Message from Ms. Naikang FENG
I am Naikang Feng, a master student at Fudan University pursuing a master's degree in international relations. I studied in GSICS at Kobe University for a double master's degree in...
On April 22, 2024, we had a logistical meeting about Understanding Risk (UR) Global Forum 2024 with the experts of the World Bank at the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS) at Kobe University. Mr. Yasuaki Yoneyama, Japan’s World Bank Special Representative, delivered his presentation on “World Bank and Himeji-A History of 65 Years & UR2024 Global Forum-”. UR stands for “Understanding Risk” and is an international forum for debating disaster risk and reduction. This forum is held once every two years in various parts of the world and has a track record of holding events so far including Washington D. C. in 2010, Cape Town in 2012, London in 2014, Venice in 2016, Mexico City in 2018, and Florianopolis in 2022.
Firstly, Mr. Yoneyama explained the strong and close partnership between the World Bank and Japan from a historical perspective by indicating the examples of the Fuji Steel Hirohata Project, the Meishin Expressway, and various projects in Hyogo prefecture that were financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). Secondly, he gave an overview of the Understanding Risk Forum that will be held in June 2024 in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, and emphasized the importance of holding Japan’s first international conference on disaster prevention with the theme of “Tradition, Innovation, and Resilience” ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. This meeting was an extremely valuable opportunity to learn about the history of the World Bank and Himeji as well as the significance of the Global Forum on Disaster Risk Reduction that will be held in Hyogo Prefecture.
The World Bank Himeji Global Forum on Disaster Risk Reduction, hosted by the World Bank Tokyo Office, is scheduled to be held in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture from June 16 to June 21, 2024. The three-day main event will bring together hundreds of government officials, NGOs, companies, and experts involved in disaster prevention from around the world to discuss new initiatives to better understand risks from natural disasters and to promote disaster mitigation. A symposium will be held the day before the main event, and side events will be held on the fourth and fifth days. Around 40 students from our graduate school plan to participate in this forum as student volunteers to assist in organizing the event as well as gain knowledge about the risks and mitigation of natural disasters from the perspective of risk management.
Link to the event: https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2024/06/16/understanding-risk-forum-2024
Authored by Yudai Ishii (Doctoral Student)
