UEC joins forces with universities in Fukushima and Iwate to study disasters

Research Station of Disaster Science on Mega Risk Management (DSMRM) at University of Electro-Communications (UEC); Fukushima Future Center for Regional Revitalization (FURE) at Fukushima University; and Research Center for Regional Disaster Management (RCRDM) at Iwate University.

On 1^st August 2013 the UEC established DSMRM as the university's first organization for disaster studies. Later in the year, 18 December, Dr. Takashi Onishi, the chairperson of the Science Council of Japan, gave a lecture entitled, "Disaster studies by the collaboration of scientists in various specialized fields" at the launch of the DSMRM. Approximately 100 scientists and researchers who participated in the meeting exchanged their views about the role of disaster studies at DSMRM.

On March 17, 2014, the symposium on "Problems of Reconstruction and Scientists' roles in Fukushima" under the co-sponsorship of DSMRM at the UEC and FURE at Fukushima University was held at the UEC. The symposium included four talks on disaster studies and the roles of scientists in reconstruction support. The lectures underscored the seriousness of secondary damage such as the collapse of community and family, health impairment, and the decline in the price of agricultural products caused by harmful rumors or misinformation. During the general discussion, the approximately 30 participants including scientists, researchers, and general public, recognized the unique aspects of the problems caused by the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster after the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.

On June 11, a symposium on "Activities for Recovery and Reconstruction in Iwate" under the co-sponsorship of DSMRM at the UEC and RCRDM at Iwate University was also held at the UEC. Three professors gave lectures on crisis management, disaster reduction, The Iwate Higher Education Consortium, and reconstruction support in damaged areas. The general discussion between the approximately 50 participants highlighted the importance of crisis management and education as measures for disaster prevention and limitation, and the problems of community design for reconstruction in damaged areas.

Based on the co-sponsorship of the aforementioned symposia, the participants confirmed the resources and current status of each of the participating universities. There are plans to hold further symposia in the future co-sponsorship of DSMRM, FURE, RCRDM and other research organizations, to discuss the possibility of collaborative studies utilizing the strengths of each participating institute.