ASEAN Disaster Simulation Exercise Begins Amid Typhoon Wipha 

By Vijian Paramasivam

PHNOM PENH, July 21 (Bernama) -- ASEAN disaster management officials began conducting a simulation exercise on Monday to review standard operating procedures (SOPs) and improve the region’s preparedness to face crises.

This year's ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise (ARDEX-25) is taking place against the backdrop of Typhoon Wipha having lashed parts of the Southeast Asian region since Sunday.

bootstrap slideshow

The exercise is jointly organised by Cambodia’s National Committee on Disaster Management (NCDM) and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management.

ARDEX is a full-scale exercise held biennially to test ASEAN's disaster preparedness and emergency response mechanisms.

The activities include preparation processes, search and rescue operations, impact assessment, and national-level immediate response strategies linked to ASEAN, to save the lives of disaster victims.

Typhoon Wipha made landfall in the Philippines and northern Vietnam over the weekend, causing panic and destruction of houses.

Outside the region, China, Taiwan, Macau, and Hong Kong have also suffered from Typhoon Wipha, which has unleashed heavy rainfall and disrupted flight schedules.

ARDEX-25 is held from July 21 to 24 at the Special Forces Command Headquarters of the Royal Cambodian Army Force base in the Kandal province. 

According to the NCDM, the exercise is divided into two components - strategic and tactical.

At the strategic level, the focus is on practising, evaluating, and reviewing guidelines and mechanisms to share and exchange information. At the tactical level, ARDEX-25 focuses on disaster rescue and relief operations.

-- BERNAMA