GDRC secure British Council workshop grant
Fri, 06 Mar 2015 08:39:00 GMT
Professor Richard Haigh, Professor Dilanthi Amaratunga and Dr Kaushal Keraminiyage from the School of Art, Design and Architecture’s Global Disaster Resilience Centre recently secured a workshop grant under the British Council’s researcher links programme. The grant is a joint initiative between the Global Disaster Resilience Centre and the Institute of Technology Bandung in Indonesia, and will also support the Centre’s ongoing work with IOC/UNESCO Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System, which was formed in response to the tragic tsunami on December 26th 2004.
The £43,200 grant will be used to hold a workshop that brings together a bi-lateral cohort of UK and Indonesian early career researchers to build capacity for the development of disaster resilient, connected coastal communities that are better able to tackle the threat posed by coastal hazards. Experience over recent years of the impacts of coastal hazards such as tsunamis, storm surges, sea level rise and coastal erosion has shown that inadequate preparation for, and response to emergency situations have contributed to widespread damage and the avoidable loss of lives and livelihoods. These hazards set back economic development in both developed and developing economies, and tend to disproportionally affect the most vulnerable in society. The shortcomings in preparation have been due to a lack of warning through poor regional detection and communication systems, but they also reflect inadequate awareness, planning and coordination.
The workshop, to be held in Indonesia later this year, will contribute to the development of creative, entrepreneurial and innovative researchers. Through sharing experience of different coastal hazards, resilience building and coping mechanisms, and the development of a research roadmap, the workshop will stimulate the development of long term links between the UK and Indonesia towards tackling this critical challenge.
