Gaps in and Opportunities for Disaster Risk Reduction in Urban Areas Through International Standardization of Smart Community Infrastructure

David N. Nguyen (), Yuichiro Usuda and Fumihiko Imamura
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David N. Nguyen: College of Sustainability and Tourism, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Oita 874-0011, Japan
Yuichiro Usuda: National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience, Ibaraki 305-0006, Japan
Fumihiko Imamura: International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-0845, Japan

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-13

Abstract: Global communities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to natural hazards and climate change, and the rapid pace of urbanization exacerbates these risks. According to the World Bank, approximately 50% of the world’s population lives in areas exposed to natural hazards, making the need to overcome the challenges to sustainable urban development pressing. The increasing frequency of heavy rain, flooding, landslides, and wildfires underscores the urgent need for disaster risk mitigation strategies, aligned with sustainable development goals. Infrastructure plays a crucial role in cultivating resilient cities that can withstand, recover from, and adapt to disasters, while promoting long-term sustainability, by minimizing environmental degradation and encouraging responsible development. International standards for smart community infrastructure provide significant advantages, including cost reductions, technology transfer, and enhanced innovation through improved global competitiveness. This paper investigates how these standards can empower community stakeholders to strengthen both the resilience and sustainability of urban areas, facilitating balanced growth that addresses environmental and social demands.

Keywords: risk management; resiliency; sustainability; disasters; smart cities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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