Tokyo Conference on International Study for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience was held at the Ito Hall, the University of Tokyo, from January 14 to 16, 2015.

This conference was held before the 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. Officials, leaders and leading scientists from around the world came together and at a time when discussions about the successor arrangement of the Hyogo Framework for Action and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were being enthusiastically held. The participants discussed conditions related to disaster risk reduction science and technology which are required to achieve both disaster risk reduction and sustainable development. Proposals aiming for a new science and technology for the development of disaster risk reduction and resilience were the focus of the discussion.

Till now the International Council for Science (ICSU), which is an international organization to which the Science Council of Japan also belongs, has co-sponsored and implemented Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) to organize and integrate data and information across hazard types and academic disciplines in collaboration with the International Social Science Council (ISSC) and The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). The organization has been involved in establishing a methodology aiming at reducing disaster risk in collaboration with scientists and stakeholders. One on water and disaster on the first day was attended by the Crown Prince of Japan, who listened to the panel discussion with great interest.

The second day sessions were on 1) the coordination between disaster prevention, environment, and earth observation, 2) collaboration between science and society, and 3) interdisciplinary collaborations. In addition, more than 100 research presentations from various academic fields and intense discussions were held in the poster session. On the third and last day the Tokyo Statement and the Tokyo Action Agenda (draft) were adopted after the panel discussion. Along with the proposals put forth at the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held later, it is expected that there will be development in science and technology related to disaster risk reduction and resilience that will go beyond delineating the types of hazards and disciplines with collaboration between public and private enterprises. We hope to conduct further research as a part of this program so as to enable further communication through industry-government-university collaboration, interdisciplinary and international cooperation in the field of disaster nursing.

http://monsoon.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/AWCI/TokyoConf/jp/index.htm