The 2nd International Workshop for Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Service was held in Beijing

The Second International Workshop for Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Service System was held on Oct.20-21, 2018, Beijing, China. The workshop was co-hosted by the International Knowledge Centre for Engineering Sciences and Technology under the Auspices of UNESCO (IKCEST) and Section on Earth Sciences and Geo-Hazards Risk Reduction, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO DRR),organized by Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Mr. Soichiro Yasukawa, programme specialist and coordinator for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience, UNESCO Section on Earth Sciences and Geo-hazards Risk Reduction, Mr. Philippe Pypaert, Programme Specialist for Natural Sciences, UNESCO Office in Beijing, Ms. Chang Liu, Director of Division of International Cooperation, International Knowledge Centre for Engineering Sciences and Technology (IKCEST) under the Auspices of UNESCO, Ms. Kai Feng, deputy director of the Division of International Organization, Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Xing Gao, deputy director of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Peng Cui, academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ms. Gretchen Kalonji, former assistant director-general of UNESCO and the dean of Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University-Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Mr. Qunli Han, executive director of the International Project Office of Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) participated in the workshop.

Foreign experts and scholars from 12 countries including the United States, Japan, Germany, Russia, England, Mongolia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, Sudan and Bolivia，nearly 80 participants including Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Service System project team members attended the workshop. Professor Juanle Wang, technical director of the IKCEST Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Service System, moderated the opening ceremony.

Academician Peng Cui delivered the keynote speech of "Silk Road Disaster Risk Reduction" in the opening ceremony. During the keynote reporting phase, Soichiro Yasukawa made a report on " UNESCO’s update on DRR activities including data and AI ", Gretchen Kalonji made a report on " Prospects for Enhancing Global, Regional and National Collaboration in Data Sharing for Disaster Risk Reduction ", Qunli Han showed a report entitled " Advancing the Science and Technology Roadmap to support the implementation of the Sendai Framework - an IRDR perspective", Juanle Wang commissioned by academician Jiulin Sun made a report on " The new generation of AI technology boosts the modernization of disaster prevention and mitigation ".

In the work report phase, Juanle Wang made a report on "Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Service System of IKCEST Progress". Experts at the conference presented the progresses on disaster risk reduction for earthquake, flood, drought, high temperature and heatwave and other disaster types respectively. DRR techniques and practices, as well as disaster assessment, emergency response and disaster data management and services were exchanged and discussed. Chang Liu and Soichiro Yasukawa respectively moderated the keynote report and thematic report, as well as the discussion and communication at the corresponding stage.

The second day of the workshop, participants went to Tangshan, Hebei province for field investigation, visited Tangshan Earthquake Memorial Monument and Monument Square and Tangshan Earthquake Ruins Memorial Park.

Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Service of IKCEST, relying on the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, will fully absorb and summarize the research results of this workshop, further strengthen and maintain cooperation with international and domestic institutions, and further enhance the service capabilities and influence of the Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Service System (http://drr.ikcest.org)