INTERPRAEVENT 2014 in Nara

- A prelude to the 3rd World Conference on DRR and Summit on Sustainable Development -

INTERPRAEVENT 2014 will be held in November 2014 in Nara, Japan with approximately 200 participants from around the world. Under the main topic of "Natural Disaster Mitigation to establish Society with the Resilience" it will deal with issues such as large-scale disasters, climate change adaptation and other contemporary issues. Nara prefecture was seriously affected by large-scale disasters caused by Typhoon No.12 in 2011. A study tour is arranged to visit those disaster sites. The second circular will appear shortly. For details please refer to http://interpraevent2014.com.

It is a forum for exchanging knowledge and experiences among engineers, researchers, administrators and others who are directly engaged in sediment-related disaster risk reduction (SDRR) in each country. Such information sharing will certainly lead to technological advancement and accordingly promotion of SDRR in each country.

Let me refer to the importance of INTERPRAEVENT in connection with the up-coming major events for disaster reduction and sustainable development as follows. Please refer to my previous message: "Sabo, Disaster Reduction and Sustainable Development".

The outcome of INTERPRAEVENT will be presented at the 3rd World Conference on DRR (March 2015 in Sendai, Japan) in the form of "Declaration" and others so that the importance of SDRR may be well recognized by the international DRR community and duly reflected in the Post-2015 DRR Framework to be adopted at the Conference. The Post-2015 DRR Framework thus adopted at the international level will in turn facilitate promotion of SDRR under cooperation of all concerned including, in particular, financial and planning authorities in each country.

Subsequently, the Post-2015 DRR Framework will be forwarded to the UN Summit on Sustainable Development (September 2015) for integration in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be adopted at the Summit according to the decision at Rio+20 in 2012. This can be a significant commitment of world leaders to promote DRR including SDRR as one of critical issues human being is faced with.

A series of the three events starting INTERPRAEVENT offer a good and precious opportunity towards the recognition: "SDRR is an important element of DRR, so is DRR of Sustainable Development" at national, international and global levels. Such an opportunity may not come for decades in the future if missed. We know this well and let us take this opportunity to reaffirm and emphasize it at every occasions as appropriate according to the respective capacity in each country.

I noticed some names of ISN members who submitted abstracts for INTERPRAEVENT. I look forward to seeing you in Nara in November 2014, then in Sendai in March 2015.

March 2014

Hidetomi Oi

President, International Sabo Association