Activity Report

Global Forum on Science and Technology for Disaster Resilience 2017, 23- 25 November, Tokyo, Japan

23-25 November 2017 (Tokyo, Japan)

From 23rd to 25th November, the Global Forum on Science and Technology for Disaster Resilience 2017 was held at Science Council of Japan and National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan co-organized by Science Council of Japan (SCJ), United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR), Public Works Research Institute (IRDR) and National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED).

The conference was opened by the opening remarks by Dr. Robert Glasser, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, followed by Prof. Shuaib Lwasa, Chair, Science Committee, Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR), and Prof. Toshio Koike, Director, International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM) Public Works Research. Prof. Gordon McBean, President, International Council for Science ICSU, then delivered a keynote speech.

During the three days, eight plenary panel discussions including four for each priority action of the Sendai Framework were held, while three working sessions and poster presentations were organized as well. ADRC made a brief presentation in the prenary panel 1 on GLIDE and made comments in a poster session on the use of satellite imagery with JAXA. The draft of "Tokyo Statement 2017--Science and technology action for a disaster-resilient world was discussed. At the end of the three days, a high level session took place in the presence of His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince.

(2017/12/10 12:30)

24th Session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-24)

14-17 November 2017 (Bengaluru, India)

The 24th Session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) was held from 14 to 17 November in Bengaluru, India. It was co-organized by the Department of Space (DOS), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

APRSAF was established in 1993 to enhance space activities in the Asia-Pacific region. Attended by space agencies, governments, and international organizations such as the United Nations as well as companies, universities and research institutes, this forum is the largest space-related conference in the Asia-Pacific region. APRSAF has four Working Groups: the (1) Space Applications Working Group (SAWG), (2) Space Technology Working Group (STWG), (3) Space Environment Utilization Working Group (SEUWG), and (4) Space Education Working Group (SEWG). APRSAF participants share information about their activities and the future plans for their countries and regions in each working group. APRSAF also supports international projects designed to find solutions to common issues such as disaster management and environmental protection.

The Sentinel Asia initiative is one such activity, and involves the use of space-based information in the form of satellite images for disaster management in the Asia-Pacific region. ADRC has been tasked with the responsibility of receiving emergency observation requests from ADRC member countries and Joint Project Team (JPT) members. ADRC joined the Space Applications Working Group (SAWG) and reported on Trends in Emergency Observation Requests of Sentinel Asia.

Sentinel Asia marked its 10th anniversary in 2016 and its continued development is expected in 2017 and beyond. ADRC is planning to strengthen its network with disaster management organizations and to develop standard operating procedures for Sentinel Asia.

(2017/12/10 18:30)

Participation in the meeting entitled "Constructing A Community of Shared Future in East Asia: China, Japan and South Korean Search for Social Reconciliation and Cooperation"

4 - 5 November 2017 (Hangzhou, People's Republic of China)

<1st day, 4 November>

This meeting hosted by the Department of Faculty of Social Science and School of Public Administration, Zhejiang University, was held as the track 2 meeting of interdisciplinary studies on promotion of trilateral collaboration. University faculty members and public organization researchers who specialized political science, sociology, economics, anthropology, environmental science and others in China, South Korea and Japan reported their studies, activities, efforts and experiences in their individual fields.

Professor Xunda Yu (Ph.D.), Dean of Faculty of Social Science and School of Public Administration, Zhejiang University and President of this meeting, emphasized the following three points in his opening remarks.
(1) This meeting is sponsored by budget regarding "One Belt, One Road" advocated by Mr. Xi Jinping, President of China;
(2) An idea of "Community of Shared Future (Word which translated Chinese '命运共同体' in English)" of the theme of meeting is an important pillar of Xi Jinping's idea;
(3) Although some worry recent Chinese diplomacy in East Asia as a threat, the present government attaches a great importance on the trilateral relationships in north-eastern Asia and will never become a threat for eastern Asia, as seen in the title of this meeting,
He stressed that, the present government successfully organized the 19th National People's Congress on October 24th prior to this meeting, has established a firm footing and ready to further improve the trilateral relationships in the future under the stable framework.

Two key note speeches were then delivered by Professor Zhang Xiaoming, School of International Relations, Beijing University, and Dr. Chu Jang-Min, Head of Environmental Policy Group, Korea Environment Institute (Chief Researcher, Division of Environmental Strategy). Main points included the necessity of regional social collaboration in north-eastern Asian Region, namely, theoretical and pragmatic analysis on the security issues regarding North Korea, and the historical relationships and collaboration in the fields of environment by the three countries. In the four following sessions fifteen speakers from China, South Korea Taiwan Mongolia and Japan delivered their experience and lessons in international collaboration from their broad range of study subjects including international relations, public policy, environment, anthropology (ethnology) and disaster. Theme of the sessions were as follows:
Session 1: "Constructing A Community of Shared Future in East Asia: Potentials and Challenges I"
Session 2: "Constructing A Community of Shared Future in East Asia: Potentials and Challenges II"
Session 3: "The Practice of Constructing a Community of Shared Future in East Asia I"
Session 4: "The Practice of Constructing a Community of Shared Future in East Asia II"

The session 1 and 2 aimed to share experiences and challenges while the session 3 and 4 were to draw knowledge from the practical case. Mr. Ueda, researcher of ADRC, the first presenter of the session 3, reported the present status and challenges of international cooperation in disaster reduction, by highlighting the backgrounds Asian Disaster Reduction Center and activities so far, under the title of "Can Disaster Reduction Cooperation could leverage social reconciliation among China, Japan and South Korea?", and referred to the possibilities that the collaboration for "Disaster Risk Reduction" could facilitate trilateral social reconciliation among China, Japan and South Korea.

<2nd day, 5 November>

On the second day, a field trip was organized and the participants visited the Anji Ecological Museum, Liujiatang Village and Yu Village in Anji County, Zhejiang Province.

The Ecological Museum is the center working as a hub of the twelve museums for individual themes located wide in this region, which brings together history, culture and traditions in China; this region (Jiangnan region), adjacent to the southern area in Shandong Province can be said the Original China. Furthermore, Liujiatang Village and Yu Village, designated as environmental protection areas, are regarded as the frontrunners of the green policy under the slogan of "Green water and blue hill can be gold and silver mine. 《绿水青山就是金山银山》" advocated by Xi Jinping, after closing mines and shifting to manufacturing including bicycle assemblies and agricultural and forestry products processing.

Liujiatang Village located on the riverside, has strived for improving water environment and promoted converting to flushing toilet in houses through early installation of septic tanks of combined treatment since the village has been designated as national environmental protection areas.

Yu Village has been revitalized to be an environmental conservation area by closing the mines and switching its industries to bicycle assembly and bamboo products. It is no exaggeration that these two villages are Xi Jinping's original sceneries, who was once the Secretary General of Communist Party in Zhejiang Provincial Government.

Participation in this meeting reminded me that "BOSAI (Disaster Risk Reduction)" doesn't only mean dealing with disaster including natural hazards but also relates t to socio-cultural implications. In this context, Asian Disaster Reduction Center could contribute further to the trilateral relationships, if we will have opportunities of exchanges in the future.

(2017/11/4 19:30)

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