Earlier this week, DCNA and BOKU University had the pleasure of welcoming Prof. Hirokazu Tatano, Secretary-General of the Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (GADRI) and professor at the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (Kyoto University) in Vienna. The overall goal was to foster exchange and to strengthen the collaboration of GADRI, DCNA, Kyoto University and numerous BOKU institutes, and to discuss the possibility of hosting the 9th Global Summit of GADRI at BOKU University.
After an introductory exchange with BOKU Vice Rector Christoph Pfeifer, Prof. Christian Scheidl (Institute of Mountain Risk Engineering, IAN), Lisa Kargl (International Affairs), René Kastner (DCNA) and Dr. Muneta Yokomatsu (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)), Prof. Tatano gave a lecture about the goals, structure and activities of GADRI since its establishment in 2015. The Alliance is a network of networks guided by organizational values for disaster risk reduction (DRR), and holds a Global Summit every second year, with the next edition scheduled for March 2027 at Kyoto University.
Next was an exchange with BOKU‘s Institute of Mountain Risk Engineering, Institute of Soil Bioengineering and Landscape Construction, Institute of Spatial Planning, Environmental Planning and Land Rearrangement as well as the Austrian Service for Torrent and Avalanche Control (WLV). Furthermore, our managing director Christian Resch presented the DCNA network, activities, events and the Young Scientists programme. Possibilities for further collaboration such as joint projects were discussed.
The visit ended with a presentation and guided tour of the BOKU River Lab at the outskirts of Vienna. With a flow rate of 10,000 liters per second without the use of pumps, the new hydraulic engineering laboratory has a unique position worldwide. Model experiments at scales of up to 1:1 significantly advance the understanding of river use and protection. Prof. Helmut Habersack presented ongoing activities of the Lab, Assistant Professor Christine Sindelar, then, hosted a guided tour of the building that covers a total area of 12,300 m².
Thanks a lot to everyone involved for this fruitful exchange! We are looking forward to further strengthening the established partnerships to support DRR!