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Conference
Natural Hazard and Sustainable Development
August 14, 2024
Innovation and Green Development journal, the Pacific Rim Sustainable Development Association (PRSDA), and the School of Economics and Management, Xi'an University of Technology will jointly host the Pacific Rim Conference in Niigata, Japan, from November 2nd to 3rd, 2024. This conference is hosted by the School of Economics and Management of Xi'an University of Technology and co-organized by International University of Japan, Japan Women's University and Mie University. We sincerely welcome you to join us.
The conference aims to delve into the critical interplay between natural hazards and sustainable development. As we face increasing environmental challenges, the dialogue on resilience and innovation in response to natural hazards becomes ever more significant. We welcome both empirical and theoretical papers that explore these vital issues. High-quality, original research submissions are encouraged, which will undergo a rigorous peer review process. Authors are invited to submit their research papers (in English) in word version to the email prsda2023@gmail.com.
Information:
“On the first day of 2024, the Noto Peninsula in Japan experienced a seismic event of magnitude 7.6 on the Richter scale. The earthquake has caused extensive damage on the Japan Sea side, mainly in Ishikawa, Toyoma, and Niigata prefectures. In the ‘State of Emergency Declaration’ issued by the local government, this earthquake was deemed an unprecedented colossal disaster for the region.”
Since the dawn of human civilization on this blue planet, natural hazard has never ceased to assail humanity. Today, globally, there are over 12,000 earthquakes of magnitude 2 or higher occurring each year, with around 100 earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or higher. Hurricanes and tsunamis follow in succession. According to United Nations statistics, over 14 million people worldwide are displaced annually due to natural hazard, causing economic losses that are challenging to estimate. Particularly in East Asia and Southeast Asia, among the 100 cities most vulnerable to natural hazard, more than half are located in the Philippines, the People's Republic of China, Japan, and Bangladesh. Events such as the Indian Ocean tsunami (Indonesia), the Wenchuan earthquake (China), the Great East Japan Earthquake (Japan), and others have inflicted endless trauma on the people in this region. Despite progress in designing stronger early warning and emergency protection systems, leading to a significant reduction in fatalities from natural hazard, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that almost without exception, countries worldwide are still unprepared to handle multiple overlapping crises that often interact and intertwine. For example, tropical cyclones can lead to floods, which in turn can trigger diseases. The triple threat of diseases, disasters, and climate change not only causes significant human suffering but also results in massive economic losses. Currently, the annual average disaster-related losses amount to $780 billion. In the worst climate scenarios, this figure could nearly double, reaching approximately $1.4 trillion. Lessons from history compel humanity to contemplate how to face the "roar of nature" in a way that sustains the fragile connection between humans and the Earth's ecology in a sustainable manner.
Natural hazard undermines the sustainable development capacity of affected regions, resulting in significant loss of life and damage. They destroy homes, schools, clinics, hospitals, utilities, roads, markets, and other social and economic infrastructure, while also disrupting the environment. Indirectly, they lead to outbreaks of diseases and poverty, compromising opportunities for education and security, often with profound and lasting consequences. Marginalized groups such as women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and minority communities are particularly vulnerable to the impact of natural hazard, reflecting broader socio-economic and cultural inequalities. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, as adopted by 187 United Nations (UN) member states at the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in March 2015, states that while disasters significantly impede progress towards sustainable development, conversely effective disaster risk management contributes to sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by 193 countries at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015 explicitly targets risk reduction under 4 of its 17 goals. The relevant goals focus on ending poverty; ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture; making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; and taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
As we begin to explore how to effectively prevent and control natural hazard and achieve sustainable development in the East Asia and Southeast Asia region, we realize the value of diversity and cooperation. It means that our discussions are not singularly limited to a particular type of disaster or a particular country, but rather take a broader view to explore the common sustainable development process of Asian countries in the face of different types of natural disasters. We aim to contribute to the evolution of a holistic paradigm for sustainable development -- one that recognizes and embraces the diversity of perspectives, experiences, and contributions that shape our collective journey toward a greener, more equitable future.
The theme of this international conference is “Natural Hazard and Sustainable Development”. All types (empirical and theory) of papers on this theme are welcomed. The special issue especially welcomes (including but not limited to) topics in the following fields:
Natural Hazard Risk Reduction
Insurance and Financial Mechanisms
Inequality and Economic Vulnerability
Technological Innovations for Economic Resilience
Human Capital and Labor Market Dynamics
Agricultural Sector and Food Security
Green Economy and Sustainable Business Practices
Financial Inclusion and Disaster Preparedness
Supply Chain Resilience and Global Trade
Gender Dimensions in Economic Recovery
Digital Transformation and Economic Resilience
Energy Sector Resilience and Sustainable Development
Behavioral Economics and Post-Disaster Decision-Making