•Publication Date：05/04/2012
•Source： Taiwan Today

Taiwan is holding a major international conference on natural disasters, the Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council said May 3.

Over 400 representatives from 18 countries are participating in the symposium May 3 and 4 in Kaohsiung City, according to the council.

Notable participants include Hajime Okamura, president of Kochi University of Technology of Japan; Gordon McBean, incoming president of the International Council for Science; and Richard Anthes, president emeritus of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in the U.S.

Prior to the start of the conference, ROC President Ma Ying-jeou received some of the participants and thanked them for sharing their expertise and knowledge with the people of Taiwan.

He addressed the meeting and said that after Typhoon Morakot struck Taiwan in 2009, the nation has learned many valuable lessons on how to rebuild communities upended by natural disasters.

The model of public-private cooperation for building permanent homes for typhoon survivors is the first such instance in the nation’s history, Ma said, adding that it is worth sharing with the international community.

Ma also credited the success of the reconstruction efforts to three key factors—cooperation between the administration and the Legislature, between the public and private sectors, and between the central and local governments.

The conference is being held in conjunction with a meeting of the international Society for Social Management Systems, the council noted.

Participants will discuss ways to mitigate the impact of natural disasters and how to build social management systems with disaster prevention and reconstruction capabilities, the council said.

It added that emphasis will also be placed on finding an international assistance mechanism that can reduce the risks and damages associated with mega disasters.