On the sidelines of the 7th International Conference of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering held in Tehran, Iran, the founding group for an Iranian IRDR National Committee convened in Tehran on 19 May 2015.

The initiative to establish a National Committee, as part of the regional engagement in the global IRDR programme, had been championed by Professor Mohsen Ashtiany, from the Iranian Earthquake Engineering Association (IEEA) and founding faculty of the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES). Professor Ashtiany had actively accompanied the launch and development of the IRDR programme. For this meeting, an impressive array of diverse institutions and individuals gathered, representing important sectors of Iran’s DRR science and technology community.

Speakers included representatives and researchers from IIEES, IEEA, the Iranian Water Resource Association, the Iranian Sociological Association, the Ministry of Energy, as well as Tehran’s DRR office and the Shakhes Pajouh Institute. These organisations represent different sectors of society, government, and science.