The Fifth UN Special Thematic Session on Water and Disasters (STSWD5) was held online on June 25, 2021, and Prof. Xu Weilin, the executive vice-president of Sichuan University, delivered a keynote speech. STSWD5 was jointly facilitated by the International Center For Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM) Executive Director KOIKE Toshio and Prof. Gretchen Kalonji, Dean of the Institute for Disaster Management and Reconstruction, Sichuan University. The opening remark was given by Prof. Tanaka Akihiko, the president of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS).
In his speech, Xu Weilin said that water related disasters had serious impact on the world and posed severe challenges to the sustainable development of the country and the region. COVID-19 has intensified its impact. Science, technology and engineering could play an important role in revealing interrelated complex disaster causing factors and designing effective action policies. Therefore, under the background of climate change and other challenges, universities needed to support more interdisciplinary and transnational cooperation to deal with water related disasters. Sichuan University is actively engaged in the research of water related disasters, and has made positive contributions to disaster response through an interdisciplinary approach. We realize that we need to innovate not only in interdisciplinary research, but also in the curriculum, so that students can participate more in specific research projects and serve the society.
Dr. Shamila Nair-Bedoelle, assistant director-general for Natural Sciences, UNESCO; Dr. Elena Manaenkova, deputy secretary-general, WMO; Mr. Ricardo Mena, UNDRR; Dr. Blanca Elena Jimenez Cisneros, former director-general, National Water Commission, (CONAGUA), Mexico; and Prof. Joy Jacqueline Pereira, Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Research Initiative（SEADPRI-UKM）, Malaysia delivered keynote speeches. The panelists discussed water, disaster problems and other development issues such as city, food, environment and climate change in hopes to raise public awareness and promote action in the post COVID-19 era.
