There were no sessions on cascading or linked hazards
specifically, but I would like to share some of my impressions of the main
messages to come from the workshop.
1.
The workshop was mainly from a more human geography/social
science standpoint, so one of the key messages was: it’s all about the people.
Science is definitely necessary, but at the end of the day, can only get us so
far because it is where hazards interact with humans that disasters are formed.
The decisions people on the ground make (whether it is the local authorities,
or the local communities or individuals) often are the key determinant as to whether
an event becomes a disaster or whether people survive and progress. How
prepared people are and their mental state often affects the outcome of a
hazard event.
Therefore it is important to
empower the people who are going to experience hazards to be able to take
control and responsibility for themselves. By engaging with locals, developing
a community spirit with strong leaders, people have a better chance of survival
and also potential to improve after an event, during reconstruction.
2.
There was also a call for more holistic research
and well-rounded individuals in disaster preparedness and response. The nature
of research requires people to have a narrow focus in their repertoire. However,
in practice, more people with a breadth and depth of knowledge are needed.
3.
Communication between specialities and
researchers are needed, as well as between researchers and practitioners. We need to learn from each other. Researchers
need to communicate their results to the practitioners, and practitioners need
to communicate to the researchers what they need to be investigated.
Overall the workshop was incredibly informative, dynamic and
interesting. Emphasis was put onto discussions in the sessions and networking
at lunch and break times. The people were friendly and open to discussion and
sharing of knowledge. It has encouraged and reinforced my aim to work in this
field in my future career (post-PhD) and provided a well-needed push at this
half-way point in my PhD.
I wish I could attend next year’s workshop, but my PhD
funding won’t stretch far enough. I will just have to put together a great
conference next year with Joel Gill (King’s College London) and Melanie Duncan (UCL)
on the topic of cascading hazards. Watch this space for further details….
