From left
Dr. Andre Walter, Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, Germany
Mr. Stephan Huppertz, Regional Coordinator for Asia, GIDRM/GIZ
Mr. Kobchai Boon-orana, Deputy Director General for Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM)
Mr. Olaf Neussner, DRM Specialist and Consultant for GIDRM/GIZ
Mr. Peter Lauwe, Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, Germany
Ms. Napaporn Yuberk, Programme Specialist, GIDRM/GIZ

Risk analysis is a prerequisite to disaster and climate risk prevention and mitigation planning, and also a foundation for risk-assessment capacity building. Over the years, different sectors have applied and developed different methods to assess risks. These methods vary according to the scope of interests, purpose of the study and availability of data. However, knowledge and know-how of risk assessment instruments are as yet limited to such technical people as researchers, GIS and remote sensing specialists, irrigation engineers, civil engineers and specialists in environmental management, agriculture, energy, science and technology.  The risk assessment tool is also not very user-friendly for local government entities dealing with spatial planning, public investment decisions, critical infrastructure providing, and private enterprises.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), under the Ministry of Interior has a coordination role, ensuring that all relevant stakeholders from various sectors e.g. government, education, private and civil groups, take part in the implementation of the National Disaster Risk Management Plan 2015.

In this respect, DDPM, led by the Deputy Director General Mr. Kobchai Boon-orana with technical support from the Global Initiative on Disaster Risk Management (GIDRM) of the German Government coordinated by GIZ, organized a workshop on the “Development of Risk Assessment Method for Resilient Thailand” on 31 March and 1 April 2016 in Bangkok.  Three German experts were invited by DDPM to share their hands-on experiences. Dr. Andre Walter and Mr. Peter Lauwe from the German Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), under the Federal Ministry of Interior presented Germany’s integrated risk management procedure, its regulations and structures and provided a lecture on the risk analysis tools for civil protection and critical infrastructure. Mr. Olaf Neussner, DRM Specialist, introduced the suitability map methodology developed by GIZ in the Philippines.The following questions were discussed:

• What does a risk analysis/risk assessment involve?
• Why does Thailand need a risk assessment?
• What are the gaps in conducting a risk assessment in Thailand?
• How to improve risk assessment in Thailand?

GIDRM and its partners will further support DDPM in developing the “National Risk Assessment Capacity Building” roadmap for Thailand looking at technological, geo-physical and climate-related hazards.