Reducing climate disaster risk: insights from communities, government and industry

Organizer(s) University of Sydney

Date

12 October 2022

About

What will it take for communities, the private sector, and government, to build preparedness and resilience in the face of increasing disasters?

As Australians are experiencing, climate change is exacerbating disaster risk, including unprecedented (yet fully predicted) bushfires and floods in the past few years. Simply put, climate change is supercharging extreme weather, and that, in turn, creates major risks for additional disasters. Given the reality of accelerating climate change, what can be done here in Australia to contribute to disaster risk reduction?

Ahead of the UN’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, hear from a panel of experts as they discuss what’s already happening and where we’re headed in terms of disasters. This talk will explore responses across sectors and society including government planning and funding, the role of the insurance industry in risk reduction to avoid post-disaster costs, and community action in the face of ongoing disasters.

The panel will raise the difficult question of what Australians are prepared to tolerate and accept in terms of risk – and what kinds of action is necessary to avoid harms to the public good.