Hidehiko Kanegae, Japan

The international disasters database (EM-DAT: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), University Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium), which reported less than 50 natural hazard events in the early 20th century, increasing exponentially toward the end of the century, has now predicted over 10 times more that number of natural disasters in the 21st century in its “World trend of natural disasters 1900 – 2010”.  United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) also stated in the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2015, “Global economic losses from disasters up to $300 billion every year, calling for higher investment in risk reduction strategies.” UN Secretary-General warned: “World threatened by dangerous and unacceptable levels of risk from disasters”. 2014 Revision of World Urbanization Prospects reported that globally, more people live in urban areas than in rural areas, with 54 per cent of the world’s population residing in urban areas in 2014. In 1950, 30% of the world’s population was urban; whereas by 2050, 66% of the world’s population is projected to live in urban areas.

In the 21st Century, our cities are facing higher risks and threats than ever before. How can we survive under huge impacts of natural disasters in this era of rapid mega-urbanization? By way of mitigation, adaptation, making cities resilient?  USISDR first initiated the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters (HFA) and then continued to setup The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai Framework). The Sendai Framework is the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda, with seven targets and four priorities for action adopted as the“UNISDR’s Strategic Framework 2016-2021.”

This Track covers multiple aspects and scopes of hazards, vulnerability, and risks of natural disasters, as well as methods for increasing resiliency and community preparedness to extreme natural phenomena, (i.e. volcanic impacts, lava & pyroclastic flow, earthquake, fire & tsunami, hurricane/typhoon/tropical storm/heavy rain/flash/ flood & landslides, hydrological hazard & storm-surge/tidal-wave, winter storm/blizzard, climatological/meteorological disasters).

Track 5 focuses on the following topics:

  • Mitigation and adaptation on climate changes
  • Hydrological vulnerabilities
  • Strategic planning for climate change
  • Natural disaster mitigation
  • Resilience theory, problems and practices
  • Sustainable & resilient communities
  • Long-term Resilient Community Strategies including natural disaster and climate changes beyond disaster mitigation.