Brunei is located in a disaster-prone region and confronts regular, small-scale emergencies - i.e., floods and fires. Although it is generally seen as at low risk of major hazards, the country lies along a coastline where there is both the long-term risk of sea level rise and the potential risk of tsunami. The country's already high exposure to heavy but unpredictable rainfall and the impacts of global climate change threaten to increase the severity of hazards confronting...
More DescriptionBrunei is located in a disaster-prone region and confronts regular, small-scale emergencies - i.e., floods and fires. Although it is generally seen as at low risk of major hazards, the country lies along a coastline where there is both the long-term risk of sea level rise and the potential risk of tsunami. The country's already high exposure to heavy but unpredictable rainfall and the impacts of global climate change threaten to increase the severity of hazards confronting Brunei.Brunei has institutionalized its national disaster risk reduction and disaster management processes under the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), and there is close collaboration and coordination among government ministries and security forces. Moreover, Brunei is an active member-state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has developed mechanisms and tools for responding to disasters in a unified and coordinated way. NDMC also actively cooperates with other regional centers, including those based in the United States (U.S.). In addition to U.S. support for ASEAN initiatives, U.S. and Bruneian armed forces units undertake annual, bilateral exercises, such as Pahlawan Warrior and Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) which allow the two countries' militaries to build familiarity with each other long before an emergency calls them into cooperation in the field. This updated Brunei Disaster Management Reference Handbook provides a baseline of understanding of factors that influence disaster management within the country. It is intended to help inform persons who are planning or executing a disaster response mission in Brunei or who will be working alongside Bruneian responders and international humanitarians.