Metropolitan regions at risk: The role and responsibility of the private sector in disaster risk reduction - Lecture

Brent H. Woodworth will discuss how disaster-response actions change when working in a politically unstable environment, which actions work best when responding to disasters in economically challenged or underdeveloped countries, and what methods and systems were successful in global crises.

Woodworth is the chair of the Sahana Software Foundation, which seeks to alleviate human suffering by giving emergency managers, disaster-response professionals, and communities access to the information needed to better prepare for and respond to disasters through the development and promotion of free and open-source software and open standards. He is also the president of Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation. Woodworth has led on-site disaster response and recovery efforts for more than 70 major events in 49 countries. He has contributed to many U.S. response efforts, including the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the Oklahoma City Bombing, the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attack, and Hurricane Katrina. Woodworth serves on several government research committees and advisory boards.

Woodworth's leadership in international humanitarian systems has helped to make Sahana the most successful open-source system of its type. Operating in 27 countries, the software program has been selected by numerous United Nations agencies as a desired platform.

The event is presented by GSPIA's Center for Disaster Management, Center for Metropolitan Studies (formerly the Innovation Clinic), and Ford Institute for Human Security.