The World BOSAI Forum 2025 (WBF2025) was successfully convened from March 7 to 9, 2025. According to the event report of the WBF2025 [1], the forum welcomed 5,434 participants over the three days, including 1,197 pre-registered attendees for the main conference and visitors to the EXPO and side events, ultimately representing 34 countries. The venue featured 46 oral sessions, two workshops, 41 poster presentations, 19 mini-presentations, and 85 exhibition booths. This provided a valuable opportunity for international organizations, governments, academia, industries, NGOs, and citizens to gather in one place, discuss concrete solutions for disaster risk reduction (DRR), and share these insights with the world. The main theme of WBF2025 was climate change, and 13 related sessions were held. One of the forum’s distinctive features was the chance to experience the forefront of global DRR while in Japan, which was facilitated via three sessions hosted by UN-related organizations and five by overseas participants.

The guest editors are pleased to publish this special issue in the Journal of Disaster Research, which comprises five notable articles that share the research advancements presented in the following oral sessions at the WBF2025:

• Toward the Utilization of the Intermediate Function of Local Academic Institutions in the Field of Disaster Risk Reduction in Indonesia

• Towards an Assessment of Loss and Damage Associated With Climate-induced Migration in Indonesia

• Measuring Resilience: Strategy Development and Empirical Analysis

• Utilizing Web GIS to Enhance School Safety for Disaster Risk Reduction—Initiatives in Japan and Taiwan—

We hope that this special issue on the WBF2025 will contribute to the literature on disaster science and further advance DRR and climate change adaptation.

References:

[1] World BOSAI Forum, “Event Report,” 2025 (in Japanese). https://worldbosaiforum.com/media/files/_u/wbf2025/世界防災フォーラム開催報告書_ver1.pdf [Accessed September 14, 2025]