History and Background

In the 21st century, global communities face escalating and interconnected crises. Climate change, environmental degradation, and rapid urbanization are intensifying the frequency and severity of disasters, from catastrophic floods and landslides to protracted droughts and pollution events. Simultaneously, the world has grown acutely aware that these disasters are not merely physical or infrastructural failures; they are profound triggers of cascading health and socio-ecological crises. The same environmental stressors that amplify disaster risk also degrade ecosystems, alter disease vector patterns, threaten food and water security, and ultimately undermine the health and well-being of all living beings.

 

This convergence of challenges has exposed a critical gap in traditional, sectoral approaches. Disaster risk reduction, public health, veterinary science, and environmental management have often operated in parallel, with limited dialogue. Yet, the systems they seek to protect—human societies, animal populations, and ecosystems—are deeply interdependent. A landslide can contaminate water sources, leading to human and livestock disease. A flood can displace communities, disrupt healthcare systems, and increase the risk of zoonotic outbreaks. Conversely, healthy ecosystems, such as wetlands and forests, provide natural buffers against hazards and are fundamental to community resilience.

 

Recognizing this imperative, the One Health approach has emerged as a pivotal global paradigm. It is a unifying, transdisciplinary framework that seeks to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, plants, and their shared environment. In parallel, the field of disaster risk management has undergone a fundamental evolution, shifting its core objective from mere hazard mitigation to the active building of systemic Resilience—the capacity to anticipate, absorb, adapt to, and transform in the face of shocks and stresses.

 

The Committee on One Health and Disaster Resilience is founded at this crucial intersection. It is established on the foundational principle that long-term resilience to disasters is inseparable from the health of the entire planet. Our committee is dedicated to dissolving silos and pioneering the integration of these two transformative frameworks, providing the scientific leadership and collaborative platforms needed to address the interconnected risks of our time.

 

Aims and Perspectives

The Committee on One Health and Disaster Resilience aims to be a global leader in integrating the principles of One Health into the science and practice of building disaster-resilient societies and ecosystems. Its core objectives are:

 

To Develop Integrated Frameworks and Tools: Synthesize and create innovative methodologies, models, and assessment tools that explicitly link disaster risk analysis (for hazards such as floods, landslides, and pollution events) with health outcome indicators across human, animal, and environmental domains. This includes understanding how disasters influence zoonotic disease dynamics, antimicrobial resistance, malnutrition, and mental well-being.

 

To Pioneer Research on the Health-Disaster Nexus: Identify and investigate critical, interconnected research frontiers. This involves studying how ecosystem restoration enhances both community health and hazard buffering capacity; how climate adaptation strategies can yield co-benefits for health and resilience; and how policies can be designed to simultaneously reduce disaster risk and promote planetary health.

 

To Foster Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Action: Build and activate a vibrant network connecting geoscientists, public health experts, veterinarians, ecologists, engineers, social scientists, planners, and policymakers. The Committee will facilitate joint projects, knowledge exchange, and the co-development of guidelines to translate integrated research into actionable plans for resilient and healthy communities.

 

To Promote Resilience-Building Solutions and Capacity: Champion the One Health approach as essential for sustainable disaster resilience. We will develop training modules, policy briefs, and advocacy materials to build capacity among researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers, empowering them to design interventions that are effective, equitable, and sustainable.

 

Through these aims, the Committee will provide crucial scientific leadership, demonstrating that investing in the health of our environment and its inhabitants is the most foundational and effective strategy for building lasting resilience against current and future disasters. 

 

Chairs:

Bin He, Professor, Ningbo University, China

Jiahai Lu, Professor, Wenzhou Medical University/Sun Yat-sen University, China

 

Vice Chairs:

Xiaoli Zhao, Dr. Professor, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, China

Pingping Luo, Dr.  Professor, School of Water and Environment, Chang’an University, China

Zhiyuan Yao, Professor, Ningbo University，China

 

Advisor Chairs:

Fawu Wang, Professor, Tongji University, China

Cordia Chu, Professor, Griffith University, Australia

 

Secretary General：

Pengfei Hu, Professor, Ningbo University，China

 

Secretaries:

Beibei Hao, Associate Professor, Ningbo University，China

Zhao Ma, Associate Professor, Ningbo University，China

Zhizhuang Gu, Professor, Ningbo University，China

Shuai Tang, Professor, Ningbo University，China

 

Committee Members:

Yixin Zhang, Professor, Wenzhou-Kean University, China

Khai Lin Chong, Associate Professor, Universiti Utara Malaysia

Mohd Remy Rozainy Bin Mohd Arif Zainol, Professor, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Razafindrabe Bam Haja Nirina, Associate Professor, University of The Ryukyus, Japan

Suparata Kiartivich, Associate Professor Krirk University, Thailand

Kritana Prueksakorn, Professor, Mahidol University, Thailand

Binaya Kumar Mishra, Professor, Pokhara University, Nepal

Acep Purqon, Associate Professor, Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia

Hendy Setiawan，Assistant Professor，Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia

Ranjan Kumar Dahal, Tribhuvan University, Nepal

Yongliang Lou, Professor, Wenzhou Medical University, China

Zhengran Liu, Professor, Baotou Medical College., China

Fariborz Abbasi, Professor, Agricultural Engineering Research Institute (AERI), Karaj, Iran

Camilo Farias, Professor, Federal University of Campina Grande, Brazil

Ceyhun Ozcelik, Professor, Mugla University, Turkey

Mohamed Said Desouky Abu-Hashim, Professor, Zagazig University, Egypt

Venecio U. Ultra, Professor, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Botswana

Harsha Ratnaweera, Professor, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway

Joshua Viers, Dr.  Professor, University of California, Merced, California, USA

Maochuan Hu, Dr., Associate Professor, Sun Yat-sen University, China

Yongjie Wong, Associate Professor, Kyoto University of Advanced Science, Japan

Ngo Duc Thanh, Dr.  Professor, Vietnam National University, Vietnam

Pingping Luo, Dr.  Professor, School of Water and Environment, Chang’an University, China

Shreedhar Maskey, Dr. Associate Professor, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Netherlands

Siyi Zhang, Dr., Associate Professor, Institute of Eco-environment and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, China

Van Thanh Van Nguyen, Dr.  Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, McGill University, Canada

Weili Duan, Dr.  Professor, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Wenjun Chen, Dr., Associate Professor, Jinling Institute of Technology, China

Srikantha Herath, Dr.  Professor, Director, Envi Forecasting, Australia/Visiting Professor, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Hiroshi Cho, Professor, Kumamoto University, Japan

Olivier Habimana, Associate Professor, Technion-Israel institute of technology, Israel. Guangdong Technion-Israel institute of technology, China.

Maochuan Hu, Dr., Associate Professor, Sun Yat-sen University, China

Haichuan Ma, Research Assistant, Ningbo University，China

 

All interested members are welcome to join!