Proceedings of the 5th Global Summit of the Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (GADRI): Engaging Sciences with Action (Disaster and Risk Research: GADRI Book Series)

This book presents selected papers from the 5th Global Summit of the Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (GADRI)―Engaging Sciences with Action, which was held virtually and regionally from 31 August to 1 September 2021. The Summit reappraised progress and achievements in disaster risk reduction research by the members towards the targets of the science and technology roadmap to implement the goals and priorities of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. The programme communicated academic science across various scientific disciplines to policymakers and practitioners. This cross-disciplinary aspect is important for academics to be aware of how science can directly contribute to mitigate national and local disasters, for example, the global pandemic COVID-19, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The Global Summit of GADRI was attentive to the necessary influence of the Global Alliance and its supporting regional alliances to reflect disaster research into the outcome of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) that took place in Glasgow, UK, in November 2021. The summit contributed to COP26 and provided an impetus to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and health challenges for climate policy to work in the framework of disaster resilience and response. Facilitated through the UK Alliance for Disaster Research, the recommendations by the 5th Global Summit of GADRI were presented at COP26 as well as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)’s Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction titled “From Risk to Resilience: Towards Sustainable Development for All in a COVID-19 Transformed World”, which was held in Bali, Indonesia, from 23 to 28 May 2022.

Prof. Hirokazu Tatano is the vice-director of the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI) and the head of the Research Division of Disaster Management for Safe and Secure Society, Kyoto University. He has served as the vice-president of the International Society of Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRiM Society) since 2010 and as the secretary-general of the Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (GADRI) since 2015. He has carried out pioneering research on economic consequence analyses with a major focus on economic resilience to natural disasters at the levels of individual business, market and regional economy. Another research focus is methodologies for integrated disaster risk management and governance. Through these academic activities, he contributes to establishing “implementation science” as a key research area for disaster risk reduction.

Prof. Paul Kovacs is the founder and executive director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction at Western University, Canada. He has written more than 200 publications and articles, and he is a passionate champion for insurance, disaster resilience and adaptation to climate extremes. He has worked in private industry, the public sector and academia. He is a co-chair of the Infrastructure and Housing Working Group of Canada’s Adaptation Platform, and he is also a co-chair of the Science and Technology Working Group of Canada’s Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction. In addition, he is a member of a number of boards and advisory panels. Paul is a proud husband and father, with a growing collection of bow ties.