IDRiM 2014 Conference

IDRiM 2014 Conference

Building Disaster Resilient Communities

Dates: 30 October – 1 November 2014

Venue: Western University, London, Ontario, Canada

The 5th Conference of the International Society for Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRiM 2014) will be hosted by Western University, in London, Ontario, Canada from 30 October to 1 November 2014. The theme of the conference is “Building Disaster Resilient Communities.”

Conference Overview

The focus of the conference builds on opportunities through science and technology, political will and behaviour change to reduce the risk of disasters for future generations. Knowledge about the nature and context of natural hazards has proliferated, yet the loss of life and property damage due to disasters remains unacceptably high. The disjuncture between existing opportunities and disaster risk management actions is a complex problem. Driven by common objectives, there is a need to bridge gaps and promote integrated, science-based solutions to empower local communities to advance disaster reduction, adapt to climate change and promote sustainable development. The

conference aims to address opportunities for action through varied state of the art contributions from the worlds of disaster science, technology, policy and practice. It is also open to expertise less conventionally recognised within this field. It intends to stimulate a next generation of ideas and actions for disaster reduction.

Cross-cutting Themes

The conference focus solicits papers and sessions informed by cross-cutting themes of disaster risk management, sustainable development, resilience building, vulnerability reduction, risk assessment and governance, risk financing, living with uncertainty, transformative processes, cultural recognition and change, poverty reduction, wellbeing, climate change adaptation, integration science, crisis communication, innovation, communities of practice, and policy including dialogue from different disciplines related to risk management. These cross-cutting themes from academic, policy and practice dialogues will for the purpose of this conference be considered interrelated, mutually informative and key to moving from opportunity to action. The conference focus will be maintained by reflecting on how theory, method and implementation presented by these processes can make a difference to build disaster resilient communities.

Conference topics particularly encouraged

We are keen to receive proposals for papers or sessions relating to the following, though other contributions associated with the conference theme absent from this list will also be considered:

1 Building disaster resilient societies

2 Integrating with climate change and development goals

3 Making cities resilient – case studies and best practices

4 Creating an enabling environment to achieve resilience

5 Emerging tools for integrated disaster management

6 Natech risks and critical infrastructure protection

7 Risk governance frameworks for resilient communities

8 Strategies for (long term) post disaster mitigation measures

Conference Features

The conference will include plenary, parallel, poster, panel, ‘young scientists’ and doctoral sessions. Peer reviewed proceedings will be produced with special editions of journals/book. Several publishers are interested in providing outlets for this event.

Further partnerships and sponsorships in progress.

Dates

March 15, 2014 Call for papers and session proposals. Send to twaddington@iclr.org

March 30, 2014 Opening of registrations

May 15, 2014 Abstract and session proposals closing;

August 15, 2014 Notification of session and abstract acceptance;

August 31, 2014 Announcement of conference programme;

August 31, 2014 Full paper submission and early registration close.

Contacts:

twaddington@iclr.org

society@idrim.org