The 12th APRU Multi-Hazards Symposium 2016 held at Kyoto University (7–8 March 2016)

The 12th APRU Multi-Hazards Symposium 2016 took place 7–8 March 2016 at Kyoto University's International Science Innovation Building. APRU is an association of 45 leading research universities in the Pacific Rim, and is dedicated to facilitating collaboration among its member institutions, addressing issues of concern to the region, and contributing to the international community.

The two-day symposium, held as part of the APRU Multi-Hazard Programs, was attended by approximately 100 participants from Japan and overseas. A large part of the discussions focused on the role of science and technology within the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015–2030, which was adopted at the 3rd United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, on 18 March 2015.

The symposium opened with a welcome address by Kyoto University President Juichi Yamagiwa, followed by speeches by Prof Junichi Mori, director-general of the University's Organization for the Promotion of International Relations (OPIR), and Ms Christina Schönleber, program director of APRU. Next, keynote lectures were delivered by Dr Rajib Shaw, Board Chairman of SEEDS Asia, and Prof Kaoru Takara, director of Kyoto University's Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI).

From the afternoon of the first day through the morning of the second day, four sessions were held on SFDRR's Four Priorities for Action, which are 1) Understanding disaster risk, 2) Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk, 3) Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience, and 4) Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to "Build Back Better" in recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. Each session featured presentations and lively discussions.

In the afternoon of the second day, lectures were delivered by representatives of the World Bank and START (Global Change SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training), a US-based international non-profit organization, in a session entitled "Partnership with Academia for Disaster Risk Management: Case of the World Bank". Afterwards, co-chairs of all the previous sessions took part in a panel discussion, which was followed by the adoption of the Kyoto Declaration 2016 on the Role of Science and Technology in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The symposium was then brought to a close with addresses by GSGES Dean Shigeo Fujii, Prof Takara, and Prof Mori.

Some of the academic papers presented at the symposium are being compiled into a volume, Science and Technology in Disaster Risk Reduction: Potential and Challenges , which is scheduled to be published soon.