SEPDM Webinar 2020

The Senior Executive Programme in Disaster Management (SEPDM) has been held annually in Singapore’s Civil Defence Academy (CDA) since 2015. Currently in its sixth run, the SEPDM has established itself as the flagship Senior Leadership Programme of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). Since its inception, the programme has built an alumni network comprising more than 90 members from over 10 international organisations in the region. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic and the travel restrictions imposed internationally, the 2020 edition of the SEPDM is conducted as a webinar, serving as an outreach platform to new participants from Emergency Response and Disaster Management Organisations in the region and members of the SEPDM alumni network.

The theme for SEPDM Webinar 2020 is “Enhancing Disaster Preparedness and Partnerships”. SEPDM Webinar 2020 comprises three webinar sessions: (1) Effective Leadership for Disaster Preparedness; (2) COVID-19 and its impact on operations and partnerships; and (3) Adopting INSARAG Guidelines 2020 to strengthen disaster resilience. Dr Alistair D. B. Cook, Coordinator of the HADR Programme and Senior Fellow at the NTS Centre moderated the first webinar panel session on “Effective Leadership for Disaster Preparedness” with panelists Ms. Victoria Saiz-Omenaca, Head, UNOCHA Indonesia Office; Dr Pedro Besabe, Senior Regional Disaster Risk Reduction & Rapid Response Advisor, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; Dr Riyanti, Head Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance Division, ASEAN Secretariat;  Ms Adelina Kamal, Executive Director, The ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre); and Mr Goh Boon Han Director, Crisis Preparedness Directorate, Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore.