The Disaster Prevention Research Center for Island Region researches natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, geo-disasters (such as slope failures, avalanches, landslides, breaching of dammed lakes, sinkholes, etc.), typhoons, flooding, etc. It conducts comprehensive researches on above topics related to the 1300 km long Ryukyu Archipelago spanning from Amami-Oshima Island to Yoniguni Island. This center has a rental-laboratory system, in which the laboratories are rented to researchers or research groups together with university faculty members to carry out researches in disaster prevention. This presently includes the Geo-Engineering Disaster Prevention Research Laboratory, which focuses on earthquakes and geo-disasters, the NPO Green Earth Non- Profit Organization involving with the assessment of structures damaged by natural disasters and the NRAS Okinawa Branch (National Residents’ Association Activity Support Net - Okinawa Branch) specialized in communication research at the time of the disaster. Additionally, a natural disaster simulation facility is developed and it is now open to the public with the purpose of educating both students and society on the mechanism of natural disasters and prevention methods.
