About the Chair
Disasters are increasingly frequent and severe, owing to climate change and ever more complex human-landscape interactions. Death tolls and economic impacts (percentage of national GDP) from natural hazard-induced disasters are greatest in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs). Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is central to the UN’s sustainable development agenda, driven by the Sendai Framework for DRR 2015-2030.
We work with LMIC partners and stakeholders to co-develop fit-for-purpose solutions for multi-hazard risk management to achieve effective DRR, with a focus on multiple hydro-geohazards and their attendant cascading hazard chains (e.g., floods, landslides, erosion, debris flows). The Chair will establish and sustain an integrated, interdisciplinary research, education/training, and capacity enhancement programme that includes:
- Working with in-country partners to identify research needs and co-develop knowledge and tools for effective DRR.
- Establishing an International Research Network in Informatics and DRR (INIDRR) to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, share resources and knowledge, and ensure effective knowledge transfer and capacity development.
- Adapting existing and creating new education programmes, including PhD and MSc programmes, and fit-for-purpose training courses, to train the next generation of researchers and professionals to support DRR research and practice, particularly in LMICs.
