The Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) Statement at GPDRR 2022

The Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) is a decade-long pioneering initiative in interdisciplinary disaster risk research. Established by ISC and UNDRR in 2010, IRDR addresses social, technological and health-related events when these are consequences of natural or human-induced hazards. By bringing together research expertise from a wide spectrum of sciences and policy-making, IRDR has endeavoured to accelerate scientific and technological knowledge for DRR practices and solutions, and promote dialogue and cooperation among research communities, policy makers and all other relevant stakeholders.

Over the last decade, IRDR has been fully engaged with the international effort toward the establishment of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the mobilization of science contributions for the global implementation processes of the Sendai Framework, as well as other UN 2030 Agreements for Sustainable Development. IRDR’s work in areas including but not limited to forensic investigation of disasters, global hazards terminologies and classification, public assessment and interpretation of disaster risk, national STI investment for DRR, science and technology roadmap and coherence between Sendai Framework, CCA and SDGs, as well as the services IRDR’s provided (and continues to provide) to local communities in countries, evidence the value of the interdisciplinary research approach IRDR promotes.

While IRDR addresses all the priorities of the Sendai Framework, and is presently responding to the great challenges of covid-19 and climate change, its initial commitments in 2010, namely:understanding the characteristics of disaster risk, the systemic and cascading nature and the dynamic change of risk landscape, mobilizing sciences for more resilient societies and development, and building the needed human and institutional capacities thereof, remain at the heart of IRDR’s mission for 2030.

To this end, IRDR’s vibrant community of scientists and practitioners from all continents and generations, through its Scientific Committee and National Committees, International Centres of Excellence and Young Scientists Network, are fully committed to work with all partners to advance the implementation of “A Framework for Global Science in Support of Risk-informed Sustainable Development and Planetary Health” established by ISC, UNDRR and IRDR in 2021. We live in a time of unprecedented uncertainties. Being together and working together is the response of IRDR community. Let’s join our hands, and usher an inclusive, safe and sustainable world for all.