DRR-Conflict

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We’ve modified our Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) diagram to illustrate the effects on this from conflict and/or a severe breakdown in governance.  These adverse effects on civil society are common in crises or complex emergency situations. Follow this link for a jpeg version of this modified DRR diagram:

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This modified DRR diagram is now included in the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Framework article (see page 14) which can be accessed from the link below.  This article includes a description of the four key TorqAid diagrams used to describe DRM, these being the Disaster Risk Management Cycle (DRMC), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) illustration, DRM Planning diagram, and Project Management Cycle (PMC).

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Topics TC08 and TC09 of the accredited Participatory Disaster Risk Management (PDRM) program cover issues relating to Crises and Complex Emergencies (CEs).  See the links below to the 2025 online PDRM program. In the past Crisis/CE case studies have included the Rohingya in Bangladesh; Afghanistan, Syria, Gaza, Yemen, and Ukraine.  For the forthcoming 2025 online PDRM program, we are looking at a Middle Eastern scenario for Topic TC08; and then the Rohingya in Bangladesh, and forced displacement in Myanmar for Topic TC09.  We also cover the 2020-2023 COVID-19 pandemic in Topic TC 09.

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With reference to conflict breaking out again in NW Syria in December 2025, the reader might be interested to note this customised DRR diagram illustrating the situation and key events in Syria (Or at least parts of it) over the period 2011 through to the end of 2017.

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Online PDRM program

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The 2026 online, accredited, Participatory Disaster Risk Management (PDRM) program will be facilitated from the 27 July through to the 13 November 2026.  It consists of ten topics.

o             TC01:  Key Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Diagrams & Issues

o             TC02:  Natural Disaster Trends & Case Studies

o             TC03:   Humanitarian Attributes & Competencies

o             TC04:  Humanitarian Standards & Codes of Conduct

0             TC05:  The Ten Seed Technique (TST) Ranking Tool

o             TC06:  Risk Management

o             TC07:  Complex Emergencies & Asian Case Study & the 2020- 2023 COVID-19

Pandemic

o              TC 08: Complex Emergency Middle Eastern & African Case Studies

o             TC09:  DRM & Climate Change

o              TC10:  DRM & the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

There are three stages to this online 2026 PDRM:

0             Stage 1 Teaching:  Topics 1-5 from the 27 July to 28 August

o             Stage 2 Teaching:  Topics 6-10 from the 14 September to 16 October

o             Marking of Assignments & Feedback: 19 October to 13 November

The link to the online 2026 PDRM brochure is given below.

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The 2026 PDRM Registration Form, which includes details of costs, can be accessed from the link below. Note there is an Early Bird 5% discount for those who register and pay by the 31 May.

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The link to the 2026 PDRM assessment tasks is also given below.  This includes details of the Murdoch University staff who handle Advanced Standing details.

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An Overview of the PDRM is given here.

The course is designed for both Australian and international humanitarian and development practitioners, as well as Murdoch University Master level students.  A total of ten topics are on offer, and these are taught on a weekly basis, and in two blocks, from the 27 July to the 16 October 2026. Participants can choose either individual topics or the complete program.

The first couple of topics focus in on four key diagrams which help explain the key components of natural hazards and disasters across the Disaster Risk Management Cycle (DRMC). It includes regional examples, as well as the roles of maps/infographics and the media.

Topics TC03 and TC04 centre in on the ideal attributes and competencies of humanitarian practitioners, and the challenge for them working within a comprehensive framework of humanitarian standards and codes of conduct. Topics TC05 and TC06 focuses on the Ten Seed Technique (TST) used in Needs Analysis, and sees how this can be applied to the ISO 31000 risk management process.

Topics TC07 and TC08 focus in on the global overview of Complex Emergencies.  It analyses three  examples in more depth (in Asia, the Middle East and Africa), focussing in on the understanding of the background context; an update on the humanitarian situations; and the challenges for practitioners (and others) working within accepted humanitarian standards and codes of conduct.  Topic TC07 also includes a summary of the 2020-2023 COVID-19 pandemic.

Topic TC09 focuses in on the causes and effects of Climate Change.  Topic TC10 concludes by focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and analysing how these can be adversely affected by combinations of natural disasters, complex emergencies, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and bilateral and multilateral cuts to Overseas Development Assistance (ODA).

For further details of this online PDRM contact Chris Piper at chris@torqaid.com.

 

 

 

Coronavirus

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TorqAid produces a short (3 page) Summary Sheet on Covid-19, which is updated monthly (latest version January 2022). This includes details of key Australian government departments and global agencies involved in reporting on or combating this pandemic; a brief overview on the progress being made; and a short bibliography.  See the link below for this TorqAid Covid-19 Summary Sheet.

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Covid-19 is covered as topic TC05 (Covid-19 & risk management) in both the accredited Participatory Disaster Risk Management (PDRM) program/workshop, as well as Short Course (SC) training program  – see link below.

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CP Rohingya Mission

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Chris Piper was contracted and deployed by Redr Australia as an ‘Early Warning Dissemination and Training Specialist’ for UNDP from April-July 2018.  This was down in Cox’s Bazar District in Bangladesh, where the international comunity is working in support of the Government of Bangladesh to provide humanitarian assistance for around 1.3 million people, this comprising just less than a million Rohingya refugees, and the rest, Bangladeshi host communities.  The link below describes the key aspects of his work over that period.

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He is now producing three separate short (two page) articles, describing some of this work in more detail.  This includes the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) training he carried out for the Bangladeshi NGO, BRAC; the landslide related initiative focussing on the implementation of a small number of automated rain gauges around the refugee camps; and some comments on some of the brilliant grass-roots level work being carried out by the Communication with Communities (CwC) network out there. The first two of these reports (DRM training, and landslide-related rain gauges) are included below.  The third article (CwC) will be added in the forthcoming days.

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As part of his ongoing teaching, Chris updates the monthly Summary Sheet entitled ‘Understanding the Rohingya Crisis’.  This both summarises the humanitarian situation in Cox’s Bazar, and also includes key references related to the complex emergency in both Bangladesh and Myanmar.

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Finally, Chris teaches about the Rohingya crisis in the accredited TorqAid online Disaster Risk Management (DRM) program.  This consists of six modules (four focussing in on DRM; and one each on Participatory Project Management {PPM} and Complex Humanitarian Emergencies {CHEs}).  The link to the DRM brochure is givcen here.

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DRM-Framework

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Over the past two dozen years, TorqAid, with input from practitioners and students, has developed a diagrammatic framework of how key aspects of all disasters can be illustrated by the use of four key diagrams.  This material is covered in an article entitled a ‘Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Diagrammatic Framework’.  This DRM Framework article can be accessed here.

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This DRM Framework article focuses on four key diagrams, namely the Disaster Risk Management Cycle (DRMC); the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) diagram; the DRM Planning diagram; and the Project Management Cycle (PMC). There are also variants of the DRMC and DRR relating to slow-onset hazards such as drought and climate change. There is also a variant of the DRMC diagram relating to the 2020-2023 COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a modification of the DRR diagram due to conflict and/or a severe breakdown in governance.  Jpeg copies of these diagrams can be accessed on the TorqAid website at www.torqaid.com/resources.

The DRM framework is also extensively covered in TorqAid accredited Participatory Disaster Risk Management (PDRM) training.  This is offered in an online format running from the end of July through to mid November 2026, as well as other PDRM client-based workshops. Details of the online program can be accessed here:

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