No single discipline or organization can reduce the risk of disasters because disasters cut across administrative boundaries, economic sectors, and social systems. Transdisciplinary approaches (TDA) offer a framework to bridge these gaps. These approaches involve various sectors and organizations at all levels in co-producing and co-implementing solutions based on scientific knowledge and local expertise. Technical Committee 21, “Transdisciplinary Approach for Building Societal Resilience to Disasters (TC21),” was established in 2016 under the Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council to conduct international collaborative research on TDA in Asian countries. Six case studies in this special issue demonstrate that purely technological solutions are insufficient for effective disaster risk governance. In Japan, the Asahata Reservoir case illustrates how a transdisciplinary governance platform has sustained a multipurpose green infrastructure for over four decades (Ishiwatari and Tokuoka). In Indonesia, the post-eruption recovery of Sumber Mujur Village demonstrates that successful relocation requires not only physical reconstruction, but also the social and institutional processes of co-design and co-implementation with displaced communities (Suud et al.). In the Philippines, the Leyte Tide Embankment case reveals that protective infrastructure gains legitimacy only when communities experience tangible improvements in safety and livelihoods, highlighting the importance of inclusive consultation and livelihood-sensitive planning (Mangada). In Taiwan, the post-earthquake response to the 2024 Hualien Earthquake highlights how transdisciplinary collaboration among the central government, local authorities, and the public has strengthened early warnings and preparedness against landslides and debris flow hazards (Tsao et al.). In Nepal, the post-Gorkha Earthquake reconstruction demonstrates how community mobilization and the owner-driven reconstruction approach operationalized Build Back Better principles at scale (Paudyal). Finally, the Malaysian case provides a comprehensive stocktaking of a decade of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) implementation, revealing that despite significant progress, persistent challenges in cross-sectoral coordination, financial protection, and inclusive preparedness require further collaborative efforts (Razak et al.). Across these diverse contexts, a common finding emerges that effective DRR depends not only on technical interventions, but also on sustained governance mechanisms that integrate multiple stakeholders and knowledge systems. We expect that the findings presented in this special issue will advance both the research and practice of DRR. As the international community approaches the conclusion of the Sendai Framework period by 2030, the experiences documented here offer practical insights into strengthening transdisciplinary collaboration in Asia and beyond.
Ishiwatari et al. (Tue,) studied this question.