Mei Kimura (B4), Momomi Noritake (M2), and Shunsuke Narui (Research Student), Deptartment of Urban Engineering received Best Presentation Award

On 16th March 2025, Mei Kimura (B4 / At the time of the award), Momomi Noritake (M2 / At the time of the award), and Shunsuke Narui (Research Student / At the time of the award), Hiroi Lab., Deptartment of Urban Engineering received Best Presentation Award, 30th Annual Conference of the Japan Society for Disaster Information Studies.


From left: Momomi Noritake, Shunsuke Narui, Mei Kimura

Best Presentation Award, 30th Annual Conference of the Japan Society for Disaster Information Studies
This award is given to best presentations by young researchers and students aged 40 or younger at the annual conference of the Japan Society for Disaster Information Studies.

About awarded research
【Mei Kimura】
Title: Residents' Engagement and Processes in Disaster-Resilient Urban Development Leading to Physical Environment Improvement: A Qualitative Data Analysis Using SCAT in Award-Winning Cases

Overview:
Community-based disaster prevention (machizukuri) ideally combines both “hard” measures (e.g., infrastructure) and “soft” aspects (e.g., awareness and governance). However, community-led initiatives tend to focus on the latter.
This study investigated cases in which community participation successfully led to physical improvements, conducting interviews and applying the SCAT qualitative analysis method—rarely used in disaster research. The analysis revealed several common characteristics:
Initiatives were carried out systematically to solve local issues.
Small successes accumulated over time, reducing the burden on residents and fostering a sense of accomplishment and attachment to their community.
Activities were flexible and tailored to local characteristics.
These findings not only offer practical insights for future community-based disaster resilience efforts but also propose a new analytical perspective within the disaster prevention field.

【Momomi Noritake】
Title: Rethinking Evacuation Strategies for Large-Scale Floods: Estimations Based on a Survey of Private Facilities in the Koto area (Adachi, Edogawa, Koto, Katsushika, and Sumida), Tokyo

Overview:
With climate change intensifying, the risk of large-scale flooding is increasing—particularly in areas known as zero-meter zones, where some districts may remain inundated for over two weeks. In such cases, residents who evacuate within these flooded areas (in-place evacuation) may be unable to move and will need to shelter in place for extended periods, raising the risk of secondary harm due to shortages of food, water, and medical care. The government, therefore, recommends wide-area evacuation—evacuating to areas outside the flood zone, even across administrative boundaries. However, this approach also poses challenges, such as ensuring transportation for the potentially large number of evacuees.
Given these complexities, this study examined evacuation optimization by estimating the feasibility of in-place evacuation at the level of chocho-moku (a smaller unit than a city) in the Koto area (Adachi, Edogawa, Koto, Katsushika, and Sumida). The study also identified chocho-moku where prioritizing wide-area evacuation is necessary. The findings are expected to serve as a useful basis for designing more effective evacuation strategies during large-scale flood events.

【Shunsuke Narui】
Title: Analysis of Firefighting Efforts in Urban Fires: Case Studies of the 2016 Itoigawa City Fire and the 2024 Wajima City Fire

Overview:
Currently, analysis of post-disaster firefighting activities is often conducted within individual organizations, and there is no standardized methodology for analyzing firefighting activities on a national level. This study focused on the actions of firefighters during past large-scale fires, constructing detailed firefighting timelines and analyzing activities based on the content and duration of their operations. By comparing the changing length of the fire front with the volume of firefighting efforts, the study visualized how firefighting activities unfold during disasters. The results suggest that it may be possible to estimate and visualize the required volume of firefighting efforts in future disasters based on the scale of damage.

Your impression & future plan
【Mei Kimura】
It is a great honor to receive this esteemed award. This was my first time presenting at an academic conference, and I was very nervous to speak in front of professionals from the private sector, university faculty, and research institutions. At the same time, I felt a strong sense of responsibility and the real-world impact of our work. I am deeply grateful to my professors for their ongoing support and guidance, without which I could not have achieved this. I will take this experience as encouragement and devote myself even more to my future research.

【Momomi Noritake】
I am truly honored to receive this prestigious award. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who guided me, assisted with surveys, and supported my research. I believe this study highlights just one aspect of a broader issue, and I intend to continue conducting research that contributes to flood risk reduction and urban disaster resilience. In addition, I am currently engaged in disaster-related research at a think tank company, and I hope to help implement these research findings into practical applications in society.

【Shunsuke Narui】
I am deeply honored to have received the Outstanding Presentation Award. At first, I struggled with my research and caused much trouble for my supervisors, but thanks to their patient and thorough guidance, I was able to achieve this wonderful outcome. I will continue to pursue my research with dedication.