New Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes formed

The Toronto-based Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) announced on Monday that it will immediately form a new worldwide alliance with an international group of disaster research institutes.

The proposal builds on initiatives presented at the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. The 3rd U.N. World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction was held in Sendai, Japan from March 14 to 18.

Glenn McGillivray (pictured right), managing director of the ICLR, said that the Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (GADRI) will serve as a forum for sharing knowledge and promoting collaboration on topics related to disaster risk reduction and resilience to disasters. GADRI will facilitate discussions on: planning and organization of natural disaster research; formation of international research groups to investigate current global disasters; establishment of an international network for timely communication related to natural disaster research; and, other issues relating to the promotion of natural disaster research.

Related: Catastrophe modelling study presented at U.N. conference suggests little chance of reducing economic losses

“By its very nature, research and information on disaster risk reduction is highly portable, research findings garnered from an event in one place can be used to formulate valuable lessons learned that can be implemented elsewhere,” said ICLR executive director Paul Kovacs.

Related: Average annual global losses, threat to lives and livelihoods from natural disasters pegged at US$190 billion: U.N. conference

“By forming GADRI bodies like ICLR will be able to better coordinate, communicate and share plans and information with like organizations around the world. It is key that organizations like ICLR not just work to reduce the impact of earthquake and severe weather at home, but also be plugged into international organizations that are doing similar work elsewhere,” Kovacs said. “GADRI will help facilitate this coordination.”

GADRI’s structure will include a president, a board of directors and members. In addition, there will be a secretariat that will facilitate and organize GADRI activities. McGillivray said that the first secretariat will reside at the Disaster Prevention Research Institute of Kyoto University in Japan.

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 online. Born midnight 18/3/15 #WCDRR http://t.co/D351NBCpT3 … pic.twitter.com/Jro1Mrid4Z

— UNISDR (@unisdr) March 19, 2015

World Reaches New Disaster Risk Reduction Agreement http://t.co/54aP5vrFZr #WCDRR pic.twitter.com/GUuAi0tQuw

— UNFCCC (@UNFCCC) March 18, 2015