The 8th International Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Service was held in Changsha, Hunan Province, on October 26, 2024, alongside the 2nd International Symposium on Geo-Hazards Perception, Cognition and Prediction (ISGHPCP).

The workshop, co-hosted by the Disaster Risk Reduction Unit at UNESCO’s Natural Sciences Sector and IKCEST, was organised by the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGSNRR, CAS) and the Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Service of IKCEST (IKCEST-DRR). It attracted scientists, educators and entrepreneurs from universities, research institutions in China and countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as representatives from international organisations.

Tian Qi, Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and also Executive Director at IKCEST, and Faduma Hussein Ali from the Disaster Risk Reduction Unit delivered opening remarks. The meeting was presided over by Liu Chang, Director of Division One of the Department of International Cooperation and Secretary-General of IKCEST, Wang Juanle, Executive Head of IKCEST-DRR, and Professor Faith Chan from the University of Nottingham Ningbo.

Following the seminar, Faduma Hussein Ali visited IKCEST office in Beijing and held in-depth discussions with members of the IKCEST Secretariat and IKCEST-DRR team.