The 2nd Annual Meeting of DBAR DRR Working Group was held on Dec 13, 2017 in Sanya China.

Prof. CHEN Fang, the co-chair of the working group, summarised the activities of 2017. DBAR DRR Working Group launched a regional research initiative “Integrated Digital and Social Vulnerability Research Programme”. Based on this programme, DBAR ICoE on IRDE at University of Peshawar-Pakistan was established and the International Workshop on “CPEC Natural Hazards Risk Assessment and Mitigation” was held. The working group released a comprehensive strategy document to support regional research strategy in Feb, 2017 and a policy brief in the side event “Global Partnership on Space Technology Applications for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP-STAR)” of Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Cancun.

10 experts of this working group presented their key showcases/suggestions in integrated data sources for DRR and key institutions involved at the country/institution/network scales. After the presentations, experts discussed warmly about how to build a better DBAR Big Earth Data Platform in order to bridge the data gap for DRR. In the end of the Meeting, key activities of working group in 2018 were proposed.

Prof. GUO Huadong, PI of DBAR programme, and Mr. HAN Qunli, Executive Director of IRDR delivered opening remarks for this Annual Meeting. Prof. CHEN Fang and Prof. Rajib Shaw, the co-chairs of the working group, chaired all the sessions.

“Digital Belt and Road” Program (DBAR), jointly with Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) International Programme Office (IPO), IRDR China National Committee (IRDR CHINA), International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE), Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth (RADI) and CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence on Space Technology for Disaster Mitigation (SDIM) formed an international research working group (DBAR-Disaster) to strengthen science capacities for sustainable development and disaster risk reduction under the Digital Belt and Road Program, starting from year 2016.