specialized education on disaster reduction shall
be organized and educational training bases for
publicity of scientific knowledge on disaster reduction
shall be developed.”

14. Important Progress(8)
To set up national disaster website and national space technology for
disaster reduction website via internet in China has made active effect in
awareness-raising.

15. Important Progress(9)
China has issued a series of reading materials
for publicity and education of awareness-
raising.

17. Goals and Objectives
Targets (Beijing office)
Develop an awareness-raising strategy centred on awareness-raising
campaigns, which should identify target groups, set out guidelines for
preparing campaign material, identify and set out guidelines for involving
key partners, particularly national focal points, and establish distribution
networks
Carry out the awareness-raising campaigns defined in the awareness-
raising strategy; produce specific publications, displays and education
materials; arrange for the wide distribution of the campaign materials
and record the experiences gained
Insert in the knowledge portal specific information on awareness-
raising, including an e-training component for building the capacity of
national focal points and a disaster-related education database

18. Contents of Awareness-Raising Material
Beijing office will develop publicity and educational products for space-
based disaster reduction, edit a series of relevant science reading
materials, wall maps and audio-video products, The contents should be
included are listed as follows
Basic knowledge of various disasters;
General situation of regional and national disaster;
National disaster management mechanism;
Useful experience on scientific disaster mitigation and relief to let the
public know about the necessary skills and expertise in disaster prevention
and how to avoid dangers ;
Basic knowledge on space technology and its effects to disaster
reduction;
Outcomes for disaster reduction based on space technology;
Some successful cases of disaster reduction based on space information;

19. Activities on How to Raise Public Awareness (1)
Finalize the awareness-raising strategy
In accordance with the responsibility of Beijing office and the 2008-2009
work plan, on the basis of analyzing different objects’ need, Beijing office takes
responsibility of formulating globe awareness-raising strategy by collecting
related information and summarizing China public awareness-raising
experiences. The basic contents are as follows:
1. Aim of public awareness-raising;
2. Awareness-raising objects of space-based disaster reduction;
3. Planned implemented activities for raising public awareness including
time, venue, form, contents and so on;
4. Work summary and effect assessment;

20. Activities on How to Raise Public Awareness (2)
Hold a workshop & press conference during the Beijing office opening
ceremony in Beijing;
Beijing office can invite related officials, experts, intergovernmental and non-
governmental organizations, news media to attend the press conference in order
to propagate the work of Beijing office and disseminate publicity and
educational products for space-based disaster reduction such as a series of related
throwaways, wall maps and audio-video products.

21. Activities on How to Raise Public Awareness (3)
Carry out awareness-raising campaigns on the “International Disaster
Reduction Day” in different countries.
According to the annual theme of “International Disaster Reduction Day”,
Beijing office can implement a series of campaigns.
For instance:
In collaboration with national focal points ,Beijing office can establish some
education bases of disaster reduction nationwide for public by making best use
of existing venues and facilities, so as to let them learn more about space-based
disaster reduction.
To set up bulletin boards in public places to spread space-based disaster
reduction expertise.

22. Activities on How to Raise Public Awareness (3)
To organize a training or convention on capability of space-based disaster
reduction for specific interest groups, such as civil protection organizations,
funding agencies, schoolchildren, news media and intergovernmental and
non-governmental organizations.
To organize an exhibition on the achievement of space-based disaster
reduction for public.
In cooperation with key partner, Beijing office can organize quiz
competition to spread space-based disaster reduction knowledge.
To launch special TV ,radio, newspaper, magazine programs dedicated to
the publicity campaigns, and make not-for-profit advertisements on space-
based disaster reduction.

23. Activities on How to Raise Public Awareness (4)
Establish a website for publicizing space-based disaster reduction
knowledge.
As we all known, internet has become an important measure to spread
information. It is beneficial to construct a website for public awareness-raising.
As an effective tool for interactive long-distance learning , this website can help
specific interest groups or public learn about Beijing office and much
information on space-based disaster reduction.

24. The End
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