Natural disasters, like other societal crises present opportunities for learning and improving social and sectoral resilience, humanitarian response and building capacity related to sustainability. In the past the lessons related to emergency management, and crisis response may have been over emphasized at the expense of those lessons related to policies and strategic thinking related to Risk Reduction.
The cluster of recent events including the March 11 2011 TOHOKU Earthquake and Tsunami have presented a range of challenges. These challenges go far beyond the short term (so called Emergency Phase) and may require fundamental repositioning of global, national, and local practice related to areas such as Risk Reduction, Recovery and Reconstruction Strategies, and Supply Chain integrity. Gaps in knowledge and practice revealed by the Tohoku Crisis – and other recent events – have implications for Sustainable Livelihoods, reliable revenue streams, and Economic stability as well as the Sustainable Development aspirations of the global community.
New and improved knowledge networking, innovative information and idea sharing out of the box solution focused thinking and engaging in conversations across and between disciplines need to be stimulated and maintained. The stakeholders in this capacity building process include first response practitioners, emergency managers, diverse professional groups, officials and policy makers, investors, business managers, researchers, educators.
Their engagement and long term participation is vital if more robust and resilient local, municipal, provincial, regional and global systems are to be achieved.
The overall purpose of this first anniversary review session will be to: promote and stimulate wider dialogue and sharing of Lessons Learned between all stakeholders; facilitate the exchange of information and lessons learned in the Canadian interest groups; stimulate dialogue and discussion regarding optimal development and timely utilization of emergency, disaster, and risk focused knowledge and skill sets at all levels.
This one-day conference is a professional event to be held on the first anniversary of the earthquake that created multiple secondary hazards such as Tsunami and Nuclear Power Plant meltdown and many Supply Chain challenges for the global economy.
Many prominent officials, scholars and researchers, media reporters, NGOs, and private sector will be among the panelists and participants.
It is an opportunity to learn about this major event, meet and network with diverse stakeholders and contribute to discussions on improving our processes and the capacity to deal with similar events and reducing the risks associated with future crises.
Japans TOHOKU Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011:
LESSONS LEARNT Seminar; York University March 09 2012
Program
(Please click here for a PDF file of the program and Speakers’ Biographies)
0900 – 0930 OPENING SESSION
Ali Asgary, Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director, Disaster and Emergency Management Program, York University
Professor Barbara Crow, Associate Dean, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies
Masaya Otsuka, Consul, Head Information and Culture, Consulate-General of Japan in Toronto
Ken Noma, President, National Association of Japanese Canadians
0930 – 1030 SESSION 1
Session Chair: Franklin McDonald
Ioan Nistor, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering Vice-Dean Graduate Studies. Faculty of Engineering, University of Ottawa
Topic: Engineering Significance and Lessons of the March 11, 2011 Tsunami in Japan: Tsunami Impacts on Infrastructure
Futoshi Ohyama, Associate Professor, Department of Adult Nursing, Tokai University School of Health Science (Via ELink from Japan) and
Kenji Fukushima, Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Saitama Medical Center, Member of Japan’s Disaster Relief Team
Topic: Disaster of Japan and the East Great Earthquake. An Overview of 3.11
1030 – 1045 COFFEE BREAK
1045 – 1215 SESSION 2
Session Chair: David Etkin, Associate Professor, Disaster and Emergency Management Program, York University
Mark Schwartz, Associate Professor and Area Coordinator, Law, Governance & Ethics, School of Administrative Studies, York University
Topic: Business Ethics Issues Arising from Japan’s 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami
Hossam Elsharkawi, Director, Emergencies and Recovery, International Operations Canadian Red Cross
Topic: Lessons learned in japan, and how those lessons apply to Canada
Frederic Miville-Deschenes, Senior Advisor, and Peter Bundy, Advisor, DFAIT’s Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Response Division
Topic: Canada’s Responses to Natural Disasters Abroad – the case of the Great East Japan Earthquake
Heather Leson, Director of Community Engagement Ushahidi
1215 – 1330 LUNCH BREAK
1315-1330 JAPANESE TRADITIONAL SPIRITUAL DANCE
By Students in “Improve the World Creativity Project“, “Students Fundraiser For Japan’s Earthquake Victims”
1330 – 1500 SESSION 3
Session Chair: Niru Nirupama, Associate Professor, Disaster and Emergency Management Program, York University
Amber Hildebrandt, Online Journalist at CBC,
Topic: Reporting on Japan’s triple disaster
Martin Schwerdtfeger, Senior Economist, TD Bank Financial Group
Topic: Economic and Financial Impact of Japan’s 2011 Tsunami
Crystal Penner, World Vision Canada
Topic: New things, Unique things & Old things in Disaster Response
1500 – 1600 Discussions and Closing Panel
Session Chair: Ioan Nistor, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa
Panel Members:
Franklin McDonald, Visiting Scholar York University
Harris Ali, Associate Professor, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University
David V.J. Bell, Director, York Centre for Applied Sustainability and Professor, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University
Closing Session Presentation
Franklin McDonald, Visiting Scholar York University
Topic: Key Disaster Risk Reduction Challenges of The Japan’s 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami
Closing Session Discussions (by the Panelists and Participants)
Resources:
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The Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Lessons for Canada
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Lessons Learned from the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
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Survey after the Great East Japan Earthquake Reveals Increased Trust in Self-Defense Forces and Individuals
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Journey to the Disaster Zone: Japan 311
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David Suzuki talks about how Japan is rethinking energy in the wake of the nuclear meltdown
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See how Japan has rebuilt in the 11 months since the earthquake and tsunami
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Lessons from Fukushima
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Lessons Learned from the Japan Earthquake
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One Year Later: Lessons Learned from Deadly Japan Earthquake
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Issues and Lessons Learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake (Roads)
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It’s Not Just Fukushima: Mass Disaster Evacuations Challenge Planners
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Canada’s nuclear industry needs to fight Fukushima fear, top executive says
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Fukushima in review: A complex disaster, a disastrous response
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Inside Japan’s Nuclear Meltdown
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Japan’s Tsunami: Caught on Camera
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Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on health, medical care and public health systems in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, 2011
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Lessons Learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake
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The Great East Japan Earthquake: Lessons for Japan’s Energy Policy, Infrastructure Development, and Media Coverage
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The Role of Reconstruction Headquarters
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The Great Eastern Japan Earthquake: Assessing Disaster Response and Lessons for the U.S.
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3.11: One year on: Quest for Recovery