While reconstruction efforts carried out in Sichuan since the massive earthquake in 2008 have seen encouraging results, qualifying them as some of the best examples of disaster management to date, natural calamities continue to plague people in various parts of the world. Recognising the mounting concern for disaster mitigation and post-disaster rebuilding, The Hong Kong Jockey Club sponsored the 1st International Forum on Post-Disaster Reconstruction and Sustainable Development in Sichuan University today (11 May) – the eve of the 3rd anniversary of the 5/12 Sichuan earthquake.
The Club hopes the forum has not only tapped into the experience of five guest speakers from the UK, USA and Japan who have participated in disaster relief missions in other parts of the world, but also provided a valuable opportunity for experts and academics from the Chinese Mainland to share and review their similar undertakings in Sichuan over the past three years. Through these exchanges, the forum marks an important step in disaster management and reconstruction research in the nation, as well as around the world.
When news of the massive earthquake reached Hong Kong, the Club immediately made an emergency donation of HK$30 million, as well as organised a public fund-raising drive that raised HK$9.5 million for the relief work. A further HK$1 billion was committed by the Club to help in Sichuan’s post-earthquake reconstruction.
Speaking at the forum, President of Sichuan University Professor Xie Heping expressed gratitude to the Club for making significant contributions to the province’s reconstruction, most notably in the areas of restoring and enhancing education and medical services.
In August 2010, the Club concluded an agreement with Sichuan University to confirm its support for the establishment of Sichuan University–Hong Kong Polytechnic University Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction and HKJC Research Centre on Disaster Management – the nation’s first-ever tertiary institute to provide research and professional training in disaster prevention, mitigation and reconstruction. It is anticipated that some 6,000 practising professionals will be trained there in the first three years. The Club hopes the Institute can provide training to fill the void in disaster management professionals. By developing the Institute into a world-class disaster management institute serving the whole nation, the Club also hopes to create a platform for closer collaboration between China and the global community in emergency research.
Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges noted that natural disasters would always be a part of life, especially in a country as vast as China. The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan had provided a sharp reminder of the awesome power of nature, he said, and made the establishment of the Institute all the more important.
“This is a project that we feel especially proud of, because its aim is to mitigate the impact of such natural disasters in the future. It is also a project that exemplifies the close spirit of co-operation we have established with our partners in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, and our shared vision in building a brighter future together,” Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges remarked.
Welcoming the speakers and delegates to the forum, President of Sichuan University Professor Xie Heping expressed his thanks to Sichuan Provincial People’s Government, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Club for their support towards the establishment of the Institute. “We are grateful to the Club for donating RMB200 million to help the establishment and initial operation of the Institute,” Professor Xie said, adding that Sichuan University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Club had agreed to adopt “Building on Information, Contributing to Mankind” as the pioneering Institute’s motto.
Professor Angelina Yuen, Vice President of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, recounted how co-operation between the two universities right after the earthquake had led to the realisation that the Institute was a prerequisite for longer-term disaster management and reconstruction work. “This is a dream come true for Sichuan University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, thanks in no small part to the Club’s support,” Professor Yuen said.
Today’s forum, jointly organised by the Institute and HKJC Research Centre on Disaster Management, and bearing the theme “Readiness and Professional Training for the Future”, was the first international event of its type, establishing ongoing exchanges with international experts in disaster management and reconstruction. By pooling the knowledge and insights of experts from the Chinese Mainland and overseas, the Club aims to help build a disaster management and reconstruction base not only for the nation, but eventually for the whole world.
The speakers from China and overseas shared with the delegates their extensive disaster management and reconstruction experiences from across the globe. They included Professor Anthony Redmond, Deputy Director of The Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute of the University of Manchester, UK, who participated in medical relief operations after the Sichuan and Haiti earthquakes; Dr Mayumi Sasaoka, President of the Japanese Association of Social Workers in Health Services; Professor Liu Lianyou from Beijing Normal University and the Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management of the Ministry of Civil Affairs & Ministry of Education; Yuichi Honjo, co-ordinator for Kobe and advisor to Sendai on post-earthquake reconstruction; Toru Nagasawa of the Sino-Japan Capacity Building Programme for Earthquake Emergency Relief Work and a long-time specialist in the rescue field; and Laura R Hokenstad, former Exercise Program Manager of the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the USA.
The forum was well attended by more than 200 guests from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Sichuan Development and Reform Commission and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Sichuan Provincial People’s Government, as well as by experts and members of academia.
Preceding the forum, the Club’s Executive Director of Corporate Affairs Kim Mak presented details of the Club-supported reconstruction projects and how beneficiaries in Sichuan had begun to rebuild their lives. “The Club has always stood ready to lend a helping hand through charitable donations and emergency relief efforts,” Mr Mak observed. “In the face of the massive destruction inflicted on Sichuan in 2008, while our primary focus has been to help young people resume their studies, we are equally keen to contribute to Sichuan’s long-term sustainable development.”
The education projects supported by the Club will help young people in the province advance from junior secondary to senior secondary level, then go on to vocational or sports training and further to university level, with a view to sustaining Sichuan’s long-term development. Mr Mak pointed out that all schools funded by the Club would be equipped with rehabilitation and barrier-free facilities, with a view to helping those with disabilities resume their studies and receive professional training to prepare for their future careers, so that they could eventually reintegrate into society.
Meanwhile, the Club-sponsored medical projects are aimed at providing critically-needed rehabilitation expertise, as well as facilities for rehabilitation and psychological counselling services. It is anticipated that over 1 million people will benefit from the projects each year. The projects will also generate synergetic effects and be conducive to Hong Kong-Sichuan exchanges in future.
Speakers at the forum unanimously agreed that professional training was critical to reconstruction undertakings. Be they scientific assessment, data collection and research, community support or professional training, such initiatives were key to effective post-disaster reconstruction and long-term planning.
Drawing reference from his 25 years of responding to conflicts and disasters across the world, including participation in medical relief work after the devastating earthquakes in Sichuan and Haiti, Deputy Director of the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute of the University of Manchester Professor Anthony Redmond made a comparison of the relief work in Sichuan and Haiti to illustrate the lessons learned from these missions, most notably how emergency assistance between countries could provide opportunities for further co-operation. “After the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, for instance, there has followed a very successful continuing programme for education and support between the UK and China, with doctors and nurses visiting each country to share their expertise,” he observed.
Arriving from the earthquake-stricken Sendai area, Dr Mayumi Sasaoka stressed that helping victims restore their lives was equally important to providing emergency relief. Analysing the characteristics of the Sendai earthquake, Dr Sasaoka said the personalised counselling provided by social workers to individual victims since the disaster had a far-reaching positive impact on the traumatised victims. “It is imperative to adopt a comprehensive and systematic approach in mapping out counselling service modes based on individual needs, according priority to advancing the social work practice in health services,” Dr Sasaoka concluded.
Also speaking at the forum was Expert Committee member of the National Committee for Disaster Reduction Professor Liu Lianyou, who emphasised the importance of systematic assessment, including analysis of casualty figures and transportation data, based on which reconstruction plans could be devised. He noted that the Expert Committee had submitted reports and recommendations to the Chinese government on important topics such as reconstruction technology, practical knowledge, epidemic prevention and food safety, in a bid to enhance the nation’s emergency response capacity.
Japanese speaker Yuichi Honjo, who co-ordinated the Kobe City Recovery Plan after the earthquake there 16 years ago, drew reference from this and the Sendai disaster in March to elaborate on the extent of their reconstruction efforts and the lessons learned from them. He pointed out that long-term reconstruction projects must be macro in planning, yet micro in mapping out implementation details, such as the establishment of exchange points in local communities. He also believed that conducting surveys of victims’ needs and expectations would help in the process of drafting overall reconstruction blueprints.
Based on the experience he gained as a firefighter in disaster relief and mitigation, as well as community building in Tokyo, speaker Toru Nagasawa talked about the improvements made to China’s emergency management capacity since the launch of the Sino-Japan Capacity Building Programme for Earthquake Emergency Relief Work. He also looked at different approaches to emergency response capacity building, and co-operation between the government and the community in post-disaster reconstruction. Nagasawa placed great importance on training disaster management personnel and integrated drill exercises, such as evacuation plans during disasters, to prepare for future calamities.
American disaster management expert Laura R Hokenstad explained how the American authorities would devise plans for each of the four phases of emergency management, emphasising the importance of training in enhancing a community’s strategic preparedness for disaster.
Speakers at the forum concurred that post-disaster management and reconstruction need to be conceived in a multi-layered and diversified approach, encompassing emergency relief work, overall data assessment, and professional training in various disciplines. Lessons and experience could be drawn from overseas incidents and experts, with a view to optimising the protection offered to mankind while minimising the damage caused by natural catastrophes.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has become one of Hong Kong's best known and respected organisations, providing the public with world-class sporting entertainment as well as being the city's major non-Government community benefactor, now donating more than HK$1 billion a year to charitable and community projects. It has been a part of Hong Kong through good times and bad, sharing the city's growth and development with its people, and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations.
Attachment:
Fact sheet on the Club-sponsored post-earthquake reconstruction projects in Sichuan
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Commemorating the First International Forum on Post-Disaster Reconstruction and Sustainable Development jointly organised by Sichuan Universitya£į”§Hong Kong Polytechnic University Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction and HKJC Research Centre on Disaster Management, and sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, honoured guests put their speeches into a time capsule as a token of global collaboration in the fight against natural disasters. Pictured from left are Dr Mayumi Sasaoka, President of the Japanese Association of Social Workers in Health Services; Toru Nagasawa of the Sino-Japan Capacity Building Programme for Earthquake Emergency Relief Work; Yuichi Honjo, co-ordinator for Kobe and Advisor to Sendai on post-earthquake reconstruction; Professor Anthony Redmond, Deputy Director of The Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute of the University of Manchester, UK; Professor Angelina Yuen, Vice President of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Professor Xie Heping, President of Sichuan University; Kim Mak, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs for The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Laura R Hokenstad, former Exercise Program Manager of the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the USA; and Professor Liu Lianyou from the Beijing Normal University and the Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management of the Ministry of Civil Affairs & Ministry of Education.
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The Hong Kong Jockey Cluba£į?s Executive Director of Corporate Affairs Kim Mak says the Club-supported international forum will help Sichuan people build a more sustainable future.
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Speakers from China and overseas have animated exchanges with delegates on disaster management and reconstruction experiences at the First International Forum on Post-disaster Reconstruction and Sustainable Development.
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