After a successful 1st Global Summit in 2011, the “Second Global Summit of Research Institutes for Disaster Risk Reduction: Development of a Research Road Map for the Next Decade” was held at Kihada Hall, Uji Campus, Kyoto University from 19-20 March 2015. Organized by the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI) of Kyoto University in collaboration with the Natural Disaster Research Council(NDRC), Japan, the event was aimed to discuss the research goals and contribution that the disaster research institutes can make to disaster risk reduction in the next decade.

IRDR SC Chair David Johnston gave a presentation on ““Building community resilience to natural hazards: linking global programmes to local action”, providing an overview of the IRDR programme. Johnston also shared an outline of the work of IRDR International Center of Excellence – Community Resilience (ICoE-CR) based in  Massey University (Joint Center for Disaster Research) in New Zeland where David also serves as the Director. See presentation

The event also involved workshop style discussions and resulted in the drafting of a Resolution, with one of the key points focused in establishment of an alliance of the disaster research institutes, called the Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (GADRI). The purpose of the GADRI is to move forward the recommendations of the Resolution, and in particular to share knowledge, experiences and ideas on disaster research in order to contribute to enhancing disaster risk reduction and disaster resilience.

“IRDR fully supports the move to strength links between the world’s research institutions and will work with their members to link with our programmes and networks,” said David Johnston.