Mar.10-12, 2023
Mar.10-12, 2023
World BOSAI Forum 2023/IDRC2023 in SENDAI was successfully convened. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who participated in the sessions, exhibitions, posters, and flash talk presentations, as well as to the many local people who came to the event.
Although there were concerns about the impact of the coronavirus, we eventually had 5,412 people over the three days, including 1,335 pre-registrants from 39 countries and regions, registrants on-site, and participants of EXPO. As a result of inviting citizens to participate in the event for free, we were able to attract a larger number of participants this year.
At the forum, 30 oral sessions, 7 conferences, 55 poster sessions, 33 mini-presentations, and 33 exhibition booths for EXPO were held. The Forum discussed tangible solutions for disaster risk reduction and disseminated information to the world through dialogue among international organizations, governments, academia, private sector, NGOs, and citizens. The growing interest in the SDGs developed many sessions that were held with a view of inclusion, gender, and so on. There were prominent sessions organized by young people, including female participants and high school students.
This year, the World BOSAI Award was established as a new approach. The awardees are Mr. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, and Mr. Koutoku Wamura, former mayor of Fudai Village in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. The former did not hesitate to assist Japan at the Great Kanto Earthquake which happened 100 years ago, despite the anti-Japanese movement of that time. The latter built the Fudai Flood Gate for the Tsunami in the face of a lack of funds and severe headwinds. Both were noted for their responsibility and will as leaders for disaster prevention.
The closing event practiced the integration of cultural entertainment and disaster prevention. The event featured a freestyle basketball performance by ZiNEZ & sakkuman, who were involved in the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, a performance by members of the Tohoku University Symphony Orchestra, a chorus by the Sendai Municipal Daiichi Junior High School Chorus Group, and a stage performance by May J, who is a famous singer and involved in the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Based on the content of the forum, the recommendation for the Interim Evaluation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Reduction, which will be presented to the UN General Assembly in May 2023, was authored and handed to Ms. Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Reduction and Head of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).
However, there are many issues to be addressed, including the occurrence of a major earthquake in Turkey, the risk of a Nankai Trough earthquake, and major damage from frequent large tropical cyclones, which are thought to be the result of climate change. The World Bosai Forum will continue to promote concrete solutions for adaptation through dialogue among all sectors of society, including the private sector, government, academia, and citizens with respect to the perspectives of women, young people, and citizens.
The next World Bosai Forum is scheduled to be held around March 2025, in Sendai. We were preparing for the next forum from the day this year’s forum ends, to make World Bosai Forum 2025 even better than this year. We are looking forward to your continuous support and cooperation.
World Bosai Forum Foundation
Founder, Yuichi Ono
| Dates | From Friday 10th to Sunday 12th, March |
|---|---|
| Venue | Sendai International Center Aobayama, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi 980-0856, Japan |
| Organizer | World BOSAI Forum Local Organizing Committee/World BOSAI Forum International Steering Committee |
| Sponsorship | Cabinet Office, Reconstruction Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Iwate Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture, The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd. Sendai branch office, The Asahi Shimbun Company Sendai branch office, Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd. Sendai branch office, The Yomiuri Shimbun Sendai branch office, NHK Sendai branch Office, Miyagi Television Broadcasting Co.,Ltd., TOHOKU BROADCASTING CO., LTD., Sendai Television Inc., HIGASHI NIPPON BROADCASTING Co.,Ltd., Sendai FM BROADCASTING, INC. |
30 oral sessions,1 keynote speech, and 6 conferences were made with active discussions.
The list of Sessions is below;
There were 55 poster presentations, including both academic research and practical initiatives which were presented by private sector. Awards were given to the following three.
| Name | Matias Korfmacher |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | University of Washington |
| Title | Improving Extreme Heat Response in Washington's Healthcare Sector |
| Name | Ren-Jie Li |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | National Taiwan University of Science and Technology |
| Title | No-code integrated database and chatbot aiding disaster-resistant communities |
| Name | Yu WATANABE |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Tohoku University |
| Title | Impacts of Handing Down Disaster Experiences on Storytellers and Successors: A Case Study of PBL Classes at Tohoku University |
High school and university students, private sector, citizens, and others as well as researchers had flash talk presentations.
A total of 33 companies and organizations exhibited at EXPO.
The forum was interviewed by 27 papers and broadcasts. It was widely reported on TV and in newspapers.
・30 oral sessions, 7 conferences, 50 poster sessions, 33 flash talk presentations, and 33 exhibition booths were held. Active discussions were held on the promotion and challenges of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Reduction 2015-2030, inclusion and disaster reduction, and other issues, leading to the sharing of concrete solutions for "BOSAI" and their global dissemination.
・1,335 pre-registrants from 40 countries and regions, including Japan, have attended. The main affiliated organizations of the conference registrants were international organizations which include the United Nations, research institutes and universities from Japan and abroad, national governments from Japan and abroad, local governments, and those who belong to the private sector.
・Including exhibitors and registrants on-site, a total of 5,412 people participated over the three days. Participants from the local Miyagi area were especially high.
・Tohoku University hosted four sessions and co-hosted ten sessions. The role and contribution of Tohoku University and the International Research Institute of Disaster Science in the recovery of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and in Bosai section were introduced to the world and Japan.
・The World BOSAI Award was established and raise public awareness of disaster reduction by honoring and reacknowledging the accomplishments of Mr. Koutoku Wamura, Mayor of Fudai Village, Iwate Prefecture, and Mr. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States once again.
・The closing event practiced the integration of cultural entertainment and disaster prevention. The event featured a freestyle basketball performance by ZiNEZ & sakkuman, who were involved in the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, a performance by members of the Tohoku University Symphony Orchestra, a chorus by the Sendai Municipal Daiichi Junior High School Chorus Group, and a stage performance by May J, who is a famous singer and involved in the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake.
・The importance of the progress of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Reduction was appealed by handed the recommendation for the Interim Evaluation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Reduction, which will be presented to the UN General Assembly in May 2023, to Ms. Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Reduction and Head of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR). The full text is as follows↓
World BOSAI Forum 2023/IDRC 2023 in SENDAI was attended by 5,412 participants from 40 countries. The Forum discussed tangible solutions for disaster risk reduction and disseminated information to the world through dialogue among international organizations, governments, academia, private sector, NGOs, and citizens. The Forum voiced its desire to see conflicts around the world resolved as soon as possible, since conflict is the biggest impediment to disaster risk reduction. Conflict is one of the reasons why the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Paris Agreement, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have fallen far behind in achieving their goals. On the other hand, the Forum emphasized that international cooperation on disaster risk reduction may be beneficial in resolving conflicts. The Covid-19 Pandemic took a tremendous toll, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction pointed out the importance of being prepared in advance and of maintaining the health care sector in times of emergency. A special session on earthquakes in Turkey and Syria discussed challenges and solutions by academia and practitioners. It was pointed out that while the development of new technologies is effective for disaster risk reduction, we already have a substantial amount of viable technology; the problem is that they are not being disseminated throughout society. A human-centered approach, including inclusiveness and sustainability in disaster risk reduction, was suggested to address the problem that some socio-economic groups are more vulnerable to disasters. Education and public awareness, including picture books and disaster storytelling associated with disaster-related museums, are useful to keep memories of disaster experiences alive in the next generations. Several sessions emphasized that inclusion of the perspectives of women, children and the disabled would further reduce disaster risks. City of Sendai conducted a mid-term review on the Sendai Framework which helps understand disaster risks at the local level. The exhibition, called World BOSAI EXPO, introduced disaster risk reduction product technologies from private companies and activities of disaster risk reduction-related organizations.
The forum came up with recommendations to the Mid-Term Review Process of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction as below.
