The 3rd International Conference on Urban Disaster Reduction (3ICUDR)  from 28 September 28-  to 1 October 2014 is currently taking place in Boulder, Colorado, USA. Organized by Earthquake Engineering Research Institute and co-hosted by Natural Hazards Center, the conference builds on an established practice of international collaboration and knowledge-sharing after disaster events in Japan, US, and Taiwan. In this third conference, New Zealand joins the three collaborating countries in aiming to develop, integrate and promote new knowledge and best practices in sustainable disaster recovery, with a particular emphasis on urban environments.

Kathleen Tierney, Director of the Natural Hazards Center, University of Colorado gave the Opening Speech during the Plenary on 28 September. The Natural Hazards Center is IRDR’s National Committee in USA which serves as a ‘centre of centres’ taking advantage of the research capacities of university-based centres that specialise in different aspects of hazards and disasters and that represent diverse disciplines. Using an all-hazards and interdisciplinary framework, the Center fosters information sharing and integration of activities among researchers, practitioners, and policy makers from around the world; supports and conducts research; and provides educational opportunities for the next generation of hazards scholars and professionals.

The Conference’s Track 1 session featured David Johnston, IRDR Science Committee Chair who gave a presentation on “Multi-agency Community Engagement during Disaster Recovery: Lessons from New Zealand for Three Moderate Sized-Earthquake Events” in one of the breakout sessions. The full program is found here: http://3icudr.org/images/3ICUDR_Program.pdf.

Aside from plenary and breakout sessions, reports from pre-conference field study workshops will also be presented during the said event which will close tomorrow, 1 October.