The Potential and Roles of Ethnic Minorities in Disaster Risk Reduction: IDRiM2022 Conference Session Report on Muslim Communities in Japan

Abstract

Ethnic minority groups are considered vulnerable due to their cultural, linguistic, and religious differences, but some are resilient and may have the potential to work as critical stakeholders in disaster risk reduction (DRR). The special session “Minority communities in DRR” at the 2022 IDRiM conference focused on the potential and roles of ethnic minority groups, especially mosques in Japan that are mainly managed by foreign nationals. This technical summary aims to (1) summarize presentations and discussion from the session and (2) describe future research directions regarding ethnic minority communities in general and Muslims in Japan in particular. The session presented various activities undertaken by mosques, including functioning as coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination sites and evacuation shelters for foreign nationals, and relief suppliers (e.g., sending donations and volunteers) in natural hazard-related disasters (e.g., earthquake and flood). The presentations and discussion could lead to micro, meso, and macro perspectives in future studies where the related individuals (e.g., mosque managers and users), the mosque’s networks, and the overall trend of mosques throughout the country are focused on, respectively. The findings of this session and future research will help us further comprehend their potential and roles, empower them, and contribute to building multi-stakeholder partnerships to realize a society where no one is left behind.