SENDAI -Towards a Disaster-Resilient and Environmentally-Friendly City

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• The City of Sendai shared its initiatives the world at the 2024 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction

Sending out Information

The City of Sendai shared its initiatives the world at the 2024 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction

Mayor Kohri’s Statement at Plenary 3

At one of the plenary sessions, “Plenary3,” Mayor Kohri took the stage and spoke about the importance of local governments working on disaster risk reduction in collaboration with various stakeholders.

At the conclusion of the conference, she also delivered a message from the City of Sendai, looking ahead to the end of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction period in 2030.

◆Facilitator's Question
How can Sendai's experience in engaging diverse community stakeholders guide other cities in strengthening their local DRR strategies and ensuring alignment with national and international frameworks?

◆Mayor Kohri's Response
The City of Sendai suffered extensive damage in the 2011 (two thousand and eleven) Great East Japan Earthquake. With the warm support from people around the world, we were able to carry out reconstruction efforts with the concept of Build Back Better in mind. Currently, we are working towards building a disaster-resilient city.
We recognize the importance of a system of mutual aid among residents of local communities, and as a local level government with close ties to citizens, efforts are being made to build the capacities of various stakeholders and promote cooperation. Allow me to introduce a few examples.
Training is provided to residents who can act as leaders in their communities. Community leaders are responsible for supporting residents requiring assistance. They can be expected to promote disaster risk reduction awareness during normal times and exercise their leadership skills in times of disaster. Women leaders also play an important role in this initiative. Using the lessons learnt from the Great East Japan Earthquake, we are working on training leaders through workshops and other programs.
Furthermore, the Sendai Symposium for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Future is an annual event that brings together stakeholders who integrate DRR initiatives into their daily lives and share valuable DRR information with the public. In addition to promoting DRR awareness among citizens, this event also serves as a place for participants to network.
Cooperation with academic institutes is also crucial. We worked with the International Research Institute of Disaster Science at Tohoku University to conduct a midterm review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. We believe that it is essential to understand the current state of affairs and make effective investments in advance. We believe that cooperation with academic institutes is also crucial.
These initiatives are also submitted to the Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments online platform, as we continue to share our efforts with the international community.
Local governments work to ensure the daily safety of their communities and play a central role in the first response to disasters. In addition to building disaster-resilient infrastructure, local governments must take proactive steps to prepare every citizen for disasters, cultivate multiple stakeholders, and strengthen networks.

◆Mayor Kohri's Message Towards 2030
With the goal of enhancing the resilience of our city along with multiple stakeholders, we will continue our leadership efforts as the city where the Sendai Framework was adopted.
Towards 2030, we will further accelerate our efforts to foster a "culture of disaster resilience" in my city, in particular, by doing following two things.
Strengthening enabling environment for the all-ofsociety engagement in DRR in Sendai City via our various initiatives such as our regular multistakeholder gathering called “Sendai Symposium for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Future” by involving more citizens and more actors to work together.
We have just commenced a development plan of a new memorial center. We will advance the plan and make this facility as a hub for creating a “culture of disaster resilience” in Sendai City. Thank you very much.

Mayor Kohri’s Message at the MCR2030 Resilience Hub Recognition Ceremony

◆A Message of Appreciation from Mayor Kohri
Thank you very much for this opportunity.　The City of Sendai is deeply honored to have been recognized as a Resilience Hub.
We hope that our experience can contribute to disaster risk reduction efforts in cities around the world.
With the understanding that disaster risk reduction is a never-ending journey, we will continue to promote our disaster-resilience and share our efforts with the rest of the world.
Thank you.

◆Video of “Plenary3” and the MCR2030 Resilience Hub Recognition Ceremony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsYzANg0tpA

Official statements

At this conference, an opportunity was provided for representatives of Member States, the United Nations, representatives of international or regional organizations to submit written statements?referred to as "Official Statements"?regarding the promotion of the Sendai Framework, efforts of disaster risk reduction, and exemplary practices from their respective countries or organizations. The City of Sendai has also submitted an Official Statement.

Official Statements
The submitted statements have been made publicly available on the following page.
https://apmcdrr.undrr.org/2024/official-statements-apmcdrr（UNDRR official website）