Dr.

Naoko KIMURA

She received her PhD in Global Environmental Studies from the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, in 2020. She also holds a Master of Arts (MA) in Education, Gender and International Development from the Institute of Education, University of London (now UCL), obtained in 2004.

Prior to joining IGES in April 2024, she conducted research on aquatic environments and integrated lake basin management at the International Lake Environment Committee Foundation (ILEC) from 2005 to 2010. From 2010 to 2014, she worked at the Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, where she was involved in international cooperation projects promoting industry–government–academia collaboration in disaster prevention, disaster risk reduction, and risk management. Between 2014 and 2024, she conducted research at the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, the Graduate School of Agriculture, and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Sustainability at Kyoto University. Her work focused on developing theoretical frameworks for rural and regional planning and environmental disaster prevention, with particular emphasis on the preparedness and vulnerability of residents and businesses to disaster risks.

Throughout her academic and professional career, she has consistently emphasised the perspectives of citizens, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and local communities. Her current research focuses on preparedness, resilience, climate change and health care, Business Continuity Planning/Management (BCP/BCM), and behavioural responses to disaster risks. Her research interests also include the implementation of environmental and development policies at the local level, as well as the gap between macro-level institutions—such as public policies and international frameworks—and the realities faced by stakeholders.