Three-day international disaster risk management conference begins

A three-day international conference on disaster risk management has started in Dhaka with a grand inauguration ceremony Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel in Dhaka on Saturday.

The rest of the sessions of the conference, titled International Conference on Disaster Risk Management (ICDRM) 2019, will be held at the ECE Building of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) at West Palashi campus on Sunday and Monday.

BUET-Japan Institute of Disaster Prevention and Urban Safety(BUET-JIDPUS), Department of Architecture, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM), BUET, Urban Resilience Project: RAJUK Part and Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence are jointly organising the conference.

According to a press release, the main focus of the conference is on the social and policy aspects and the application of engineering and technology for the implementation of disaster risk management.

A number of sessions will be conducted regarding the themes Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (HVRA); Adaptation, Prevention and Mitigation; Mainstreaming Disaster Management; Warning, Preparedness and Awareness; Emergency Management, Recovery and Rehabilitation, and Climate Change.

Vice-Chancellor of BUET Prof. Dr. Saiful Islam presided over the inaugural ceremony and Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Hiroyasu Izumi was present as the chief guest.

National Professor and Vice-Chancellor of University of Asia Pacific Dr. Jamilur Reza Choudhury was present as the Guest of Honour.

The speakers who attended the conference are: Professor Emeritus of BRAC University Prof. Dr. Ainun Nishat, Professor Emeritus of University of Tokyo Dr. Kazuo Konagai, Professor of University of Tokyo Dr. Kimiro Meguro, Architect Patrick Coulombel, Research Fellow of BUET-JIDPUS Dr. J.W.F Wiersma,  Professor of Osaka University Dr. Stefano Tsukamoto, Assistant Professor of Nepal's Tribhuvan University Dr. Deepak Chamlagain.

A total of 238 abstracts were received at the conference from different parts of the world, including India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Philippines etc.

Approximately 128 papers of different fields are expected to be presented in different sessions.