About Us

Co-Founders

Dr. Rajib Shaw

Rajib Shaw is the professor in the Graduate School of Media and Governance in Keio University in Japan. Earlier, he was the Executive Director of the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR), a decade-long research program co-sponsored by the International Council for Science (ICSU). Previously, he served as a Professor in the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies of Kyoto University. His expertise includes disaster governance, community-based disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, urban risk management, and disaster and environmental education. He is the Chair of the United Nations Science Technology Advisory Group (STAG) for disaster risk reduction. Professor Shaw has published more than 45 books and over 300 academic papers and book chapters. More about me @ www.rajibshaw.org.He is also developing an interest in photography.

Dr. Ranit Chatterjee

Ranit Chatterjee is a PhD in Environmental Management from Kyoto University, Japan. Trained as an Architect, Ranit did his masters in Disaster Management from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. His work focuses mainly on disaster management while spanning across architecture and heritage, governance, private sector and ecosystem services. He has worked previously with the UN agencies, national and local Governments in Asia and India in particular, local communities, private businesses and NGOs. In addition, he has been involved with National Institute of Disaster Management in training of engineers and architects. Ranit is a recipient of  IRDR young scientist fellowship and CEM member of IUCN. He has authored several academic publications and reports on the topic of Disaster Management. He is an amateur photographer with a few publications in National Geographic

Advisor

Dr. Rohit Jigyasu

Rohit Jigyasu is a conservation architect and risk management professional from India, who has recently joined ICCROM as Programme Officer at its regional centre in Sharjah. Since 2010, Rohit has been working as UNESCO Chair professor at the Institute for Disaster Mitigation of Urban Cultural Heritage at Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan. He is the elected President of ICOMOS-India since 2014 and ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness (ICORP) since 2010. Rohit has been the Elected Member of the Executive Committee of ICOMOS since 2011 and is currently serving as its Vice President for the period 2017-2020. He is also the Trustee of the Indian Historic Cities Network Foundation (IHCN-F). He has been working with several national and international organizations such as Archaeological Survey of India, Indian National Institute of Disaster Management, UNESCO, ICCROM, World Bank and Getty Conservation Institute for consultancy, research and training on Disaster Risk Management of Cultural Heritage. He has also been engaged as a visiting faculty at several national and international academic institutions in India and abroad. He is on editorial board of some well reputed journals such as Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, and Disaster Prevention and Management. He has contributed to several international publications.

Dr. Akhilesh Surjan

Dr. Akhilesh Surjan is an Associate Professor / Research & Theme Leader of Humanitarian, Emergency and Disaster Management Studies Program at the Charles Darwin University, Australia.For over two decades,he has beenproactively engaged with the issues of disaster-environment-climate risk reduction and sustainabilityin the context of human settlements. Dr.Surjan served as a Lead Authorof the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and also as Contributing Authorof the United Nation’s Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction. In addition to associating with esteemed universities, Dr. Surjan has also successfully workedwith the United Nations,government and non-governmentorganizations in the Asia-Pacific region. He is editorial board memberofpeer-reviewed journalsand consistently publishingin international journals, peer-reviewed books, conference proceedings, newsletters andelectronic media. He is regularly invited to lecture in global, regional and national forums, community networks and relevant research and training institutes. Dr.Surjan is also a trained architect-planner – an interest zone that keeps him enthused when free.

Dr. Takako Izumi

Takako Izumi is an associate professor at the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS), Tohoku University since 2013. She also serves as Director of the Multi Hazards Program under the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), which comprises 50 universities in the region. Previously she worked for UN Habitat, UN office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), and UN Office for the Recovery Coordinator for Ache and Nias (UNORC) after the Indian Ocean Tsunami. She is also appointed as a member of the Asia-Pacific Science, Technology and Academia Advisory Group by UNDRR.

Dr. Hassan Virji

Hassan Virji is the Emeritus Executive Director of START International, Inc., a NGO designed as the Global Change System for Analysis, Research and Training, that he established in 1992.  His expertise is in building systems-level capacities in global change to foster resilient and sustainable societies. He is a graduate of the Universities of Daressalaam, Nairobi and Madison-Wisconsin. He worked at the University of Nairobi and the University of Wisconsin, and was a Senior Fellow at the Wissenschaft Kolleg in Berlin.  During 1983-1988 he was Associate Director of the Climate Dynamics Program of the US National Science Foundation; during 1989-1990, Deputy Executive Director of the International GeosphereBiosphere Programme, and Executive Secretary of the US Inter-agency Subcommittee on Global Change Research (1991-1992) where he was involved in setting up the US Global Change Research Program. Dr. Virji is a National Associate Member of the National Research Council of the National Academies of the USA.  He is a member of the Governing Board of CRDF Global of USA, and previously was on the Boards of International Centers of excellence located at CSIR/South Africa, Academia Sinica/Taipei, Education, Learning, and Research for Humanitarian Assistance/UK, and the Manila Observatory of the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines.  During 2014 he was a Visiting Professor at Kyoto University, an Adjunct Professor in Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center and Geography at the University of Maryland, College Park during 2016-2018, a Visiting Professor at Kyoto during 2014, and at Keio, and Hiroshima Universities in Japan during 2019.  He is a member of the editorial boards of “Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability”,  “Advances in Climate Change Research”, “Climate, Disasters, and Development” and “Progress in Disaster Science”.

Associates

Mr. Shashikant Chopde

Shashikant Chopde has three decades of experience in water management and rural livelihoods, Climate Change Adaptation (CCA), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Urban Resilience and Mainstreaming CCA and DRR for sustainable development. He has worked in India and Nepal. In India he has experience of diverse geographical and geo-climatic regions. His work involves research, implementation support, policy advocacy and capacity building. He is currently with Institute for Social and Environmental Transition-International (ISET-I) (a US based not-for-profit) as Senior Research Associate Shashikant has delivered a number of trainings to governments from district, state to national level. With education of Masters in Civil Engineering he has sound knowledge of hydrology, geohydrology, hydraulic design of various structures, and urban and peri-urban systems. He is a LEAD Fellow—a global network of Fellows on Environment and Development, and Subject Matter Advisor on 100 Resilient Cities network.

Dr.-Ing. Hassan Elmouelhi 

Hassan Elmouelhi is an architect and urban planner by training and works after getting his PhD (Berlin Technical University) since 2014 as a senior researcher, post-doc and project leader at the department of Urban Development, Campus El Gouna, and the department of International Urbanism and Design-Habitat unit at the Berlin Technical University (TU Berlin), Germany. His academic interests within the field of international urbanism include: culture and urban informality in relation to aspects of urban development and governance in the global South. In partnership with several academic institutions, and international cooperation organizations (e.g., UN Habitat and GIZ), he is involved in projects that cover interdisciplinary topics, mainly urban management, climate change adaptation, disaster risk management, public space, refugees and migration, urban mobility, new settlements, land management, in addition to the localizing global agendas. He participated as a consultant and expert for international cooperation organizations in projects in Egypt, Germany, Tunisia, Tanzania, South Africa, Malaysia, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine and India. His latest contribution as a consultant was as the main author for the “State of Arab Cities Report-2022” for the UN Habitat-Regional office for Arab states, published in February 2022.

Mr. Arnab Gazi

An Economics graduate from St.Xaviers’s College Calcutta, an MBA from Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar and is also an Executive MBA from IIM Lucknow.   Mr. Gazi has an extensive experience and understanding of working in the BFSI space for more than 16 years. He has been actively engaged with the task of managing a multi-million dollar strategic partnership in India and abroad. Expertise in strategy formulation, distribution creation, project management, project development and business development.  His experience in the insurance sector helped him understand the important of “disaster mitigation”, “social security” and the necessity and need for “preventive disaster management”.

Dr.Aditi Madan

Aditi has a PhD in Disaster Management from Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok and M.A. in Disaster Management from TISS, Mumbai. She has experience of working in the development sector in different capacities with organizations such as the Institute for Human Development (Delhi), National Institute of Disaster Management (Delhi), Voluntary Health Association of India (Delhi),  International Labour Organisation- UNESCAP (Bangkok), Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (Bangkok), Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) etc. 

Ms. Ashoo Kalra

Ashoo is a law graduate with specialization in Mercantile law (Company law) from VSSD Law College, Kanpur and she is currently pursuing her Post Graduate Diploma in Disaster Management from IGNOU. Armed with a B.Ed degree, Ashoo’s career spans over twenty years in the field of school education during which she has held important academic positions at various reputed educational institutions. In addition to her professional commitment, Ashoo has acted as a catalyst to find innovative solutions for the problems associated with the day-to-day lives of the people in Varanasi. SEEDs Asia (INGO) has made her the Brand Ambassador of DRR activities in Varanasi in appreciation of her contribution towards making community and students disaster resilient as a part of the Safe School Project. She is passionate about writing and has authored a number of textbooks for children.

Mr. Lalit Kumar Deshora

Mr. Lalit is an Urban Planner by training and specialised in M. Sc. in Geo-information Science & Earth Observation for Environmental Modelling and Management through an Erasmus Mundus scholarship. His work experience in the field of DRR spans over a decade with organisations like TARU, Practical Action Consulting-South Asia, Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Application and Geo-informatics (Science and Tech-nology Department, Government of Gujarat) and Environmental Management Unit (EMU), Roads and Buildings Department, Government of Gujarat. His experience is enriched with on-field experience in countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, Tajikistan, Thailand, The Netherlands, United Kingdom. He is currently engaged as a DRM Specialist with ADB.

Ms. Suvendrini Kakuchi

Suvendrini Kakuchi is a Sri Lankan journalist based in Tokyo, covering development issues in Japan and Asia for several decades. Her work also focuses on disaster risk reduction topics in the Asian region and she has worked with the Asian media to develop a deeper understanding of disasters and climate change in newsrooms. Suvendrini will bring her journalism experience and communication skills to foster innovative approaches in the media that play a key role in the field of disaster management.

Dr. Indrajit Pal

Dr. Indrajit Pal presently working as Assistant Professor and Chair at Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation and Management program at Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand. Prior to joining at AIT, Dr. Pal served as faculty member at Centre for Disaster Management at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, India (Premier National Institute for training Indian Administrative Services Officers). Dr. Pal has done extensive work on capacity development of decision makers, risk assessment and disaster risk governance. Dr. Pal has written 5 books and more than 50 articles in international and national peer reviewed journals apart from supervising masters and doctoral research. Dr. Pal having about 16 years of experience on research and capacity development on Disaster Risk Management and Governance and Disaster Risk Science and Education.

Ms. Thinn Hlaing Oo

Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in English Major from University of Yangon, Myanmar and finished Master Degree with Environmental Studies from Kyoto University, Japan. 4 years of working experience in Myanmar Engineering Society and Myanmar Earthquake Committee and 5 years in SEEDS Asia. As a member of Myanmar Earthquake Committee, participated in research and field work related to seismic hazard in Myanmar in collaboration with International Institutions. During employment in SEEDS Asia, facilitated in the DRR awareness raising programmes for community, school children and teachers. Currently working in UNDP Myanmar Office as a DRR specialist for Building Earthquake Resilience Project and supporting government for technical inputs on the development of policy framework for DRR and Capacity building for government officials as well as community (2017-up to now).

Dr. Shobha Poudel

Shobha completed her PhD in Global Environmental Studies from Kyoto University, Japan. She has a several years of interdisciplinary research experience in climate change adaptation, vulnerability assessment, food security, community resilience and Environmental Economics. After completing her Master’s Degree in Business Studies, she worked in a commercial bank for almost three years. Besides that, she worked with private sectors and NGOs in Nepal. Currently, she is working as an Assistant Professor in Universal Engineering and Science College, Pokhara University Nepal. She is a recipient of Early Career Fellowships from Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), TWAS, UNESCO. She has published several research papers and book chapters as well as she voluntarily reviews scientific articles in number of reputedjournals.

Dr. Anwarul Abedin

Dr. Abedin has been working as Professorin the Department of Soil Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh. He is also leader ofLaboratory of Environment and Sustainable Development and Adjunct Professor at Disaster Risk Management Unit at Philippines School of Business Administration, Manila, philippine. He is a coordinator of University Networks in Bangladesh.Dr. Abedin did his PhD from Kyoto University in 2011 in environmental studies. Subsequently, he did JSPS postdoctoral research during 2011-2013 in the same university on international environment and disaster management with especial focus on soil and water quality and quantity. Dr. Abedin also worked as a visiting scholar of Northumbria University, UK under the theme of disaster management. He was a PAAR fellow in collaboration with Kyoto University, Japan and START Secretariat, USA. He is conducting fundamental and applied research on water quality and social aspect, water resources management, urban and rural linkage,CCA and DRR issues and also soil health and food security, land use change, soil fertility and arsenic pollution. Dr. Abedin is collaborating in a number of research projects funded by DFID, NERC, British Council, JICA, CARRIA, Canada, World Bank, Kurita Foundation, Japan and different National level funding bodies.

Dr. Raju Sarkar

Raju Sarkar is a Professor in Department of Civil Engineer and Architecture at the Royal University of Bhutan with research interests in Geotechnical aspects of Landslide Hazards and Earthquake Hazards, Rainfall Induced Landslides, Stabilization Methods for Landslide Mitigation, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment, Disaster Management Education. He heads the University’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Community Development Studies Centre and led a research team that retrofitted a multi-storey building in Kathmandu after the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. In Bhutan, he currently works on vulnerability and risk assessment of traditional buildings and rainfall triggered landslide within the country. He completed two (NERC and EPSRC) – GCRF funded research project as Co-I and one RAS funded research project. He has published more than 40 papers in leading international journals and conferences and has won Bhutan leadership award for his contribution to research and innovation in Bhutan. Presently he is also associated as Co-chair of Commission on Education and Outreach, International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth’s Interiors (IASPEI), Executive Member of Thematic Working Group – Disaster Risk Reduction, Himalayan University Council, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (HUC-ICIMOD) and Advisory Board Member, South Asian Institute for Advanced Research and Development (SAIARD) and Adjunct Professor in Disaster Risk Management Unit, Philippine School of Business Administration, Manila, Philippines.

Dr. Tong Thi

Thi is a lecturer at the Department of Climate change and Sustainable Development, Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment. Her work focuses on climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and education for sustainable development.
She graduated and completed herPh.D in Global Environmental Studies at Kyoto University. Thi has more than ten years experiences of working for UNs, international and local NGOs, government and universities in the field of climate change and disaster. She has published in Natural Hazards, Environmental Hazards, Emerald GroupPublishing Limited, Nova Science Publishers, and other journals and publishers.

Ms. Sangita Das

Sangita was trained as an Architect from School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, where she first became interested in Disaster Management while writing her dissertation on cyclone shelters in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. She continued to work on the cyclone affected villages of the same area in the following years, and earned her Masters from Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2002. She has worked on Disaster and Environment Management related projects with universities, JICA, NGOs and Architectural firms in Dhaka, New Delhi and Tokyo. She is currently based in Tokyo and works as a Research Consultant.