1st Asian Science and Technology Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction
Science-Policy dialogue for Implementation of the Sendai Framework
23-24 August 2016
Venue: Swissotel Nai Lert Pak hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
Background
The Asian region has always faced a significant impact of disasters. The trend of human andeconomic losses due to disasters in this region has been in an increasing order. Althoughcountries in this region have demonstrated a significant progress in establishing policies,
institutions and processes towards disaster risk management, the fundamental understanding ofdisaster risk, losses and the underlying causes of hazards turning into disasters are often at lowlevel.
The Sendai Framework, adopted in 2015, calls for a shift from managing disasters to managingrisks. This requires a more holistic approach to risks and a stronger focus on risk-creation
processes. The framework provides an opportunity to approach disaster risk reduction (DRR) as
an integral part of sustainable development. This will require even greater understanding of risks,losses and the underlying causes of risks that are affecting the development gains through soundscientific research and evidence base information. The framework therefore calls for : “Academia,scientific and research entities and networks to: focus on the disaster risk factors and scenarios,including emerging disaster risks, in the medium and long term; increase research for regional,
national and local application; support action by local communities and authorities; and support
the interface between policy and science for decision-making”.
The role of science, technology and research in providing evidence and knowledge on disasterrisks and ‘How to’ reduce risks have been emphasized in all major international and regionalframeworks and agendas. In the last decade, the science, technology and research has progressedsignificantly in all fronts and across all sectors. Scientists and researchers have brought a deeper
understanding of the hazards, vulnerabilities, disaster risks and its linkages to the development
processes. However, we often hear the challenges and gaps in translating this scientificinformation in to the policy making arena that can make policies science and evidence based.
To this end, there is a need to foster the much-needed dialogue between science and policy towhat kind of science product is required and how to apply the scientific knowledge in evidence
based DRR policy making. This has been discussed in several forums and there are many
initiatives exist to improve communication between science and policy. However, often theselargely conform to a ‘linear’ model of communication in which scientific facts and knowledge aretransmitted/ shared directly to policymaker to “solve problems”. This linear communication
mostly assumes that policy makers pose well-defined questions and scientists provide credible,
legitimate and relevant scientific information; and the policy makers well understand thescientific information provided by the scientists. Most often this assumption is proven otherwise.
While this model can help to start a dialogue, it is, on its own, insufficient to contribute to anevidence based policy making; as policy making is complex and often selective in the information
used and as such incorporating scientific knowledge into policy is also a challenge.
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To address need of science based policy making for disaster risk reduction; and of science-policy
interface to the better balance between the supply and demand between science community andthe governments, the 1st Asian Science and Technology Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction
will be organized by the Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute (HAII 1) of the Royal Thai
Government and UNISDR Asia Pacific office, in collaboration and support of Asian Science
Technology and Academia Advisory Group (ASTAAG), Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR)
and other scientific organizations/ networks. The science–policy dialogue will be initiated in thisoccasion which will be the main theme of the conference.
The main collaborators for the 1st Asian Science and Technology Conference for Disaster RiskReduction and the Science-policy dialogue series will bring together their institutional capacities
and resources to organize these dialogues annually on a rotational basis. The outcome of eachScience-policy dialogue will strive to guide countries and regional entities in fostering sciencepolicy interface for effective implementation of the Sendai Framework. The recommendations
and key messages emanating from these dialogues will feed in to the key regional andinternational processes such as the regional and global platforms for DRR.
The Science-Policy Dialogue:
The 1st Asian Science and Technology Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction will be organized by
HAII and UNISDR Asia and the Pacific and the Asian Science Technology and Academia Advisory
Group (ASTAAG). The dialogue will aim to bring together key DRR policy-makers (HFA/ SendaiFocal points) and representatives of key scientific organizations from Asian countries to discuss on
strengthening the science-policy interface towards science based DRR policy development.
The key recommendations and messages from this dialogue will feed in to the deliberations in thesucceeding Asian Science Conference to be held in Bangkok and subsequently will feed in to theAsian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2016 to be held in New Delhi, India.
The main objectives of the dialogue are to:- Discuss the key issues, challenges, needs and opportunities in application of science in policy
making and share good practices from the region.
- Discuss the way forward for promotion of science-policy interface for evidence based DRR
policy making in Asian countries.
- Agree on a set of key messages towards ‘Application of Science and Technology in Disaster
Risk Reduction’ (which is a main theme in the AMCDRR 2016)
The expected outcome of this dialogue will be:- A statement of commitment from participants on application of Science and technology indisaster risk reduction, in line with Sendai Framework- A set of key recommendations to be considered by the AMCDRR 2016.

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Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute (HAII) is a public organization under the Ministry of Science and Technology with main
responsibilities in developing and applying science and technology to support better agricultural and water resource management.
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Tentative Agenda
23-24 August 2016
Venue: Swissotel Nai Lert Pak hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
Day1
09:00 – 10:00

Opening Ceremony
Master of Ceremony from Thailand- Welcome Address – Dr. Sumet Tantivejkul, Chairman of Utokapat
Foundation and Honorary Chairman of HAII, Thailand- Video Message: Mr Robert Glasser, Special Representative of the Secretary
General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), UNISDR- Opportunities of the application of Science and Technology in disaster risk
reduction in Asia – UNISDR- Sujit Mohanty, Regional Platform Coordinator- Knowledge of Risk in Asia: Assessment and counter measures – Prof. Shi
Peijun,State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology,
Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management Ministry of Civil Affairs & Ministry of Education

10:00 – 10:30Coffee BreakSession One: Context setting: Opportunities and challenges in science-policy nexus
Chair: Sujit Mohanty, Regional Platform Coordinator, UNISDR
10:30 – 12:30- Review of current status of science and technology applied in disaster risk
reduction: challenges and opportunities in Asia – Prof. Rajib Shaw,
Executive Director , IRDR
-Science and technology in disaster risk reduction: Hydro-informatics
development in Thailand – Dr. Royol Chitradon, Director, HAII.

-Understanding of risk: communicating disaster risks with policy makers –Prof. Qian Ye, Beijing Normal University, China-Future Earth and its focus on enhancing science capacities in Asia – Prof.
Tetsuzo Yasunari, Future Earth Science Committee Member

Plenary discussion
12:30 – 13:30

Lunch

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-3-Session two: Sharing good practices: Application of methods and tools for risk-sensitive
policy and practices
Chair: Dr. Royboon Rassameethes, Deputy Director of Hydro and Agro
Informatics Institute (HAII)
13:30 – 15:30- Scientific knowledge and methods in flood and drought management at
community level – by Dr. Sutat Weesakul, Deputy director, HAII
-Scientific methods and tools in Seismic risk reduction – Prof. Ravi Sinha,
Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, India-Partnerships to support Community Water Resource Management –Stuart Hawkins, Director of Sustainability, Coca-Cola ASEAN-Today’s and tomorrow’s abilities within Flood and Drought Forecasting –Finn Hansen, Project Manager, DHI-Enhancing resilience to disasters in Phuket (Thailand) throughmulti-stakeholder collaboration – Andreas Schaffer, Sustainability
Director EOS, NTU Singapore

Questions and Answers
15:30 – 16:00

Coffee BreakSession three: The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and focus on science andtechnology in Asia
Panel 1: Plenary Discussion on Understanding Disaster Risk
Chair: Prof. Shi Peijun, Professor, Beijing Normal University
Rapporteur: Prof. Saini Yang
16:00 – 17:30- Understanding disaster losses – Andrew McElroy, UNISDR-Applications of space technology in disaster risk reduction –Shirish Ravan, Head, UN-SPIDER Beijing Office, UNOOSA-Disaster related statistics for policies in disaster risk reduction – Daniel
Clarke, Statistics Division UNESCAP-Integrated and multi-disciplinary research bridging social and naturalsciences using both quantitative and qualitative data – Prof. Kuniyoshi
Takeuchi, ICHARM, Japan

Chair’s summary and wrap up

19 August 2016-4-Day 2:
09:00 – 09:05

Recap of Day 1 and introduction to Day 2Session three: Panel discussions
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction andfocus on Science and technology
in Asia (Continuation from Day 1)
Panel 2: Plenary Discussion on Strengthening Disaster Risk Governance to Manage Disaster
Risk
Chair: Prof. Rajib Shaw, Executive Director, IRDR
Rapporteur: Associate Prof. Takako Izumi International Research Institute of Disaster
Science (IRIDeS), Tohoku University, Japan
09:05 – 10:30 - Dialogue and networking on disaster risk reduction between scientists andpolicy-makers – Prof. Joy Jacqueline Pereira, Professor and Principal
Research Fellow, SEADPRI-Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia- Scientific awareness and understanding of the impact of disaster risks onsocieties – Dr. Md. Anwaraul Abedin, Bangladesh Agriculture University(BAU), Bangladesh- Engagement of science in national coordination mechanisms or platforms
for disaster risk reduction – Sugeng Triutomo, Defense University ofIndonesia- Improving planning to respond to climate impacts across scales – Dr. LalitaRammont, International Water Association (IWA)
Chair’s summary and wrap up
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee BreakPanel 3: Plenary Discussion on Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience
Chair: Prof. Joy Jacqueline Pereira, Professor and Principal Research Fellow, SEADPRIUniversiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Rapporteur: Dr. Peeranan Towashiraporn, Director, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
11:00 – 13:00 - Funding and resources for science and technology to inform onunderstanding of risk, through incentives and cooperation with thecommercial sector and enhanced knowledge and technology transfer –Prof. Kaoru Takara, DPRI, Kyoto University, Japan- The impact of investment in disaster risk reduction based on theassessment on economic growth, safety and wellbeing of the generalpublic – Dr. Supot Teachavorasinskun, Chulalogkorn University, Thailand- Innovation in earth observation and geo spatial data for risk profiling anddecision making – Prof. Saini Yang, The State Key Laboratory of Earth
Surface Processes and Resource Ecology , Beijing Normal University- Roles of social and anthropological sciences in the analysis of investing indisaster risk reduction – Dr. Hamidul Huq, UIU, Bangladesh- Public private partnership for Disaster Risk Reduction: Experience fromKorea – Associate Prof. David Oliver Kasdan, Department of Public
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National University, Korea
Chair’s summary and wrap up
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch
Panel 4: Plenary Discussion on Enhancing Disaster Preparedness for Effective Response and“Build Back Better” in Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
Chair: Prof. Vinod Sharma, IIPA, India
Rapporteur: Dr. Ali Ardalan, Adviser to Health Deputy Minister, Director of DRM Office, I.R.
Iran
14:00 – 15:45- Use of technological innovations for flood forecasting and early warning ininsufficiently gauged trans-boundary river-basins – Sanjay Srivastava, Chief
Disaster Risk Reduction Section, UNESCAP.
- Build Back Better in recovery and seamless DRR support that lead to
Sustainable Development – Satoru Mimura, JICA, Japan- National disaster risk reduction plans and strategies in the SAARC region –Prof. Mulam Bhaskara Rao, Advisor, Centre for Disaster Management
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, India- Promotion of science based decision-making for resettlement processes –Dr. Ali Ardalan, Adviser to Health Deputy Minister, Director of DRM Office,I.R. Iran- Use of science, technology and innovation at community level from early
warning, early action to recovery and rehabilitation" - Donna Mitzi D.
Lagdameo, Technical Adviser, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre
15:45 – 16:15
Session Four:
16:15 – 17:30

Chair’s summary and wrap up
Coffee BreakWay forward: Adoption of the outcome document
Presentation on draft regional declaration/ statement on Application ofScience and technology in disaster risk reduction, in line with Sendai
Framework – Sujit Mohanty, Regional Platform Coordinator, UNISDR and Dr.
Royboon Rassameethes, Deputy Director, HAII
Plenary discussion and adoption of the outcome document
Official announcement of 2nd Asian Science and Technology Conference on
DRR – Prof. Shi Peijun
Closing ceremony addresses –H.E. Kiren Rijiju, Minister of States for Home Affairs, Ministry of Home
Affairs, Government of India
Closing Remark: H.E. Dr. Pichet Durongkaveroj, Minister of Science andTechnology, Thailand

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