[O1-18]
NATECH Risk in Asia Pacific

[O1-18-01] NATECH Risk in Asia Pacific

*Rajib Shaw¹, *Ana Maria Cruz², *Fatma Lestari³, *Kampanart Silva^3,4, *Devendra Narayan Singh⁵, *Antonia Loyzaga⁶, *Emily Chang⁷, *Takako Izumi⁸ (1. Keio University , 2. Kyoto University , 3. University of Indonesia, 4. Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology, 5. IIT Bombay, 6. Manila Observatory and Philippines National Resilience Council (PNRC), 7. Chinese University of Hong Kong, 8. Tohoku University)

Keywords:NATECH Risk, Asia-Pacific, Science policy dialogue, private sector, citizen perspectives

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 highlights the need to better understand different hazards, including technological and so-called Natech (conjoint natural and technological) hazards. There is growing evidence, for example from the Great East Japan earthquake, tsunami and consequent incident at the Fukushima-Daichii nuclear power plant, that natural hazards can trigger technological accidents, leading to natural hazard triggered technological (Natech) disasters. These complex hazard events may have catastrophic consequences, in particular in countries that are not prepared for them. They require extended and specific risk management strategies that need to be based on a deeper understanding of their causes and cascading consequences. they run the risk of creating duplication, frustration and potentially doing more harm than good.

Natech risk management needs a holistic approach of government regulations, private sector management, and community’s awareness. As the first phase, this work proposes to engage science technology academic community for collecting evidences on Natech risk in the region, followed by policy dialogue with governments for co-designing Natech Risk Management framework. At certain point, there needs to have a dialogue with private sector, through ARISE network in certain countries. Finally, citizen awareness will be enhanced through citizen science approach as well as through civil society networks.

The session aims at presenting initial findings of the NATECH science policy dialogue in Asia Pacific. This session is considered as one of the series of events leading to the Asia Pacific Science Technology Conference on DRR in Malaysia in March 2020, and Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on DRR in Australia in June 2020.