2008 Volume 117 Issue 5 Pages 940-947
The fifth conference of Cities on Volcanoes was held in Shimabara, Nagasaki, during the period November 19-23, 2007, under the sponsorship of the Shimabara City and the Volcanological Society of Japan. The conference, Cites on Volcanoes, is an international forum that has been organized every two years since 1998 by the Cities and Volcanoes Commission of IAVCEI, in which volcanologists and non-volcanologists, including city-planners, engineers, members of the mass media, and citizens discuss reducing risks from volcanic eruptions and related phenomena. Six hundred participants registered to attend the conference from 31 countries and regions. It was the first conference to be held in Asia.
The main theme of the conference this time was “Coexisting with Volcanoes”, and the aim was sufficiently achieved with the supports of citizens, students, and volunteers from Shimabara City and its surrounding areas. Five hundred fifty-one papers were presented at ten sessions of three symposiums (knowing volcanoes, volcanoes and cities, and living with volcanoes). In addition to 10 scientific sessions, the organizing committee prepared several forums and outreach activities to which citizens, students, members of authorities and mass media could attend. In addition to registered participants, about 2,100 persons attended both scientific sessions and these forums. The statement of the conference was presented as the Heisei-shinzan appeal in the closing ceremony.
