Disaster solutions
Disasters have devastating and long lasting societal and economic impacts that are often regional and sometimes global in reach. By nature, disasters usually occur with little or no warning. This element of 'surprise' often overwhelms community and government resources and their ability to respond. The adverse societal, economic and environmental impacts often endure long after the event.
Almost half the world's natural disasters occur within the Asia Pacific region to Australia's immediate north. These disasters tend to concentrate along the geo-tectonic region called the Ring of Fire or the Circum-Pacific Belt. Hundreds of millions of people are affected with economic losses exceeding an estimated US$200 billion annually. Invariably, impoverished communities that have limited economic means and social support to recover are most severely affected. Australia is also increasingly impacted by a range of disasters, given enhanced forecasting, technological and institutional responses.
Activities focussed on the disaster risk theme will encompass a range of areas including the cascading impacts of disasters, public health and disasters, fire and natural hazards, social cohesion and community resilience. Its interactions with energy and climate will be a key area of focus.
Click for details on the ICEDS research scope.
Initiatives
Research led by Professor Robert Costanza has shown that coastal wetlands are both a successful and cost-effective method of preventing storm damages.
Read more about some of the bushfire risk reduction and resilience work by ANU researchers.
Read more about some of the cyclone and earthquake research by ANU researchers.
Read more about some of the work by ANU researchers on how health, wellbeing and disasters.
Read more about some of the work by ANU researchers on Indigenous Australian and Torres Strait Islander affairs.
Events
ANU Climate Update 2022 »
ANU Climate Update 2022 will present an overview of how our climate is changing and how we are responding to these changes in Australia and around the world.
New IPCC Climate Change Mitigation Report: How can we limit global warming? »
Join us at this event to hear directly from several IPCC report authors about its key findings including how they relate to Australia.