Banda Aceh, July 08, 2026 — With less than two weeks remaining before its opening, the 18th Aceh International Workshop and Expo on Sustainable Disaster Recovery (AIWEST-DR) 2026 is entering its final stage of preparation. The conference will be held on 22–24 July 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand, in a hybrid format, bringing together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and development partners from across the globe.
Ahead of the event, the organizing committee convened its final coordination meeting on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, to review technical readiness, confirm the conference schedule, and ensure all logistical and academic arrangements are firmly in place.
Carrying the theme “Resilience by Design: Systems for Sustainable Recovery,” AIWEST-DR 2026 underscores the importance of a systemic approach to building long-term disaster resilience. The conference is chaired by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Natt Leelawat of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, with Prof. Dr. Syamsidik of Universitas Syiah Kuala, Indonesia, serving as Co-Chair — reflecting the strong bilateral collaboration between Thailand and Indonesia in advancing disaster resilience initiatives across the region.
The organizing committee reported encouraging progress across all stages of the submission process. The conference system recorded 200 abstract submissions, reflecting sustained international interest in the lead-up to the event.
At the full paper stage, 90 complete manuscripts have been submitted by authors from around the world. In terms of presentation format, the conference will feature 115 oral presentations and 8 poster presentations. Regarding attendance mode, 76 participants are set to join onsite in Bangkok, while 47 will participate online, reaffirming AIWEST-DR’s commitment to remaining an inclusive, hybrid platform for global engagement.
Contributions have been received from a diverse range of countries, including Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, China, Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Australia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Pakistan — underscoring the conference’s growing role as a global platform for disaster risk reduction research and dialogue.
With preparations now finalized, AIWEST-DR 2026 is poised to serve not only as an academic forum but also as a strategic platform that bridges research, policy, and practice to advanceinclusive and sustainable disaster resilience worldwide.
🌐 Official website: https://aiwest-dr2026.eng.chula.ac.th/
📩 Inquiries: aiwest-dr@usk.ac.id
