Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) is pleased to host a special seminar featuring reports from students of the Fukushima Field Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH).

Fukushima Prefecture has been actively engaged in long-term recovery efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster in 2011. These efforts span the fields of health, environmental sustainability, and social resilience. The Fukushima Field Program offers participants the opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of Fukushima’s current situation, engage with local communities, and propose policy recommendations for long-term recovery.

Since the disaster, HGPI has worked to promote evidence-based policy discussions in health, medical care, and sustainability. In November 2011, HGPI co-hosted an emergency forum with a U.S. think tank titled “Reconstruction in Tohoku: An Open Dialogue on Strategies and Partnerships”, focusing on public health and medical cooperation between Japan and the U.S. in disaster recovery. This initiative laid the groundwork for continued international cooperation in disaster response and public health resilience.

In recent years, HGPI has expanded its focus to Planetary Health, exploring the links between climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution with global health challenges. As part of these efforts, HGPI collaborated with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Mitsubishi Corporation, and the Takeda Healthcare Foundation in organizing the Aizu Planetary Health Forum in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, on January 16, 2025. This event discussed sustainable health systems and the role of Fukushima as a model for resilience and innovation in environmental and public health policy.

This seminar offers a unique opportunity to gain international perspectives on Fukushima’s recovery efforts and the challenges that remain. The students will present findings based on their fieldwork in Fukushima Medical University, TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and Aizuwakamatsu City, sharing their analysis from a global perspective. The presentations will focus on three key themes: Health Monitoring, Environmental Decontamination, and Risk Communication. These policy proposals are designed to reflect local community needs and provide practical solutions to support Fukushima’s ongoing recovery.

Furthermore, the seminar will explore the broader impact of natural disasters and climate change on public health, a subject of increasing global importance. By integrating the latest perspectives from Planetary Health, the discussion will provide valuable insights not only for Japan but also for international disaster response, recovery strategies, and sustainable health policy development.

[Event Overview]

• Date & Time: Friday, March 21, 2025; 19:00-20:30 EDT | Saturday, March 22, 2025; 8:00-9:30 JST
• Format: Online (Zoom Webinar)
• Language: English (No simultaneous interpretation)
• Participation Fee: Free
• Capacity: 500 participants
• Co-host: Takemi Program in International Health, Harvard School of Public Health

[Program] (EDT, titles omitted)