Jointly hosted by UNISDR (UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction) and the Government of Mongolia, the 2018 Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction was held on July 3-6 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Themed, Preventing Disaster Risk: Protecting Sustainable Development, APRU Multi-Hazards Program Director, Dr. Takako Izumi, was invited along with Professor Fumihiko Imamura, Director of IRIDeS, and APRU Multi-Hazard Core Group Member to contribute to the conference.
Various stakeholder group meetings were held on July 3. As part of these, Dr. Izumi provided an overview of the APRU Multi-Hazards Program and reported to experts and policy makers on activities and projects supported by the APRU Multi-Hazards Program. Professor Imamura presented the impact report of the World Bosai Forum at the Science Technology Academia Stakeholder Group Consultation. In the session, titled, “Science and Technology-Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Integrated Risk,” Dr. Izumi, as one of the panelists also spoke about “Strengthening the Disaster Risk Reduction Capacity to Improve the Safety and Security of Communities by Understanding Disaster Risks” based on her findings from a project conducted in Malaysia.
Other issues of discussion included support and participation towards the Disaster Risk Reduction National Platform, contribution from young researchers on the implementation of disaster risk reduction, effective communication with government and community on science technology and innovation, and suggestions on ways to evaluate the contribution of researchers, etc.
APRU has been a memebr of UNISDR since its inception in May 2015. In 2017, APRU Multi-Hazards Program joined the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Elsevier to advance the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) at the inaugural World Bosai Forum to demonstrate the impact of a regional, trans-sector and multi-level approach to disaster science. The APRU Multi-Hazards Program aims to build safer and more disaster resilient societies through strengthening the research capacity in disaster science, providing a learning opportunity for students and faculty, working with other stakeholders and sharing scientific evidence for policy making.
2018 Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction conference concluded with the announcement of the “Ulaanbaatar Declaration” on July 6, which restated the importance of research on science technology and its implication on sustainable development. Universities should take the leading role in bringing different stakeholders to work together on innovative technology and research, fostering development on human resources, and also advocating for local risk management and for the need of the most vulnerable parties in the society.
Photo with Mr. Shinichi Takahashi, Vice Mayor of Sendai City at the exhibition booth
Click here to find out key documents related to the conference.