After the devastating disaster caused by the tsunami on 26 December 2004, disaster mitigation and rehabilitation have become some of the most pressing topics for discussion in geotechnical engineering and related professions. Some of the most important contributions to this discussion were made during the International Conference on Geotechnical Engineering for Disaster Mitigation and Rehabilitation, the first of its kind held in the Asia-Pacific region. It was organized by the Joint Working Group on Geotechnical Engineering for Disaster Mitigation and Rehabilitation (JWG-DMR), which is supported by national geotechnical societies from Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia (comprising Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand) and Sri Lanka. Disaster management encompasses diverse topics such as natural disasters (tsunamis, earthquakes, landslides, etc.), mitigation (early warning and prediction systems, hazard mapping, risk analysis, coastal protection