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January 2012

DRM has been awarded the supervision of the installation of a system for monitoring of landslides in Prahova and Brasov counties, Romania. The system consists of an array of automatic sensors for observation of displacements and meteorological conditions, automatic data transmission and a monitoring center.

March 2011

The Faculty of Agriculture, University for Development Studies, Tamale, together with the Centre for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services (CERSGIS), University of Ghana, Legon, Accra partnered with DRM for the preparation of the proposal for the Weather Risk mapping of Northern Ghana.

October 2009

The Global Earthquake Model (GEM) initiative brings together worldwide expertise on all aspects of earthquake risk to produce tools that help to reduce earthquake losses. The GEM is assessing User Needs via a web-based survey. DRM supports this initiative. The survey can be found at www.globalquakemodel.org.

July 2009

The DRM Inc. Board of Directors elected at its meeting of 22 July 2009 Kay Heidbreder and Silvio Seno new Directors. Richard Benson was elected President. Walter Ammann was elected Secretary / Treasurer.

June 2009

The Second Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, organized by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR), took place 16 - 19 June in Geneva. The meeting was attended by representatives from 152 governments and 137 organizations. The Platform recognized that solutions for disaster risk reduction exist and called for practical action. DRM was represented by Prof. Silvio Seno. www.preventionweb.net/globalplatform/2009

May 2009

DRM presented the Standard for risk assessment in the tourism sector, which was developed under a contract with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency, to an audience of tourism professionals and risk management specialists. The event took place 6 May at the Standards Bureau, Tunapuna, Trinidad & Tobago. The event included presentations, discussion and group work for the implementation phase. The workshop was conducted by DRM representatives Drs. Manfred Thüring and Jürg Hammer.

March 2009

DRM conducted a landslide hazard seminar at the University of Transylvania, Brasov, Romania, 9-13 March 2009. The seminar is part of the consultancy on landslide studies and monitoring of two landslides at Sacele reservoir and in Sinaia town, contracted with the Ministry of Environment. The seminar was attended by municipal personnel, water authority representatives, academic staff and graduate students. It was organized and conducted by Dr. James Martin, professor of geotechnical engineering and director of DRM@VT.
www.unisdr.org/english/events/v.php?id=8268

November 2008

The landslide monitoring project was presented to an audience of public officials of the Brasov prefecture and the Romanian Water Authorities, at the town hall in Sacele, November 11. The implementation of the warning and evacuation system was discussed by the representative of the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, the Prefect of Brasov County, and the Mayor of Sacele.

September 2008

DRM provides technical advice to the Government of Saint Lucia for the Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment of its Second National Communication, at the Modeling Workshop held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, September 19-25.

June 2008

DRM has signed a contract with the Governorate of Kerman for the provision of consultancy services for seismic retrofitting of essential buildings within the Bam Earthquake Emergency Reconstruction Project. The services include risk assessment, engineering design and construction supervision for ten building complexes of hospitals, schools, the governorate, a telecommunication building, a police station and a fire station.

March 2008

DRM has signed a contract with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency CDERA for Consultancy Services for the Development of Standards for Conducting Hazard Mapping, Vulnerability Assessment and Economic Valuation for Risk Assessment for the Tourism Sector. The services will be conducted in cooperation with the CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality CROSQ.

January 2008

DRM wins a contract from the government of Romania for landslide evaluation and monitoring. The project analyzes eight landslide zones and selects priority areas for monitoring and early warning. The duration of the project is two years.

October 2007

The Hon. Richard Frederick, Minister of Physical Development, Housing, Urban Renewal and Local Government received the products of the DRM Drought Hazard Project at the final workshop, held October 30, 2007 at the Glencastle Resorts, Saint Lucia. The workshop was attended by an audience of senior officials from all involved government branches. The project results were presented by DRM representatives Jürg Hammer, Manfred Thüring and James Martin.

The DRM infrastructure vulnerability and drought hazard projects were presented at the 8th Forum Katastrophenvorsorge, an event jointly organized by the German Committee for Disaster Reduction and CEDIM, and held October 15 and 16, 2007, at the University of Karslruhe. The Forum was attended by 200 professionals from academia, industry, public administration.

July 2007

DRM Director Mauro Dell'Ambrogio has been appointed to the post of Secretary of State for Higher Education and Research. The Swiss Federal Council elected Dr. Dell'Ambrogio in its session of June 7. He is currently CEO of SUPSI University of Applied Sciences and president of the Ticino Electricity company AET. He will commence the position as Secretary of State in January 2008, taking over from Charles Kleiber who will retire. DRM wishes Dr. Dell'Ambrogio best success in his new post.

March 2007

DRM participated in the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition - DIHAD, held March 31 - April 3, 2007, at the Dubai International Convention Centre. The conference contributes to the further enhancement of technically sound and principled international humanitarian and development assistance. It was supported by the United Nations and the UAE Red Crescent Society.

December 2006

DRM participated at the Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management, organized by CDERA and held December 11-14, 2006 in Barbados. DRM gave a presentation on GIS developments for applications in disaster preparedness. DRM was also present at the UNDP sponsored Knowledge Fair with an exhibition on its services in the field of disaster risk management. DRM was represented by Dr. Massimiliano Cannata and Dr. Jürg Hammer.

The DRM Europe Consortium lead by the Economic Research Institute of USI has won a research contract within the Swiss Science Foundation's Research Programme 54 "Sustainable Development of the Built Environment". The project is titled "Evaluation of the optimal resilience for vulnerable infrastructure networks. An interdisciplinary study on the transalpine transportation corridors." The project will involve scientists of the Earth Science Institute of SUPSI.

November 2006

The Government of Saint Lucia has awarded to DRM a contract for the development of Drought Hazard Maps, a component of the Second Disaster Management Project. The project is designed to enhance the Saint Lucia National Hazard Mitigation Plan. The client's personnel will receive training at the DRM SUPSI-IST lab in Lugano, Switzerland.

August 2006

The International Disaster Reduction Conference IDRC 2006 took place August 27 - September 1, 2006 in Davos, Switzerland. The conference focused on implementation of risk management tools. DRM presented its activities in the fields of infrastructure security and greenhouse gas solutions. DRM was represented by its president Dr. Stephan Bieri and Dr. Jürg Hammer. The conference was organized and chaired by DRM Director Dr. Walter Ammann.

June 2006

DRM has been formally established in Switzerland at SUPSI Canobbio-Lugano with the signing of respective memorandums as a joint collaboration of the University of Southern Switzerland USI, the University of Applied Sciences SUPSI, the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, and DRM Inc.

January 2006

DRM has successfully completed the Risk Analysis for Land-Use Planning project in 30 municipalities in Nicaragua. The project was executed for the Secretariat of SINAPRED (National System for Disaster Emergencies and Prevention) and in close cooperation with municipal authorities and national institutions. The project produced hazard and municipal zoning maps, and proposes structural and non-structural mitigation measures.

December 2005

The DRM Board of Director decided at its meeting of December 6 the establishment of DRM in Switzerland. It was also decided that business in the United States will be primarily handled by DRM-VT, and business overseas primarily by DRM from Switzerland.

July 2005

DRM Director Dr. Walter Ammann has been awarded the UNESCO / Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction (GADR) Medal. The award is for distinguished leadership and personal commitment to ongoing activities to build a global culture of community disaster resilience.

June 2005

DRM won a contract in connection with the component "Hazard Vulnerability Studies, Land-Use Planning and Enforcement of Building Codes for Disaster Mitigation in Pilot Municipalities" which is part of the Marmara Earthquake Emergency Reconstruction in Turkey. DRM will provide the services under an agreement with ABS Consulting and in association with the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute.

May 2005

DRM presented the findings of the Seismic Vulnerability Study of Managua at a workshop held May 24-26, 2005 in Managua, Nicaragua. The audience included professionals and researchers from the Nicaraguan Institute for Territorial Studies (INETER), universities, the municipal planning department, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, and consulting firms.

December 2004

DRM presented the new Building Code to an audience of engineers, construction professionals, municipal technicians and representatives of government agencies on December 10, 2004 at the National University in Managua. The Building Code for Nicaragua, General Procedures, with particular emphasis on earthquake resistant design, was developed by a team of international and local experts lead by DRM.

October 2004

The Microzonation for Earthquake Risk Mitigation project, executed by DRM for the General Directorate of Disaster Affairs, Republic of Turkey, and financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, has successfully been completed. The project documentation consists of a seismic microzonation manual, pilot studies and materials on sustainable implementation, training and public awareness. An Executive Summary of this project and the Seismic Microzonation Manual and are available online.

July 2004

DRM won a contract for the provision of disaster prevention expertise to the GTZ Rural Development Program in Mozambique.

May 2004

DRM won a contract for the Risk Analysis and Land-Use Planning component of the Natural Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project in Nicaragua.

April 2004

DRM conducted a workshop on the development of seismic load parameters for the new building code. The workshop was held April 19, 2004 at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure in Managua, Nicaragua.

March 2004

DRM affiliates met at the Global Disaster Information Network Conference, which took place March 26-28, 2004 at the State Department in Washington, DC. DRM Board Member Dr. Walter Ammann presented recent advances in the fields of early warning and communication systems.

February 2004

DRM offered a Seismic Microzonation Training Course to 30 participants from municipalities, central government and the private sector, as part of the Seismic Microzonation Project. The course was conducted February 16-20, 2004 at Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, Istanbul.

January 2004

The DRM Board of Directors held its annual meeting on January 28, 2004 at SLF in Davos, Switzerland. The IDB ECLAC advisory group to the Risk Information Project met January 13, 2004 in Washington, DC. DRM was represented by Dr. Jürg Hammer.

December 2003

DRM Board of Directors member, Dr. Walter J. Ammann, made a presentation on "Development of Disaster Management Strategy" at the GTZ workshop on the Rural Development Program in Buzi, Mozambique.

October 2003

DRM is awarded the "Evaluation of the Seismic Vulnerability of Managua, Nicaragua" and the "Revision of the Building Code" projects. The projects are scheduled to begin in mid-January 2004.

September 2003

Within the DRM Microzonation for Earthquake Risk Mitigation project, DRM conducted a Workshop for Municipalities on the Implementation of Seismic Microzonation for Land Use Planning on September 17 in Adapazari, Turkey. The workshop aimed at urban planners and local government official and explained the use of seismic microzonation in the planning process.

July 2003

DRM has signed a contract with GTZ for consultancy and the establishment of an integral risk management system in the Buzi Region in Mozambique. The services are provided by an on-site risk management specialist and advice by SLF experts.

June 2003

DRM presented its work and approach at a workshop on natural disaster risk management, organized by GTZ, held June 3-6, 2003 in Piura, Peru. The workshop was attended by project leaders from Andean and Central American projects. Project experiences were exchanged and new fields for action explored.

The products of the DRM Microzonation for Earthquake Risk Mitigation project were discussed and approved by the Technical Advisory Board, at its final meeting which took place June 2-3, 2003 at ETH Zurich.

The DRM Board of Directors appointed Dr. Jürg Hammer to the post of Managing Director of World Institute for Disaster Risk Management, Inc. (DRM), at its annual meeting held in Zurich June 30, 2003.

April 2003

DRM and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) signed an agreement for the evaluation of IDB's policy on natural and unexpected disasters (OP-704). DRM built a multi-disciplinary team of experts in order to evaluate the policy in terms of its relevance for the Bank's mission, as well as in terms of the effectiveness and efficiency of the development and implementation of the Bank's instruments in the 26 borrowing countries over the past five years. Field studies are being conducted in seven borrowing countries.

DRM presented its current work and approach at the World Bank on April 17, 2003. The audience included sector specialists from the Bank and other interested institutions.

January 2003

The German Corporation for International Cooperation GTZ awarded a contract to DRM for a multi-hazard and risk assessment study in parts of the Arequipa region in southern Peru. DRM has formed a multi-disciplinary team for the execution of this project which is composed of headquarter staff and experts from member institutions.

December 2002

A DRM delegation participated at the ProVention Consortium Conference titled "The Future of Disaster Risk: Building Safer Cities" organized by the Disaster Management Facility and held December 4-6, 2002 at the World Bank in Washington, DC. Professors Henry Quarantelli, head of the DRM Scientific Advisory Committee, and Carlos Levinton of the DRM Affiliate Institution at the University of Buenos Aires acted as panelists on the topics " Social Infrastructure and Vulnerability of the Poor" and "Vulnerability of Public/Social Infrastructure".

November 2002

The DRM Board of Directors convened for its annual meeting November 6, 2002 at Heathrow, England. The meeting was attended by all board members, the management and the DRM program advisors. The strategy for the coming year was discussed and approved.

September 2002

DRM Co-Director Juerg Hammer participated in the annual meeting of Natural Hazards Competence Center (CENAT), held September 12, 2002 at the University of Berne, and discussed current and future DRM projects with its members. It was agreed that strong links between CENAT and DRM should be established through project development and collaboration.

August 2002

DRM Program Manager Dr. Silvia Mosquera Machado represented DRM at the Crowding the Rim workshop held in Costa Rica August 8-1, 2002. The Crowding the Rim initiative promotes international, cross-sectoral discussions to better understand and prepare for the potential reverberating effects of hazards in the Pacific Rim region. Participants included government officials, technical advisors, emergency managers, professionals, and academicians.

July 2002

DRM Co-director Dr. Jürg Hammer presented the DRM Microzonation for Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project (MERM) to an audience of experts and decision makers at the Third Meeting on Seismic Microzonation, organized by FUNVISIS (Venezuelan Foundation for Seismic Investigation) and held July 15-18, 2002 at Universidad Central in Caracas, Venezuela. DRM is planning to adapt the methodology which is currently being developed for the MERM Project in Turkey, to the Latin American context.

On July 17,2002 Dr. Krimgold contributed to the Panel Discussion ‘Challenges for Humanitarian Assistance in the Last Decade and into the Future” on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/182. The event was held in the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium of the United Nations, New York. Dr. Krimgold spoke on challenges in the area of natural disaster risk management.

On July 31, 2002 Dr. Krimgold made a presentation of the DRM project “Microzonation for Earthquake Risk Mitigation” at the Second Annual IIASA-DPRI Meeting “Integrated Disaster Risk Management: Megacity Vulnerability and Resilience”, held at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria. The meeting was co-sponsored by the Disaster Prevention Research Institute of Kyoto University, Columbia University and the World Bank.

June 2002

Professor Atilla Ansal, leader of the research task group in the DRM Microzonation for Earthquake Mitigation Project organized and directed the meeting on Concepts for Analysis and Interpretation of Results, which was held June 13-14 at the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, Bosporus University Istanbul. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss and decide the approach in conducting the seismic microzonation study in the case study areas of Adapazari and Degirmendere.

May 2002

Recent developments and prospects of DRM were presented to an audience of representatives of Swiss government and academia by members of the DRM Board of directors, management and member institutions at a special event held May 8, 2002 in Lucerne.

DRM Co-director Dr. Jürg Hammer participated on behalf of the SwissRe Climate Board in the Conference on Climate Risks for Insurance and Finance Industry, which was jointly organized by the Dialogue on Water and Climate and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and held May 17, 2002 at MunichRe in Munich, Germany. The conference marked the initiation of a dialogue for knowledge transfer between water/climate science and insurance/finance industry.

April 2002

Co-Director Fred Krimgold made a presentation on comprehensive regional risk assessment and management at the 3rd Applied Services Economic Centre Seminar on Services in Manufacturing and Finance held in Toronto, Canada, April 18 - 19, 2002. The Seminar was supported by the Geneva Association. Dr. Krimgold's contribution was part of a session on " Scenario Planning: Dealing with Risk and Vulnerability". The seminar brought together experts on supply chain management and risk management.

Co-Director Fred Krimgold presented a discussion on "Vulnerability Assessment" at the Columbia-Wharton Roundtable "Risk Management in an Uncertain World" held at the IBM Palisades Executive Conference Center in New York on April 12 - 13, 2002. The Roundtable brought together a range of specialists from the research disciplines of engineering, economics, finance, insurance, political science, psychology, sociology, urban planning and associated professions. The Roundtable produced recommendations of research priorities related to risk assessment and management for extreme events.

DRM has been invited by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to expand the project "Incremental Seismic Rehabilitation Manuals" to include three additional manuals and an added year of project activity. The project is developing guidance for engineers and building owners on the incremental reduction of earthquake risk in existing hazardous buildings including schools, hospitals, office buildings, retail buildings and multi-family housing.

The DRM Board of Directors appointed Lenwood D. McCoy, Associate Vice President for Special Initiatives and formerly Controller of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, to the position of Business Consultant for DRM. With his long and broad experience in international business, Lenwood McCoy will be a major pillar for the DRM operation.

March 2002

The Board of Directors of the World Institute for Disaster Risk Management, inc. (DRM) was installed at its first meeting held March 11, 2002 in Alexandria. The Board members are: Dr. Charles Steger, President of Virginia Tech (DRM President); Dr. Stephan Bieri, Vice-President and CEO of the Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (DRM Secretary/Treasurer); Dr. Maritta von Bieberstein Koch-Weser, President Earth 3000 (DRM Director); Dr. Bruno Porro, Chief Risk and Reinsurance Officer, Swiss Reinsurance Company (DRM Director).

Members of the United States Congress and their chiefs of staff met the DRM Board and Management at a luncheon at the United States Capitol on March 12, 2002. The event was supported by Présence Suisse and organized in conjunction with the Embassy of Switzerland in Washington DC. Speakers included Congressman James Moran, DRM President Charles Steger, Ambassador Christian Blickensdorfer, DRM Program Advisor Heinrich Neukomm and DRM Co-Director Fred Krimgold.

Co-Director Fred Krimgold participated in a United Nations Expert Workshop in Geneva, Switzerland on March 21 - 22, 2002. The meeting was organized by the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The workshop prepared recommendations on innovative roles for the United Nations in reducing the negative consequences of natural disasters. Recommendations were presented to Mr. Oshima, the Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, who also serves as Emergency Relief Coordinator.

February 2002

Co-Director Fred Krimgold served as co-chairman of a NATO/Russia Joint Scientific and Technological Cooperation Advanced Research Workshop on the topic of "Vulnerability of Natural and Technogenic Sphere, Estimation of Integral Risks of Territories and Objects". The Workshop was held at the State University of Management in Moscow , January 28 - February 1, 2002. The workshop included representatives of six NATO countries and eight Russian research institutions. The workshop identified research topics of common interest which could provide the basis for future collaborative research.

Co-Director Fred Krimgold presented an "Earthquake Case Study" at the NSF sponsored workshop on "Planning for the Unexpected". The workshop was held at the Financial Center Marriott in New York City on February 27 - 28,2002. The workshop brought together researchers from computer and information science, engineering and the social and behavioral sciences to examine research opportunities in the field of disaster management and response. The workshop will result in a multidisciplinary research agenda on disaster management and risk reduction.

January 2002

Forthcoming event: On March 12, 2002, DRM will make a presentation on the benefits of this successful Swiss - US collaboration to the members and staff of the US Congress at Capitol Hill. The event will be held in cooperation with the Swiss Embassy and is supported by Présence Suisse.

DRM has signed a collaboration agreement with the General Directorate for Disaster Affairs (GDDA), Ministry for Housing and Settlement, Ankara. The agreement is for the installation of GIS capabilities and corresponding training to GDDA personal and will enhance GDDAs capabilities in the preparation of seismic microzonation maps. The Microzonation Manual for Turkey, which is currently under preparation by DRM members, will be an official recommendation by GDDA. This agreement is part of the DEZA funded Microzonation for Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project.

DRM in collaboration with the State University of Management, Moscow has organized a NATO/Russia Advanced Research Workshop on the topic of "Vulnerability of Natural and Technogenic Sphere, Estimation of Integrated Risks of Territories and Objects". The workshop was held in Moscow January 28-February 1, 2002. Three DRM affiliate institutions were represented and Professor Nikolay Makhutov, member of the DRM Scientific Advisory Committee participated in the workshop. The workshop identified research topics of common interest to NATO and Russian researchers and established contacts for future collaborative research.

December 2001

The Centre d’Etude des Risques Géologiques, the DRM partner at the University of Geneva, announces the 15th edition of its Postgraduate Certificate Course “Analysis & Management of Geological Risks”, to be held April 22 to June 12, 2002 in Geneva. Detailled information and an application form are available at www.unige.ch/hazards/cerg/.

November 2001

DRM partner and sponsor Swiss Re appointed Dr. Jürg Hammer to the Task Force on Climate Change, Adaptation and Vulnerable Communities. The objective of this task force, which is organized by IUCN, The Stockholm Environment Institute and the International Institute for Sustainable Development, is the provision of guidance on ways in which natural resource management can decrease the vulnerability of communities, by increasing their resilience and capacity to adapt to climate related disasters. The task force's first meeting will convene November 19 - 20, 2001 and will provide guidance for a project research agenda, including the design of an analytical framework, identification of case studies, and the articulation of a preliminary strategy for integrating this work into research and policy frameworks.

Professor Carlos Levinton, Director of the DRM affiliate Center at the University of Buenos Aires, co-organized the PAHO Interagency Seminar on Health-in-Housing, which was held November 7 and 8, 2001 at the Pan American Health Organizations headquarter in Washington, DC. DRM Co-Director Jürg Hammer gave a presentation on DRMs Latin American activities and interests. The event was attended by representatives from the Health in Housing network from across the Americas, whose objective was the promotion of inter agency cooperation and joint collaborative efforts.

October 2001

A delegation of DEZA (Swiss Development Corporation, SDC) representatives visited the DRM office at Sakarya (Turkey) and the project area of the DEZA financed Microzonation for Earthquake Risk Mitigation project. The delegation was headed by DEZA project coordinator Mrs. Barbara Dättwyler. DRM resident coordinator Dr. Mehmet Dinçer Köksal lead through a program which included a briefing on the project status, a visit to Professor Onalps geotechnical laboratory at Sakarya University, where DRM has installed DEZA donated cyclic laboratory equipment, and a visit to the downtown Adapazari where building damage patterns caused by ground liquefaction and recent retrofitting projects were shown.


The creation of new ideas for financial solutions to reduce risks was a topic of the conference "Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Anticipating tomorrow's drivers, opportunities and financial solutions", which was held October 11 and 12 the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue in Rüschlikon. DRM was represented by DRM director Dr. Maritta von Bieberstein Koch-Weser and Dr. Jürg Hammer The former lead through the session on voluntary commitments and stakeholder cooperation.

September 2001

Jürg Hammer made a presentation on DRMs approach and project work at the International Workshop on Environmental Change: Implications for Population Migrations, which was organized by the Geosciences Department of the University of Fribourg and held September 19-22 in Wengen, Switzerland. Scientists and policy makers from around the globe discussed a range of interdisciplinary issues related to climate change and migration.

"Financial Services - Drivers to Sustainability?" was the title of the International Symposium organized by the Sustainability Forum and held September 24 & 25, 2001 at the University of Zurich. Leaders from the business and governance sectors, among them DRM director Dr. Bruno Porro as a keynote speaker, discussed the opportunities of the triple bottom line approach for the corporate world. Jürg Hammer attended the symposium.

DRM and the International Institute for Critical Infrastructure (CRIS) jointly organized a workshop on the subject of "Mitigation of the Vulnerability of Critical Infrastructures to Catastrophic Failures". The workshop was attended by 40 domestic and international experts from government, industry and the research community. The workshop addressed issues of vulnerability of infrastructure systems to natural and man-made hazards. It was held September 10-11, 2001 at the Lyceum in Alexandria Virginia and chaired by Dr. Lamine Mili of CRIS and Dr. Frederick Krimgold of DRM.

DRM Co-Director Frederick Krimgold was interviewed on CBS Television (Bryant Gumble, The Early Show, September 13,2001) on the structural failure of the towers of the World Trade Center and the feasibility of measures to reduce future risk.

DRM was short listed and invited by the Ministry of Finance of Honduras to present a proposal for the execution of the World Bank loan supported Natural Disaster Mitigation Project. The invitation is for the components which deal with the vulnerability analysis and identification of mitigation measures, including the design of a plan for capacity building at the municipal level.

Dr. Mehmet Dinçer Köksal, Field Manager of the DRM DEZA Microzonation for Earthquake Risk Mitigation project in Turkey, represented DRM at the 20th European Regional Earthquake Engineering Seminar, which was held September 3-7, 2001 at the Institut Universitaiere Kurt Boesch in Sion, Switzerland. The seminar was on seismic assessment and upgrading of existing structures, and was jointly organized by the European Association for Earthquake Engineering and the Swiss Society for Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics. 67 people from 17 countries have attended the seminar, which included a field trip to the chemical tanks of Lonza in Visp.


August 2001

DRM Co-Director Dr. Frederick Krimgold participated in the August 30, 2001 meeting of the Endowment Committee of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute in Oakland, California. The Endowment Committee has funded the development of an "Encyclopedia of Housing Construction Types in Seismically Prone Areas of the World" and a collaboration of the earthquake engineering community and the Public Agency Risk Management Association (PARMA), two project of particular interest to DRM.

August 27-30, 2001 DRM Co-director Dr. Juerg Hammer conducted a post- earthquake damage reconnaissance mission in the area of the June 23, 2001 earthquake in southern Peru. The mission was jointly prepared and conducted by DRM and the Japan Peru Center for Earthquake Engineering and Disaster Mitigation (CISMID). The heavily damaged areas of Tacna, Lucumba, Moquegua, Camana and Arequipa were visited and assessed. The town of Camana was hit by both earthquake and tsunami. The report will be made available on the DRM website.

The DRM DEZA Microzonation for Earthquake Risk Mitigation project was presented by Prof. Giardini and Dr. Delouis with regard to the application of remote sensing to earthquake reconnaissance, at the 2nd Space Science and Technology Day, held August 28, 2001 at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Dr. Stephan Bieri, CEO and Vice-President of the ETH Board, and Member of the DRM Board of Directors, gave a presentation on Monitoring and Risk Management, with particular emphasis on the importance of the systems approach in risk management.

The DRM Microzonation for Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project was presented by poster and brochures at the Satellite Conference "Lessons Learned from the last Earthquakes " of the "International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering in Istanbul" on August 23-25,2001. The first day was mainly targeting young researchers and focused on theory , while the last two days were dedicated to case studies. Dr. Studer, Dr. Laue and Dr. Köksal represented DRM as well as several Turkish and International DRM Project Task Leaders who presented papers on seismicity and topics related to earthquakes.

DRM in collaboration with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and six partner organizations from the private and public sectors organized the "International Workshop on Disaster Reduction" which was held August 19-22, 2001 at the ASCE World Headquarters in Reston, Virginia. The workshop was attended by more than 100 experts from around the world, among them Dr. Walter Ammann, President of CENAT and member of the DRM Program Advisory Committee, and Dr. Franz Stoessel of PLANAT and DEZA. The workshop participants developed regional agendas and action plans for disaster reduction.

The DRM Microzonation for Earthquake Risk Mitigation Project was introduced in a poster presentation and brochures at the SOS 2001 Fair in Istanbul on August 17, 2001 at CNR International Fair Center at the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Center Stand. The poster was a summary of the project goals, tasks and participating Institutions. August 17 is the second anniversary of the M 7.4 earthquake which hit the Kocaeli region in 1999 . DRM was represented at the SOS 2001 Fair by Dr. Köksal, DRM Microzonation Project Field Manager.

DRM was represented at the "Crowding the Rim Summit", held July 31 - August 4, 2001 at Stanford University, California, by Dr. Juerg Hammer. The conference was dedicated to fostering collaborative solutions for regional risk in the pacific rim area. It was organized by Stanford University, U.S. Geological Service, American Red Cross and the Circum-Pacific Council and was attended by 150 scientist, economists and policy makers from 50 countries around the pacific rim.


July 2001

DRM Co-Director Dr. Frederick Krimgold presented a paper on the project work of DRM at the 9th International Federation of Automatic Control Symposium, "Large Scale Systems: Theory and Applications" in Bucharest, Romania, July 18-20, 2001. Prof. Kroeger, Dr. Adrian Gheorghe (both ETHZ KOVERS) and Dr. Krimgold briefed the President of Romania on the role of DRM in disaster risk management and potential collaboration with Romanian institutions.

On July 12-13, 2001 DRM and the Virginia Tech Center for Wireless Telecommunications (CTW) co-sponsored a Topical Seminar on the subject of "Broadband Wireless Telecommunications for Disaster Management". The seminar included participants from the research community, the user community and the communications industry. Presentations were provided by Ericsson, Motorola, and SAIC on current and planned technology developments. Presentations were provided by the USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, the American Red Cross, the US Coast Guard National Strike Force related to disaster management communications needs. The NSF Digital Government funded project at CTW was presented and discussed in terms of its relevance to user needs and commercial systems currently underdevelopment. The seminar was co-chaired by Dr. Frederick Krimgold, DRM and Dr. Charles Bostian, CWT.

DRM was notified on July 6 by the Asian Development Bank that the DRM team has been short listed for the project: Capacity Building for Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Housing (in Gujarat). Members of the proposal team will prepare the final proposal for submission in late August.


June 2001

The DRM Board of Directors met for its bi-annual meeting at Swiss Re's centre for global dialogue in Rüschlikon (Zurich) on June 22, 2001. The DRM Board members Dr. Maritta von Bieberstein Koch-Weser of Earth3000, Dr. Stephan Bieri of the ETH-Board, Dr. Bruno Porro of Swiss Re's Executive Board, Dr. Charles Steger of Virginia Tech, the DRM Co-Directors and the head of the DRM Program Committee Dr. Heinrich Neukomm were present.

The Steering Committee for the DRM DEZA Microzonation for Earthquake Risk Mitigation project in Turkey, which is composed of the mayors and governors of the two project area provinces Kocaeli and Sakarya, representatives of GDDA, UNEP and DEZA, the latter represented by the deputy chief of mission of the Swiss Embassy in Ankara, approved the project outline at its meeting held in Adapazari, Turkey on June 18, 2001.

On June 19 -20, 2001, the kick-off meeting for the DRM DEZA Microzonation for Earthquake Risk Mitigation project took place on the campus of Sakarya University in Adapazari, Turkey. The meeting was attended by the project task leaders from Turkish, Swiss and US Universities, the DRM Co-Directors, a delegation from the Turkish General Directorate for Disaster Affairs and a representative of the Swiss Development Corporation SDC DEZA.

DRM was selected and short-listed for the disaster education and capacity building components of the World Bank financed Natural Disaster Mitigation Project in Honduras, and now invites DRM member institutions and Swiss scientists to participate in the tender preparation. Interested individuals and institutes are encouraged to contact the DRM Co-Directors regarding their participation.


May 2001

DRM Co-Director Dr. Frederick Krimgold gave a presentation on the role of the corporate sector in disaster management, at the International Seminar on Disaster Management Plans, organized by the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, held May 11 and 12, 2001 in Mumbai, India.


March 2001

DRM was represented by Co-Director Dr. Hammer on the Hemispheric Conference on Vulnerability Reduction of Trade Corridors to Socio-natural Disasters (TCC) held March 26 to 28, 2001 in Mendoza, Argentina, organized by the Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment of the Organization of American States.

Dr. Juerg Hammer participated in the meeting "Fuerzas Aliadas Humanitarias 2000" in San Jose, Costa Rica, from March 19 to March 22, 2001, on invitation of the US Army, Southern Command. The meeting was to share ideas on how to prevent and respond to natural and man made disasters.

DRM Co-Director Dr. Hammer and Professor Roberto Meli (DRM Scientific Advisory Committee, UNAM) made presentations at a workshop organized by the Ministry of Finance of Honduras, "Disaster Risk Management: Foundation for a New Development Strategy in Central America". The workshop was held on March 12-13, 2001 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. DRM together with the National University of Mexico (UNAM) is developing collaborative research and training with Universidad Tecnologica de Honduras (UNITEC) on subjects related to disaster management.


February 2001

The Scientific Advisory Committee of DRM held its first meeting on February 27-28, 2001 and the Alexandria Research Institute in Alexandria Virginia. The members of the committee include:

Prof. Enrico Quarantelli, University of Delaware
Prof. Matthias Haller University of St Gallen
Prof. Roberto Meli, National University of Mexico
Prof. Nikolay Makhutov, Russian Academy of Sciences
Prof . Hans Kienholz, University of Bern

The Scientific Advisory Committee sets the independent research agenda for DRM and oversees the quality control of DRM proposals and products.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (DEZA) signed a $1,300,000 contract with DRM on February 22. 2001 for the seismic microzonation of two municipalities in Turkey and the development of land use management capability. DRM leads a network of nine universities, in the execution of this project.

On February 6, 2001 Dr. Krimgold, Co-Director of DRM made a presentation to the Technical Advisory Group on Disaster Data Bases at a meeting organized by the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters of the University of Louvain, Belgium. The meeting was held at the World Bank in Washington D.C.


January 2001

Co-Director, Dr. Frederick Krimgold made a presentation on the role of insurance in disaster mitigation with reference to the" Market Incentives for Mitigation Investment" project in Mexico. The presentation was a part of the 2nd Caribbean Seminar on Disaster Management The Seminar was organized by the US Army, Southern Command and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency.

Co-Director of DRM, Dr. Frederick Krimgold made a presentation of current project work of DRM at the ProVention Consortium Conference "Innovations in Managing Catastrophic Risk: How can they help the poor?" at the World Bank on January 9, 2000 in Washington, D.C.


December 2000

Co-Director of DRM, Dr. Frederick Krimgold represented DRM at the annual meeting of the International Institute for Critical Infrastructure (CRIS) held in Maui, Hawaii in December, 2000.


November 2000

Co-Directors, Juerg Hammer and Frederick Krimgold participated in the Semi-annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the World Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction in London, England on November 29-30, 2000. The Board members include President Charles Steger, of Virginia Tech, Dr. Stephan Bieri, Chairman of the Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, and Ulrich Bremi, past chairman of Swiss Re, a global reinsurance company.

Dr. Krimgold and Dr. Hammer made a presentation of the organization and the work of the World Institute for Disaster Risk Management to the Association of Diplomatic Science Councilors at the Embassy of Switzerland in Washington D.C. on November 15, 2000.


October 2000

Co-Director, Dr. Frederick Krimgold served as co-chairman for a NATO/Russia seminar on "Forecasting and Prevention of Catastrophes" which was held in Moscow, Russia on October30-November1, 2000. The seminar is the first activity of a new program supporting scientific collaboration between Russia and the member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.


September 2000

Dr. Hammer made a presentation of DRM at the 5e Colloque transfrontalier CLUSE in Geneva, Switzerland, on September 21 and 22. 2000, organized by the Centre d'Etude des Risques Geologlique (CERG): Risques majeurs: perception, globalisation et management.

Dr. Hammer made a presentation of DRM and its objectives at the Forum for Disaster Prevention: "Extreme Natural Events and Vulnerability" held at the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), Max-Planck-Institute for Chemistry, University of Freiburg (Germany), on September 29 and 30, 2000. The GFMC is an affiliate institution of DRM.


August 2000

DRM starts it operational activities at its headquarters in Alexandria Virginia, USA.

DRM signs a contract with the World Bank for a landslide assessment in Baku, Azerbaijan. The assignment includes a field study, the analysis of slide mechanisms, the evaluation of remedial works and associated costs.


July 2000

The DRM press journey to the DRM secretariat in Alexandria VA took place July 16 and 17, 2000. It was attended by Dr. Rosmarie Waldner, science journalist Tages-Anzeiger, Dr. Ulrich Goetz, science journalist Basler Zeitung, Dr. Alcira Kreimer, Director Disaster Management Facility and ProVention Consortium, World Bank, Dr. Johannes Kaufmann, science counselor, Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, Prof. Albert Waldvogel, Vice-President for Research, ETH Zurich, Prof. Domenico Giardini, Director Institute for Geophysics, ETH Zurich, Prof. Hans-Olivier Schiegg, Rapperswil.


June 2000

DRM held a presentation event attended by representatives from the industry and public authorities on June 21, 2000 at the UBS Conference Center in Zurich, Switzerland. Presentations were given by Dr. Stephan Bieri, CEO ETH-Rat, on the objectives of DRM and its resources in Switzerland, by Dr. Helga Nowotny on the principles of sustainable risk management, by Dr. Veronika Stoeckli, on recent natural disaster in Switzerland and abroad, by Dr. Charles Steger, President Virginia Tech, on DRM in Alexandria, by Dr. Frederick Krimgold, Co-Director DRM, on risk prevention organizations, by Dr. Juerg Hammer, designated Co-Director, on approach and strategy of DRM, by Ulrich Bremi, President of Swiss Re, on the role of insurance and capital market in disaster risk management.


February 2000

DRM was founded in Alexandria Virginia on February 29, 2000, by the Board of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in conjunction wit the Provention Consortium of the World Bank. A reception was hosted by Ambassador Defago at the Swiss Embassy in Washington following the inauguration.