OBSERVATORIO SISMOLOGICO DEL SUR-OCCIDENTE (COLOMBIA), ANAND S. ARYA (INDIA) TO RECEIVE 1997 SASAKAWA/DHA DISASTER PREVENTION AWARD

Press Release
IHA/641

OBSERVATORIO SISMOLOGICO DEL SUR-OCCIDENTE (COLOMBIA), ANAND S. ARYA (INDIA) TO RECEIVE 1997 SASAKAWA/DHA DISASTER PREVENTION AWARD

NEW YORK, 10 December (DHA) -- At a ceremony to be held at United Nations Headquarters at 6 p.m. on 11 December, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Yasushi Akashi, will present the Tenth Sasakawa-Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) Disaster Prevention Award (1997) to the Observatorio Sismológico Del Sur-Occidente of the Universidad del Valle (Colombia), and to Anand Swarup Arya (India).

The Award Jury, which met on 24 and 25 September at the United Nations Office at Geneva, selected the Observatorio and Mr. Arya as laureates for the 1997 Disaster Prevention Awards in recognition of their distinguished contributions to disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness.

In connection with the award ceremony, the laureates will make a presentation on the El Niño phenomenon, in order to further understanding of the unstable ocean-atmosphere system which produces periodic climatic changes over the tropical Pacific, with important consequences for current global weather conditions.

The Observatorio Sismológico Del Sur-Occidente is a small but dynamic team which over the past 10 years and with limited funds has pioneered basic monitoring of the main hazards in the southwest of Colombia. It has also been highly successful in promoting the wide dissemination and practical application of the scientific knowledge it has collected.

The Observatorio has shared its ideas and methods with disaster prevention and management officials of neighbouring countries, thereby benefiting the Latin American region. Its work has covered a wide range of disaster types, including earthquakes, tsunamis, eruptions, landslides and technological hazards, and has involved the whole spectrum of investigative, prescriptive and public training activities.

Mr. Arya is being recognized for his many activities at the international level to strengthen awareness of the importance of natural

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disaster prevention and preparedness. His initiative with the "Vulnerability Atlas of India" is an invaluable contribution to practitioners and users in the regions of India which are facing geological and hydrological hazards.

The Sasakawa-Department of Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Prevention Award, which carries a prize of $60,000, was created in 1986 and endowed by the late Ryoichi Sasakawa, through the Nippon Foundation, for outstanding achievements in the field of disaster prevention and preparedness.

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