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The annual Queensland IGEM Disaster Management Research Forum returned for a well-attended fifth year, with Natural Hazards Research Australia (the Centre) presenting just some of our forward-focused work in the state.
Open to all disaster management practitioners and researchers and hosted in Brisbane, this year’s theme was ‘From Yesterday to Tomorrow: Past, Present and Future – Navigating Progress and Possibility’.
With a total of 350 attendees, the Centre showcased four project presentations and displayed four student posters.
First Nations women, cultural fire knowledge, wellbeing and memory project partners Chloe Swiney (Queensland Fire Department), Kylee Clubb (Queensland Fire Department) and Alex Lacey (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service) joined Zoe Schultz (National Indigenous Disaster Resilience and the Centre) to explain the AUS WTREX training and exchange program conducted in Far North Queensland, focusing on the role of Indigenous women in fire management. The event integrates Indigenous Australian fire practices into the core training of the 12-day event.
Dr Arvin Hadlos and Dr Matt Mason (University of Queensland and the Centre) presented the Modelling the impact of natural hazards on interconnected infrastructure project, outlining their research and practical implications. This project models the impacts of natural hazards on interconnected infrastructure networks, aiming to create a framework and modelling approach to understand how floods, storms, and bushfires can trigger cascading effects across transport, power, and water networks.
Pictured: Dr Arvin Hadlos (image credit IGEM Queensland)
Dr Alan Woodley (Queensland University and the Centre) and Matthew Dyer (Queensland Fire Department) presented the Managing earthquake risk: Unreinforced masonry building database project, including an overview of how artificial intelligence and geospatial technologies are producing a national dataset to help assess and plan for earthquake risks.
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Pictured: Matthew Dyer and Dr Alan Woodley (image credit IGEM Queensland)
A presentation on Evaluating resilient housing programs: lessons for Australia, based on the Centre-funded Evaluating the Resilient Homes Fund project, was hosted by Prof Paula Jarzabkowski (University of Queensland and the Centre) and Jimmy Scott (Queensland Reconstruction Authority), covering global lessons and local impact in relation to flood-resilient housing.
The four of the Centre’s student posters presented were:
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Assessing ornamental plan flammability for building safety by Thanirosan Krishnakumar (Queensland University of Technology and the Centre)
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Childbearing women and infants in disasters: Findings from Queensland by Elena Skoko (Queensland University of Technology and the Centre)
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A justice-based approach to climate-related planned relocation by Carolyn Lambert (Queensland University of Technology and the Centre)
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Irrigated green firebreaks by Jady Smith (University of the Sunshine Coast and the Centre)
The Centre’s Queensland and Northern Territory Node Research Manager Nicola Moore was invited to be part of this year’s forum working group, with the group deciding on ten projects to feature at the event.
Find out more about the event, including the program, presentations and recordings on the IGEM Queensland website.