International Research Institute of Disaster Science
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| International Research Institute of Disaster Science | |
|---|---|
| Name | International Research Institute of Disaster Science |
| Established | 1995 |
| Type | Research institute |
| Parent | Tohoku University |
| Location | Sendai, Miyagi, Japan |
International Research Institute of Disaster Science is a multidisciplinary research institute based at Tohoku University in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan, focused on hazards, risk reduction, resilience, and recovery. The institute integrates field observation, modeling, social science, and engineering to address earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods, and climate-related disasters. It engages with national and international partners to translate scientific findings into policy and practice.
History
The institute was founded in response to lessons from the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake and expanding global concern after events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, aligning with Tohoku University's postwar research tradition alongside institutions like Riken and University of Tokyo. Early collaborations involved researchers linked to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the World Bank. Over successive decades the institute has hosted visiting scholars connected to the International Council for Science and partnered with laboratories associated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, and National University of Singapore. Institutional milestones included formation of regional networks with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation working groups, data exchanges with the Global Earthquake Model consortium, and memoranda of understanding with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and United States Geological Survey. The institute's timeline intersects with major events such as the Kobe reconstruction era, post-disaster policy shifts after the Tohoku catastrophe, and international frameworks including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Mission and Research Areas
The institute's mission emphasizes hazard monitoring, vulnerability assessment, and resilience building in contexts influenced by actors like the Asian Development Bank, the European Commission, and the United Nations Development Programme. Core research areas include seismology informed by networks like Hi-net, tsunami science linked to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, volcanology related to the Japan Meteorological Agency Volcanic Division, hydrology connected to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, and geomorphology in collaboration with the United States Army Corps of Engineers and Geological Survey of Japan. Social-science programs interface with scholars associated with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the World Health Organization, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Applied research engages with engineering partners such as Japan Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, and corporations like Kajima Corporation and Taisei Corporation on retrofitting standards and building codes influenced by the Building Research Institute (Japan).
Organizational Structure and Facilities
The institute comprises research divisions modeled after international centers including the Pacific Disaster Center, with laboratories for seismology, hydraulics, remote sensing, and social resilience comparable to units at Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Earth Observatory of Japan. Governance involves advisory boards featuring experts from United Nations University, International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center. Field stations support deployments to regions affected by events like the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2015 Nepal earthquake, and typhoon impacts in the Philippines; they coordinate logistics with agencies such as Japan International Cooperation Agency and Médecins Sans Frontières. Computing and data infrastructure interfaces with initiatives like GEOSS, Global Seismographic Network, and the Group on Earth Observations.
Major Projects and Collaborations
The institute leads and participates in projects funded by bodies like the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the European Research Council, and the National Science Foundation (United States), contributing to multinational programs such as the International Ocean Discovery Program and the Global Earthquake Model initiative. Notable collaborations include tsunami inundation mapping with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, landslide early warning pilots with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, and resilience assessment frameworks co-developed with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and United Nations Development Programme. Research deployments have been conducted in partnership with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the Korea Meteorological Administration, Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics, and the Mongolian University of Science and Technology.
Publications and Contributions
Scholars affiliated with the institute have published in journals and outlets such as Nature, Science, Journal of Geophysical Research, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, Geophysical Research Letters, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature Communications, and policy briefs for the World Bank and United Nations. Contributions include development of hazard maps used by the Cabinet Office (Japan), modeling frameworks adopted by the Japan Meteorological Agency, and methodological inputs to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment reports. The institute also curates datasets integrated into platforms run by Global Seismographic Network, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology, and Copernicus Programme services.
Education and Training Programs
Educational programs encompass graduate degrees in collaboration with Tohoku University's schools such as the School of Engineering, Tohoku University and the Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, as well as professional training workshops held with partners like United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Field training exercises have been organized alongside municipal authorities from Sendai, Ishinomaki, and Kesennuma and international drills with teams from Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Korean Meteorological Administration, and NOAA.
Awards and Impact on Policy
Researchers have received awards from organizations including the Japan Academy Prize, the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water, and citations from the United Nations and World Bank for contributions to disaster risk reduction. Policy impacts include input to national building codes influenced by the Building Research Institute (Japan), advisory roles to the Cabinet Office (Japan), and contributions to international frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement discussions on climate resilience. The institute's work has informed reconstruction programs following events like the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and mitigation strategies adopted by municipal governments across the Asia-Pacific.