Tokyo Conference on International Study for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience : Towards a new science and technology to consolidate disaster risk reduction and sustainable development

Organizers invite world leaders and top scientists to our Tokyo conference prior to the Third Un World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction to discuss and formulate how the science and technology could help in disaster risk reduction and hence fostering sustainable development. The discussions will be based on the following three viewpoints.

First of all, it is highly likely that the global loss by natural disasters to increase in the future, with the economic loss predicted to rise to US$ 20 billion per year by 2030. Considering that it is vital for the sustainable development to take early action in recognition of disaster risks and build secure, healthy, wealthy and resilient nations and communities, we seek the possibilities to collaborate with the “Future Earth” in the field of earth environmental sciences, and with the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), and consolidate cooperatively a concept to contribute to the SDGs goal-setting for disaster reduction.

Secondly, to reduce disaster risks, it is necessary to implement disaster preventive measures based on scientific findings at regional, national, local, community levels and at residential neighborhoods. However real practices at any of these levels are below our expectations. We will demonstrate several tested “best practices” of disaster reduction that are based on scientific findings and simultaneously organize discussions with participants from all relevant stakeholder groups (trans-disciplinary study approach).

Thirdly, we have learned from the recovery processes after the GEJE that it is essential to take a comprehensive multi-hazards approach in order to implement effective and efficient disaster preventive measures in our society. We would like to identify better ways of scientific collaboration for avoiding hazards being converted to disaster risks, and for upgrading disaster risk awareness to decision-making & implementation process. We would like to propose concrete initiatives to support such processes and discuss our directions for the scientific community in this regard. We will also discuss common indicators to measure our progress based on science and to drive HFA2 forward.

Bearing these viewpoints in mind, we will make proposals, as a product of the conference, for establishing close coordination between sustainable development and disaster risk reduction at all aspects of policy-making, planning and programming of infrastructure and social systems, human resources mobilization, and for creation of structures and mechanisms to implement disaster risk reduction at all levels of society, and for incubating innovative science and technology that would guide us in all phases of disaster management cycle.