As one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world, frequent natural hazards – from tsunamis to floods to volcanic eruptions – threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the Pacific Rim and result in catastrophic destruction and damage.
The losses and impacts that characterize disasters have much to do with the exposure and vulnerability of people and places as they do with the severity of the hazard event. While natural hazards cannot be eliminated, by sharing best practice, knowledge, and research, we can better understand risks and minimize the threat to human life. Over the past decade, the Multi-Hazards Hub hosted by Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan has worked to harness the collective capabilities of APRU universities for cutting-edge research on the shared threat of natural hazards facing the region.
Of the top 100 institutions globally by scholarly output on natural disasters, APRU produces 23% of the publications and 28% of the citations.
APRU collaborates with its members and partners to understand how academics, policy leaders, government, and communities can work together to facilitate disaster risk reduction and recovery. Whether it is enhancing the reach of the Sendai Framework or sharing expertise to mitigate the danger in countries most vulnerable to disaster risks, together we can build a more resilient Asia Pacific.
Osamu Murao, Chair, Tohoku University
Takako Izumi, Program Director, Tohoku University
Fumihiko Imamura, Tohoku University
Denise Konan, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Hung Chi Kuo, National Taiwan University
Benito M. Pacheco, University of the Philippines
Hugo Romero, University of Chile
John Rundle, UC Davis
Kuniyoshi Takeuchi, Yamanashi University
Supot Teachavorasinskun, Chulalongkorn University
Hui Zhang, Tsinghua University
Christina Schönleber, APRU International Secretariat
