DPRI in Brief

DPRI is located in a tranquil suburban setting within the Uji Campus of Kyoto University. There are five research divisions, and six research centers with 15 state-of-the-art laboratories in Japan engaged in the development of cutting-edge science and technology. To facilitate integrated research, each division and center is nestled among one of the following four research groups:

Integrated Art and Sciences for Disaster Reduction

Seismic and Volcanic Hazards Mitigation

Geohazards

Atmosphere-Hydrosphere

In 2010, DPRI was certified as a national Joint Usage/Research Center in Japan for performing various integrated research on natural disaster reduction and disaster prevention at local and global scales. DPRI with its more than half-a-century of accumulated scientific achievements, knowledge, facilities and data collections, has been recognized as a Global Center of Excellence in the area of disaster risk reduction for its work on disaster prevention research and mitigation. At present, DPRI houses about one hundred faculty members and over two hundred researchers, graduate students and visiting scholars whose major focus of research is aimed on the prediction of hazards and investigations into their mechanisms, fostering development technologies to prevent and reduce associated disasters, analysis and measures of response and recovery immediately after disasters, and creating methodologies for disaster risk management.

In March 2015, leaders from scientific research institutes around the world gathered at the "2nd Global Summit of Research Institutes for Disaster Risk Reduction: Development of a Research Road Map for the Next Decade," and discussed how the disaster research institutes could contribute to disaster risk reduction in the next 15 years, in accordance with the goals set out by the Sendai Framework which explicitly called for coordinated efforts by the scientific community to deepen the understanding of disaster risks, promote evidenced-based implementation of disaster risk reduction strategies, and transfer and disseminate scientific knowledge and technologies in support of decision making processes.

Accordingly, with the support from the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (GADRI) was established at DPRI, as a collaborative platform for discussion, sharing knowledge and promoting networks on topics related to risk reduction and resilience to disasters.

DPRI adheres to enhance its research efforts and play a hierarchical role by sharing its advanced knowledge and technology in natural hazards and disasters; helps society understand and take measures for disaster prevention; and advises governments on disaster prevention strategies; and continue to excel as a Global Center of Excellence.

Updated in August 2015
Please refer to Mission/History