Policy briefing: Research needs for disaster resilience and development

Making Cities Resilient: Role of the Local Government

The scale of disaster fatalities and economic losses across the Asia-Pacific region are sobering to Australians for whom the experience of frequent drought, bushfire, cyclones and floods seem to almost define aspects of our national character. Yet, we measure the cost of the many disasters we experience in single digit percentages of GDP and even lower percentage reductions in social and economic development – while across the region, disasters are major constraints on development and can undermine decades of development planning and infrastructure.

The purpose of this Policy Briefing is to consider ways in which Australian and European expertise in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and disaster management can be shared with communities and countries in our region.

In particular, it will be exploring the research needs for DRR and disaster management in the region.

This session will be lead by Professor Dilanthi Amaratunga from Centre for Disaster Resilience, University of Salford, UK