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The evolution in knowledge and application of disaster risk reduction in the 25 years of global cooperation on this issue has been uneven. While advances in knowledge have improved our understanding of the full nature of risk-the combination of hazards meeting vulnerabilitythe application of such knowledge has not been conducive to the development of institutional and technical mechanisms to address the full range of risk elements. Governance of risk (policies, legislation, and organizational arrangements) still focuses largely on preparing to respond to the hazards and planning for recovery. This leaves largely unattended the vulnerability component of risk, which is the only component on which change can be effected. Governance arrangements, risk assessments, early warning systems, and other institutional and technical capacities still concentrate on natural hazards and this is the main change that remains to be substantively addressed.

The World Landslide Forum is a triennial mainstream conference that gathers together the scientific and technological community, policymakers, industry actors, public officials, and other stakeholders, who deal with the understanding and management of landslide disaster risk. The 4th World Landslide Forum (WLF4) was held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 29 May to 2 June 2017 and discussed the progress of landslide research and risk reduction for advancing the culture of living with natural hazards. A high-level panel composed of United Nations officials, international stakeholders, and national organizations sought to identify the best mechanisms to be developed by the community of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). The objective was to advance the implementation of the ISDR-ICL Sendai Partnerships, to achieve a better commitment among partners, and to provide substantive services to developing countries. During the WLF4, the 2017 Ljubljana Declaration on Landslide Risk Reduction was adopted and the concept framework of the Kyoto 2020 Commitment was endorsed.

This is a summary of the presentations and discussion of Session 1.5 on Health Policy and Coordination: A Critical Review of Experiences during the Conference, Health Aspects of the Tsunami Disaster in Asia, convened bythe World Health Organization (WHO) in Phuket, Thailand, 04–06 May 2005. The topics discussed included issues related to health policy and coordination as pertain to the responses to the damage created by the Tsunami. Key questions were answered in this session, and recommendations were made.

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