Takako Izumi is an Associate Professor in the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS), Tohoku University in Japan. She also serves as Programme Coordinator of the Multi-Hazards Programme under the Association of Pacific Lim Universities (APRU) that consists of 45 universities and academic institutes in the Pacific Lim. Her research interests include international and regional framework of disaster risk reduction, disaster risk reduction at local level, and role of civil society in disaster management. Previously, she worked for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) for the disaster response coordination in Asia and for one of the international NGOs in Malaysia as General Manager to oversee the programs of disaster response and disaster risk reduction.