She held three dialogues with children, women, and persons living with disabilities to emphasize the importance of inclusion in reducing disaster risk, a key guiding principle of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the global plan for reducing disaster losses adopted in Sendai, Japan, in March 2015.

Meeting in Sendai City with persons living with disability, she heard from one of them, Prof. Kazuhiko Abe of Tohoku Fukushi University. Prof. Abe said:"We should not rely only on the support provided by a public authority. We have to build resilience within ourselves and to reach out beyond our own group, which will lead to enhancing our capacity of self-help and mutual support".

Ms. Mizutori’s dialogue with children and youth was held at a children’s center in Ishinomaki City which was opened in January 2014 as the result of recovery activities led by children and youth who proudly introduced the center which they designed.

Tsunami survivor, Hina (16) said:"It is important for us to share our experiences with our own words, not leaving the important task only to adults".

Ayane (20) who experienced the disaster when she was in 6th grade, said:"I have realized the importance of sharing these experiences with other countries when I stayed in Fiji where people were not so prepared for an approaching cyclone."

In a dialogue with women who demonstrated leadership in the restoration of housing, Ms. Mizutori was told "a sense of ownership has turned out to be very important for re-building our community through this project."

Mr. Teruo Konno from Ishinomaki City government said there was successful collaboration between women in the community and the municipality with support from experts. "It was evident for me that gathering men only in the community could not reach any conclusion in the important discussion for their future community. Women’s practical and realistic thinking towards concrete solutions made a difference in this recovery project," he said.

Ms. Mizutori also had a series of high level meetings with the Government of Japan, including Mr. Hachiro Okonogi, Minister for Disaster Management, Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and a group of parliamentarians including Mr. Toshihiro Nikai, Mr. Tatsuo Hirano, and Mr. Teru Fukui, Mr. Toshizo Ido, Governor of Hyogo Prefecture, Ms. Kazuko Kohri, Mayor of Sendai City, Mr. Shinichi Kitaoka, President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of Nippon Foundation. She also met with representatives from civil society groups including science and technology, private sector and NGOs who are working on disaster risk reduction and resilience.

Date:

23 May 2018

Sources:

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Asia and Pacific (UNISDR AP)

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Office in Japan (UNISDR Office Japan )

Themes:

Civil Society/NGOs, Children and Youth

Hazards:

Tsunami

Countries:

Japan

Regions:

Asia