11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
[L03-04] Thinking Human Geography Contributions to Human Geosciences Disaster Research: Recent Trends and Developments
★Invited Papers
Keywords:disaster, human society, human geography, High School Comprehensive Geography
Disasters occur through interactions between triggering and predisposing factors. In disaster risk reduction, it is crucial not only to understand the natural phenomena (hazards) that act as triggers but also to examine the predisposing factors related to human settlements. Fields such as physical geography have significantly contributed to understanding morphologies, which serve as physical conditions influencing disasters. Consequently, many researchers in these fields are actively engaged in disaster research.
On the other hand, human geography focuses on socio-economic aspects, including populations, infrastructure, and building structures—elements that are socially vulnerable, exposed to risk, or have suffered damage. This field offers diverse perspectives for analyzing disaster processes and impacts from both spatial and social viewpoints.
In recent years, efforts to advance disaster geography in Japan have intensified, and further contributions from human geographers are particularly anticipated. Additionally, geography education has played a vital role in promoting an understanding of disasters as interactions between nature and human society, emphasizing preparedness from a multifaceted perspective. The introduction of Comprehensive Geography as a mandatory high school course in Japan has expanded opportunities to address disasters comprehensively in educational settings. Furthermore, practical knowledge of disaster risk reduction tailored to regional characteristics has steadily accumulated.
This presentation explores the intersection of human geography and human geoscience disaster research. Specifically, it reviews recent research trends in geography and related fields that address disasters in Japan, providing an overview of various perspectives and methodologies concerning the social dimensions of natural disasters. It examines spatial and geographic analyses of disaster damage and impacts, as well as studies on challenges in disaster recovery and resilience. Furthermore, it discusses research on the transmission of disaster memory through place theory in humanistic geography and landscape theory in cultural geography, along with studies quantifying disaster risk and social vulnerability. Additionally, it explores the use and effectiveness of disaster geographic information in school education and public awareness initiatives. By reviewing these studies, this presentation seeks to clarify the characteristics and challenges of recent human geographic approaches to disaster research.
Through this discussion, we aim to provide human geography researchers with a deeper and more conscious understanding of their connection to the broader field of human geoscience disaster research, fostering the discovery of new perspectives and encouraging interdisciplinary engagement.
On the other hand, human geography focuses on socio-economic aspects, including populations, infrastructure, and building structures—elements that are socially vulnerable, exposed to risk, or have suffered damage. This field offers diverse perspectives for analyzing disaster processes and impacts from both spatial and social viewpoints.
In recent years, efforts to advance disaster geography in Japan have intensified, and further contributions from human geographers are particularly anticipated. Additionally, geography education has played a vital role in promoting an understanding of disasters as interactions between nature and human society, emphasizing preparedness from a multifaceted perspective. The introduction of Comprehensive Geography as a mandatory high school course in Japan has expanded opportunities to address disasters comprehensively in educational settings. Furthermore, practical knowledge of disaster risk reduction tailored to regional characteristics has steadily accumulated.
This presentation explores the intersection of human geography and human geoscience disaster research. Specifically, it reviews recent research trends in geography and related fields that address disasters in Japan, providing an overview of various perspectives and methodologies concerning the social dimensions of natural disasters. It examines spatial and geographic analyses of disaster damage and impacts, as well as studies on challenges in disaster recovery and resilience. Furthermore, it discusses research on the transmission of disaster memory through place theory in humanistic geography and landscape theory in cultural geography, along with studies quantifying disaster risk and social vulnerability. Additionally, it explores the use and effectiveness of disaster geographic information in school education and public awareness initiatives. By reviewing these studies, this presentation seeks to clarify the characteristics and challenges of recent human geographic approaches to disaster research.
Through this discussion, we aim to provide human geography researchers with a deeper and more conscious understanding of their connection to the broader field of human geoscience disaster research, fostering the discovery of new perspectives and encouraging interdisciplinary engagement.