Korea, Japan launch joint disaster management program

The Korea International Cooperation Agency said it has decided to launch a multi-year development program with the Japan International Cooperation Agency on disaster management.

The decision came after the Korean aid agency held a consultation in February with JICA officials.

Under the “Multi-year Joint Capacity Development Program,” or MJCD, both agencies aim to achieve effective outcomes and enable their partner countries to take ownership and leadership in disaster management.

KOICA and JICA will exchange expertise in disaster control, and alternate between forums in Myanmar and Azerbijan every year, KOICA said.

“This program is different from other existing capacity development programs in that the needs assessment and feasibility study will be done in advance,” a KOICA official said.

“The program will be revised and finally confirmed through a consultation between KOICA and JICA.”

The assessment for the needs and feasibility study will begin in April, according to KOICA.

For a decade from 2000 to 2010, KOICA and JICA implemented a similar joint program in the environment sector, training 330 officials through 22 smaller programs.

The new MJCD is an expanded version of the capacity development program between Korea and Japan.

KOICA has been operating joint education programs in collaboration with international organizations including the U.N., UNESCO and UNDP as well as foreign governments such as Japan, Singapore, Chile and Mexico.

By Kim Yoon-mi (yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)