Deutsche Post DHL together with its subsidiary DHL and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have announced an enhancement to their services in the area of disaster management with the launch of GARD (Get Airports Ready for Disaster), aimed at making worldwide relief eff orts more effective.

The two organisations have completed two pilot projects at the Indonesian airports of Makassar and Palu. This kicks off a global roll out for GARD planned from now to end of 2010, where the DHL GARD team will conduct on-site training programs and surge capacity assessments at other airports located close to disaster prone areas in Asia and the Americas.

After earthquakes, cyclones and floods, help comes mainly from the international community, and that means people and relief goods flying into regional airports. The airports are understandably overwhelmed with the large volumes of food, bottled water, medical equipment and tents arriving from all over the world.

“This is where the work of the DHL Disaster Response Teams (DRT), equipped with their logistical expertise begins,” said DHL. “The programme, developed together with UNDP, better prepares airports and people by checking capabilities, coordination requirements, and every detail that can help formulate broad contingency plans.”

“When the DHL Disaster Response Teams arrive in the aftermath of a natural disaster, we realise that most airports are overwhelmed with the surge in relief aid cargo and other support. Besides managing the disaster, airports have to cope with the coordination of the massive support from other countries as well. Hence, delivering aid to the affected communities would be faster and more effective if airports were better-prepared for natural catastrophes,” said Matt Hemy, VP security and crisis management at DHL Express Asia Pacific and head of the GARD programme.

The GARD program follows a train the trainer approach. In Indonesia, the GARD team trained three local DHL experts – all volunteers – who then joined the training team to work with some 17 trainees (airport authorities, members of airport operations and disaster management agencies) onsite at the Makassar and Palu airports. After evaluating the week-long pilot programme, the two airports will not only have trained personnel, but also have a detailed report.

The Airport Surge Capacity Assessment (ASCA) has been identified as a tool to understand the surge capacity of an airport during disaster relief operations and post calamity. The report presents the results of the assessment and offers recommendations for airport reliefoperations.