UNITAR Pacific Shimanami Masterminds and World Bank lecture hosted by Sustainable Society Design Center

On 19 November 2024, The Sustainable Society Design Center, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, at The University of Tokyo, hosted 29 Pacific Shimanami Masterminds participating in the UNITAR Early Warning Systems training programme study tour to Japan from November 11th - 22nd, 2024. The Shimanami Masterminds were selected through a competitive training program that started with 200 participants from the government, regional and international organizations, civil and private sectors in Pacific island countries.

They participated in an interactive lecture together with graduate students from the Graduate Program in Sustainability Science hosted by Project Lecturer Dr. Sioen Giles B. from the Sustainable Society Design Center. Dr. Sioen introduced the Center, Graduate Program, and two of his relevant works to reduce disaster risk through anticipatory adaptation and tools to enhance justice in adaptation planning.

Graduate Program in Sustainability Science - Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI) Alumni (2021), Dr. Richard Crichton introduced what he has been doing after graduating from the program. In addition to his role at UNITAR as Regional Training and Development Coordinator, Dr. Crichton also is a teaching staff with the Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD) at the University of South Pacific in Fiji. He provided updates about how he applies what he learned from GPSS-GLI to his current work and answered questions related to career development and the state of early warning systems in Pacific Island countries.

Another GPSS-GLI Alumni (2021) Dr. Ven Paolo Valenzuela also gave an overview of his work after graduation. Dr. Valenzuela discussed how he has been working at the Asia Research Institute, within the National University of Singapore. His work focuses on Disaster Risk Management and climate change adaptation in coastal cities in Asia and the Pacific and how the lessons he learned through his studies at GPSS-GLI have been important for advancements in the field.

Mr. Yasuhiro Kawasoe, Disaster Risk Management Specialist at the World Bank held a special lecture introducing the World Bank's support towards Early Warning System development, including activities supported by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) Tokyo Disaster Risk Management Hub. He joined the Bank in 2017 as a Junior Professional Officer in the Social Protection and Jobs (SPJ) Global Practice. Since then, he worked for the global and regional units, most recently as a Disaster Risk Management Specialist in the GFDRR Tokyo DRM hub. His work with the World Bank is to examine the linkage between human development sectors and climate change adaptation and disaster risk management (such as adaptive social protection, and socio-economic vulnerability). Prior to joining the Bank, he worked as a JICA consultant related to disaster risk assessment, risk-informed urban planning, and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction.

The participants continued with in-depth discussions on the topic of adopting early warning systems including the role of academia, governments, and organizations such as the World Bank. They also discussed the needs to enhance availability of funds and incorporate the private sector into the initiatives to ensure sustainable development.

The day continued with a tour led by Dr. Sioen in Kashiwa-no-ha smart city. They held a number of discussions at key locations where new concepts have been implemented to reduce disaster risks. They also discussed soft measures to enhance preparedness and to reduce exposure and disaster response in addition to conventional built infrastructure. They further introduced ideas around sustainable development that participants could take back to their home countries, promoting residential well-being and community resilience. The tour sparked the participants' interest in adopting the concept of a smart city in their communities.