Message from the president

As new NIED President from 1 April 2023, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your continued understanding and support for the research and development by NIED.

In recent years, as exemplified by the Heavy Rain Events in July 2018 and the typhoons in eastern Japan in 2019, Japan has experienced more frequent, severe, and widespread disasters due to changes in the natural environment, related to climate change. There are also concerns about changes in the social environment unique to Japan, such as depopulation, aging with lower birthrate, notably in rural areas together with aging infrastructure.

Under these circumstances, in order to overcome disasters triggered by any natural hazards <all hazards>, including the Nankai Trough Earthquake and the Tokyo Inland Earthquake anticipated to occur in the near future, Japan must realize a disaster-resistant society that can cope with <all phases> of disasters, including prediction and prevention, emergency response, and recovery and reconstruction.

Science and technology for disaster risk reduction (DRR) plays an important role in predicting the occurrence of disasters caused by natural phenomena and human factors, preventing the spread of damage when disasters occur, and accelerating recovery and reconstruction. We need to continue research and development from a long-term perspective for realizing a safe and secure society and supporting Japan's sustainable growth.

NIED has been engaged in R&D that is directly linked to public safety and security, such as earthquake observation networks covering the entire Japanese archipelago and the seafloor in the surrounding seas and the earthquake and tsunami early warning systems; high-precision rainfall observation radars deployed in major urban areas; and the Shared Information Platform for Disaster Management (SIP4D) that contributes to sharing disaster information across organizations in emergency and response. In addition, as a designated public corporation according to the Basic Act on Disaster Management, NIED does not only provide necessary information when a disaster occurs, but also support disaster response by municipalities as a member of the Cabinet Office's ISUT (Information Support Team). I am proud to say that these efforts have been highly evaluated and SIP4D and ISUT are now positioned in the National Basic Disaster Management Plan.

In the coming seven years starting from FY2023, NIED will continue to be a research institute that play a role in "Science for Resilience" and in accordance with the 5th Mid-to-Long Term Goals and Mid-to-Long Term Plan, with focus on "consilience" that integrates social sciences and natural sciences, and "DX" in DRR. As a core institute for DRR science and technology in Japan, NIED will promote basic research and fundamental R&D, as well as outcome-oriented R&D that utilizes knowledge, experience, and needs at the site of disaster management, targeting all natural hazards, including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and meteorological phenomena.

This year, NIED celebrates its 60th anniversary. Based on our history and achievements, as a core DRR research institute not only in Japan but also around the world, NIED will pursue further innovation in DRR science and technology toward the realization of a resilient society. Thank you once again for your continued understanding and support in NIED. 

TAKARA Kaoru, President
National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED)
 

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