In light of the disaster that struck the Tohoku region of Japan on March 11, the focus of the symposium this year is on the relationship between disaster and the creation of resiliency in society as well as in the built environment. 

With that topic in mind we are officially making a call for papers and poster presentations to be delivered at the 2nd annual PACC Symposium, to be held in December of 2011 at Keio University in Tokyo.

The symposium will be held over two days, during which time we will host a series of panel discussions and poster sessions, as well as a two-day student workshop.  We will also kick-off our official involvement as the Regional Node in  the Asia Pacific Adapatation Network (APAN).  The symposium is kept small in order to maintain focus on a single subject each year, and we have a number of invited speakers already selected, which means paper proposals are highly competitive.  However it is also possible to make a shorter presentation within one of the poster sessions.

The primary aim of the symposium is to consider ways for developing physical and social resiliency in the wake of disaster.  To that end we hope to bring together researchers, professionals, students and field workers to share innovative ideas and the latest progress in post-disaster reconstruction and sustainable development. The topics for which papers are being accepted are outlined below.  

We invite you to submit challenging and interesting papers that will encourage a dialogue among the participants.  It is our expectation that a lively and informative discussion will define each session and that we will uncover new paths for future exploration through presentations and dialogue. We will conclude the event with a group discussion that includes all of the speakers and participants, with the intent being to develop long-term relationships between the people gathered and to set the stage for a larger group initiative.

If you are interested in proposing a paper or a poster presentation, we invite you to fill out the form (see the sidebar above) and send it to ei-core@sfc.keio.ac.jp by October 15, 2011.  Questions may also be sent to the same address.

Session 4 - Local Communities and Resiliency in the Face of Climate Change: Adaptation Programs and Actions in Asia 

A large share of the burdens and risks of Climate Change are borne by developing countries. Most developing countries are rapidly industrializing, and extracting more resources, in order to reap more of the benefits of the global economy. They often lack the resources and technology to make use of Clean Development and clean energy as they pursue this goal, causing industrial accidents that become ongoing environmental disasters. Further, neighboring countries' changes in air, water, and land use create risks and damage across borders, creating regional problems. These two trends are now exacerbating the effects of climate change disasters, as seen in the Nargis Cyclone in Myanmar, and the extreme drought and flooding in China and Southeast Asia.

This panel discusses the policy issues, technology issues, and economic issues in local and cross-border environmental risks and recovery initiatives. Regions discussed are South Asia, Southeast Asia, and China including Taiwan.

For more information, click here.