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North East Plays Host To Disaster Conference

The North East will today play host to a major conference to look at ways of managing the risks from natural disasters and major incidents. In the wake of the earthquake, flooding in North West England, terrorist attacks in London and the potential risk of a bird flu pandemic, experts from Japan and the UK are coming together at Northumbria University to attend the first-ever UK-Japan seminar on Disaster Risk Management. Taking place today and tomorrow at Northumbria’s Disaster and Development Centre, the seminar aims to take forward the global agenda for disaster reduction, set out by the United Nations at its World Conference in Japan last year.

Dr Andrew Collins, Director of the Disaster and Development Centre at Northumbria University, said: “It is vitally important for Centres such as ours to share knowledge and develop links with other experts in the field and this two day seminar gives us the chance to share best practice, bring together academics and practitioners and really take forward the Disaster Risk Agenda.”

The event, which is sponsored by the Japan Foundation, will be addressed by guest of honour Mr Nobuhiko Tanizawa, First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in London. It will include a presentation on the risks of bird flu by the Health Protection Agency, as well as looking at how communities can become less vulnerable to disasters.

Dr Collins added: “To date there has been a lack of education support for the global disaster risk agenda and we hope this seminar is a step towards changing that position. Our findings will be reported in the Spring and we look forward to collaborating with our Japanese colleagues on projects around the world and by providing exchange opportunities for students studying Disaster Management at both Universities”.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .