Brief report on the ISC GeoUnions Standing Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction

The GeoUnions Standing Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction (ISC-GU-SC-DRR) was established in July 2020, initiated and leaded by Prof.  Orhan Altan, who was nominated by International Science Council (ISC) GeoUnions Steering Committee and ISPRS. The newly established Committee seeks to strengthen the long-standing ISC leadership in advancing DRR. It also honours the ISC’s (former ICSU’s) role in preparation of world conferences on DRR. The Committee will work to:

·         Facilitate communications amongst international geoscience bodies, govern­mental and non-governmental organizations to identify, support and advance initiatives to implement the Sendai Framework through interdisciplinary action.

·         Coordinate and support implementation initiatives for disaster risk manage­ment in accord with the principles and goals of the Sendai Framework.

·         Organize conferences and workshops at regional and global level to advance disaster risk management initiatives.

·         Advise on the rationale and role that science should play in the disaster risk management and work to strengthen that rationale and role.

·         Increase the awareness and action by the GeoUnions in Disaster Risk Reduction and the implementation of the Sendai Framework as further defined by the ISC report and focus that interest through the publications of the periodic reports on its progress.

·         Seek for proper financing to continue its activities. The Committee will work with the ISC and possible other donors and/or agencies to consider options for adequate funding.

·         Release statements on DRR from time to time on changing situation.

The Committee Membership will include a maximum of 10 regular voting members. The representatives of the GeoUnions will comprise the sustaining members. The following GeoUnions will be represented:

·         International Astronomical Union (IAU)

·         International Cartographic Association (ICA)

·         International Geographical Union (IGU)

·         International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS)

·         International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG)

·         International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)

·         International Union of Quaternary Research (INQUA)

·         International Union of Radio Sciences (URSI)

·         International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS)

Prof. Jie Jiang and Prof. Sisi Zlatanova and were appointed as ISPRS representatives to this new committee. In addition to ISPRS, the GeoUnions members IUGG, IGU, IUGS, URSI and INQUA also appointed their representatives.

Under the leadership of Professor Orhan Altan, the work has started since the first virtual meeting on 1 July 2020. The Committee discussed and formulated the Terms of Reference. At the second meeting on 16 September 2020, Dr. Alexander Rudloff was unanimously elected as co-chair. A website of the committee was activated and jointly developed: http://www.iscgdrr.com/

At the meetings No. 3 (19 November 2020) and No. 4 (4 December 2020), two draft policy briefs were intensively discussed. The meeting No. 5 (15 January 2021) focused on the planning of the next GI4DM conference, to be held in Beijing, China in November 2021. At the last meeting No. 6 (4 February 2021) new members from INQUA and IUGS joined the committee.

Sisi Zlatanova, Jie Jiang

March 5, 2021