At the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (UNWCDRR) held in March 2015 in Sendai City, Japan, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 (SFDRR), containing seven global targets, was adopted by 187 UN member states. With its outcome-oriented but non-numerical targets, quantitative approaches for monitoring disaster damage and loss by national governments became mandatory. The Global Centre for Disaster Statistics (GCDS) in Tohoku University was established in April 2015. The GCDS is expected to contribute to the evidence-based policy making by national and/or local governments. In addition, the GCDS aims at creating a synergy effect among academia, the UN organizations, and private companies in order to provide unprecedented values to all stakeholders worldwide. Under such circumstances, the special issue aims at publishing the research results obtained so far from the relevant studies that have been mainly conducted at the GCDS. The guest editors of the special issue are pleased to publish 13 valuable academic articles closely related to the activities of the GCDS, contributing to the development of disaster statistics. Based on the features of the 13 articles contained in the special issue, there seems to be three major categories of research questions. The first one is to investigate disaster statistics and/or global disaster-related databases. The articles of the first category contribute to the clarification of the characteristics specific to disaster statistics. The second one is to utilize disaster statistics in order to develop the existing discipline-based research. The articles of the second category are quite beneficial for establishing a new possibility of applying disaster statistics for the research so far. The third one is to analyze a variety of issues by means of questionnaire surveys. The articles of the third category are issue-oriented and interdisciplinary. Last but not least, the guest editors hope that the special issue would certainly contribute to the literature of disaster statistics and accelerate their development.

1. [1] UNISDR, “Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030,” Geneva, Switzerland: United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), 2015.
2. [2] UNISDR, “Technical Guidance for Monitoring and Reporting on Progress in Achieving the Global Targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction,” Geneva, Switzerland: United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), 2017.
3. [3] T. Ito, M. Miyamoto, and Y. Ono, “Strengthening Governance on Disaster Risk ReductionThrough Improved Disaster Damage Statistics,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.11, No.3, 2016.
4. [4] Y. Ono, “Process in Which Targets Were Incorporated in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Current Discussion on Setting Terminology and Indicators of the Framework, and the Linkage with Global Centre for Disaster Statistics,” Trends in the Sciences, Vol.21, No.3, 2016.
5. [5] K. Moriyama, D. Sasaki, and Y. Ono, “Comparison of Global Databases for Disaster Loss and Damage Data,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1007-1014, 2018.
6. [6] H. Tanaka, D. Sasaki, and Y. Ono, “Proposed Requirement Definition Method for Developing Global Disaster Database Based on Various Means of Data Collection,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1015-1023, 2018.
7. [7] H. Maruya and T. Torayashiki, “The Purpose of the Statistical Database on the Great East Japan Earthquake,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1024-1031, 2018.
8. [8] D. Sasaki, K. Moriyama, and Y. Ono, “Hidden Common Factors in Disaster Loss Statistics: A Case Study Analyzing the Data of Nepal,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1032-1038, 2018.
9. [9] A. Suppasri, A. Muhari, Syamsidik, R. Yunus, K. Pakoksung, F. Imamura, S. Koshimura, and R. Paulik, “Vulnerability Characteristics of Tsunamis in Indonesia: Analysis of the Global Centre for Disaster Statistics Database,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1039-1048, 2018.
10. [10] S. Egawa, Y. Jibiki, D. Sasaki, Y. Ono, Y. Nakamura, T. Suda, and H. Sasaki, “The Correlation Between Life Expectancy and Disaster Risk,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1049-1061, 2018.
11. [11] D. Mizutani, “Variability in an Optimal Infrastructure Management Policy by Internalization of Seismic Risk,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1062-1071, 2018.
12. [12] M. Okumura and W. Ito, “A Statistical Analysis of Japanese Inter-Prefectural Migration After Disasters,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1072-1081, 2018.
13. [13] M. Kuri and A. Suppasri, “Perceptions of Volcanic Hazard-Related Information Relevant to Volcano Tourism Areas in Japan,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1082-1095, 2018.
14. [14] M. Matsumoto, M. Kuri, K. Sugiyasu, Y. Jibiki, N. N. Suartini, and I. M. Budiana, “Statistical Analysis of the Relationship Between Social Capital and Evacuation: The Case of the 2017 Mt. Agung Eruption,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1096-1112, 2018.
15. [15] M. Matsumoto and K. Madarame, “Evacuation from Tsunami and Social Capital in Numanouchi Ward, Iwaki City,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1113-1124, 2018.
16. [16] M. Matsumoto, “Differentiation and Integration of Evacuees with Regard to Lifting the Evacuation Order Following the Nuclear Power Plant Accident: A Case Study of Naraha and Tomioka Towns, Futaba District, Fukushima Prefecture,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1125-1141, 2018.
17. [17] M. Matsumoto, “Formation of Third Place by Evacuees from Nuclear Accident: Case Study of Wide Area Residents’ Association of Tomioka Town, Futaba County, Fukushima Prefecture,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.13, No.6, pp. 1142-1156, 2018.