The virtual 2020 Asia-Pacific Science and Technology Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction convened on 15 October 2020 by the Government of Malaysia and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. This virtual 2020 Asia-Pacific Science and Technology Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction brought together around 200 researchers and academics, policy-makers, practitioners, civil society organisations and the private sector from across the Asia-Pacific region, to discuss how to strengthen science-based DRR policy development for building the resilience of communities and infrastructure. Over 1500 people viewed this event over social media channels.

The participants re-enforced the importance of evidence-based scientific research and science-policy-practice nexus for risk-informed sustainable development. The main outcome of the conference, the Kuala Lumpur Consensus reflects these forward-looking actions.

The participants commit to renew the commitment to accelerate the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 to achieve the goals of sustainable development and resilience; commit to developing and disseminating science, technology and innovation for risk reduction drawing on the fourteen actions and six cooperative mechanisms identified in the First and Second Asian Science and Technology Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction, held in 2016 and 2018, respectively; as well as to bring froward the Global Science Technology Road Map implementation in the regional context. Also the participants express the commitment to provide evidence-based research to inform the recovery process in the context and aftermath of COVID-19 to ensure long-term resilience.

Download the Kuala Lumpur Consensus here: http://www.ukm.my/apstcdrr/programme/