During 25-29 November 2017, the DPPC team visited Sendai Japan to participate in the World Bosai Forum IDRC 2017 organized together with Bosai Kokutai – National Conference on Promoting Disaster Risk Reduction 2017, and 2017 Bosai Industry Fair in Sendai. Total number of visitors was approximately 11,200 from over 40 countries and regions during the four days.
The DPPC team joined the discussions on practical solutions and new international trends and attempts toward “Bosai”=Disaster Risk Reduction for promoting the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR).
Many of DPPC’s collaborators were present at the Forum. Prof. Emeritus of Yamanashi University and Founding Director of ICHARM, Kuniyoshi Takeuchi, chaired the session by Japan Society of Civil Engineers and presented on Transdisciplinary Approach (TDA) for Building Societal Resilience to Disasters in which he also lectured in the MDRM classroom. Prof. Kaoru Takara of Kyoto University was also present, helping to promote DPPC by introducing the MDRM program.
Some other prominent DRR figures the team met was Prof. Fumihiko Imamura, Professor and Director of the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS), Tohoku University (chairman of BOSAI Forum), Tan Sri Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, founder of MERCY Malaysia and currently, Under Secretary General for Partnerships at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Prof. Rajib Shaw, Graduate School of Media and Governance in Keio University and co-chair of UNISDR Asia Science and Technology Advisory Group (ASTAAG).
Dr. Khamarrul Azahari Razak introduced the activities of DPPC, including the MDRM program in a public session in the Forum.
After the Forum, the team conducted a short field visit in Yuriage District of Naroti City to observe the recovery process of affected communities from the 2011 East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.
A day after the Forum, the team visited IRIDeS of Tohoku University to discuss on the newly approved JICA project, “Strengthening the disaster risk reduction capacity to improve the safety and security of communities by understanding disaster risks” that will be implemented in partnership with Selangor State Government, Tohoku University and DPPC.
