Masters of disaster prepare by building resilience
30-Aug-2017
(From left) Associate Professor Ioannis Michaloudis, Dr Petra Buergelt, Dr P.S.D.V. Prasadarao and Professor Douglas Paton are among 13 CDU contributors to new book, “Disaster Resilience: An Integrated Approach”. Photo: Julianne Osborne
A meteorite plunges into the Arafura Sea causing a tsunami to hit Darwin, but instead of a deadly disaster the city has zero human casualties and minimal infrastructure damage – that’s a scenario to be discussed by an expert panel this week.
Researchers will explore ways to cultivate resilience when they launch a new book titled “Disaster Resilience: An Integrated Approach” on Thursday, 31 August.
The book, edited by Charles Darwin University Psychology Professor Douglas Paton, examines how communities can work to mitigate risks and manage consequences in the face of disaster.
“Every hurricane, earthquake and tsunami demonstrates how susceptible people and communities are to extreme hazards, and how they can cause major disruption to people’s lives, public services and the economy,” Professor Paton said.
“This book provides valuable insights into how societal resilience can be developed and maintained; many things that contribute to resilience come from the way people conduct their every-day lives.”
Professor Paton said 13 CDU researchers had contributed to the book, which integrates perspectives from areas including psychology, urban planning, Indigenous knowledges, the arts, and economic and livelihood issues.
He said he hoped the book would help guide research and inter-agency collaboration to reduce the risk that natural hazards pose to societies and enhance the capacity to respond and recover in effective and timely ways.
The launch, titled “An Evening of Disasterology: Meet the Resilience Experts”, will be held on 31 August from 6pm – 8pm at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.
Please RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/an-evening-of-disasterology-meet-the-resilience-experts-tickets-37233635807