Vulnerability and resilience are key disaster risk reduction (DRR) concepts usually focused on individuals, households, communities, assets, infrastructure and the like. In this presentation, these core concepts in disaster policy will be applied instead to political capacities and strategic policy settings. After revisiting a 1999 assessment of some Australian capacities to respond to climate risks across a number of sectors and noting changes (if any) since then, I will offer a summary appraisal of our key disaster policies against some identified attributes of successful strategic policies.

Bio: Steve Dovers is an Emeritus Professor with the Fenner School of Environment and Society, ANU, a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, a Senior Associate with the firm Aither, and affiliated with the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC.