Innovative research for wicked problems
A national challenge to encourage new ideas, new thinking and new research. What can you bring to disaster management in Australia?
A national challenge to encourage new ideas, new thinking and new research. What can you bring to disaster management in Australia?
The concept of an AI chat bot delivering postcode-specific disaster information developed by psychology postgraduate students at James Cook University won the 2024 Disaster Challenge.
Building trust and resilience: Improving community disaster response through personalised messages, made up of Alison Sheaves, Craig Ridep-Morris and Madison Green, used human behavioural theory to develop the idea of an accessible personalised AI chat bot providing current, localised emergency information that is scalable to various locations and types of disasters.
The Disaster Challenge Final took place on 4 October hosted by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services Bushire Centre of Excellence in Mandurah, Western Australia.
Read the full story, replay the event and hear all our finalists talk their ideas, inspiration and where to from here.
Building trust and resilience: Improving community disaster response through personalised messaging
Craig Ridep-Morris (postgraduate student, James Cook University), Alison Sheaves (postgraduate student, James Cook University), Madison Green (postgraduate student, James Cook University)
Through the development of a community-centred, human behaviour theory-informed disaster information dissemination protocol, trust in emergency and disaster management will be improved and community disaster-resilience built. Optimising the advertisement and dissemination of existing information resources, the protocol will address critical elements that improve understanding and prompt protective actions, as well as providing community-accessible disaster information.
Watch
Project OutHeat
Hannah Waldron (undergraduate student, University of Western Australia), Curie Thota (undergraduate student, University of Western Australia), Anika Hill (undergraduate student, Murdoch University)
Using a two-pronged approach, Project OutHeat fosters community trust and action during heatwaves. Nag-Your-Neighbours encourages community members to check in on those around them during heatwaves, while Hydraid delivers mobile heatwave relief in metropolitan and regional Australia, providing essential aid to those without support/resources during extreme weather.
WatchHome Insurance Risk Reduction Options
Natalie Oliver (early career researcher, Queensland Fire Department), Alexandra Gunn (postgraduate student, La Trobe University and Queensland Fire Department), Lillian Norris (postgraduate student, University of Queensland)
HIRRO empowers homeowners to reduce risk and increase resilience through a range of practical home improvements leading to real and transparent reductions in insurance premiums. Integrated risk data and AI enables HIRRO to inform homeowners of beneficial, risk-reducing improvements they can make to their homes, leading to insurance premium reductions.
Watch
The 2024 Disaster Challenge Final featured a keynote presentation from Melissa Pexton, Deputy Commissioner Strategy and Emergency Management, Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Western Australia. Melissa spoke on trust, community and “meeting people where they are.” Watch Melissa’s full talk here.
The following two teams were highly commended
Random Acts of Resilience – Douglas Radford (postgraduate student, University of Adelaide), Gabrielle Miller (postgraduate student, University of Melbourne), Caitlin Symon (early career researcher, University of Melbourne)
Random Acts of Resilience is a funding program that would seek to empower low-cost projects that have high potential for tackling issues that community members or emergency management personnel prioritise. Inspired by micro-financing initiatives and Snowden’s Cynefin framework, Random Acts of Resilience acknowledges disaster risk and resilience as a complex problem that those closest to the ground are best placed to solve.
Building trust and bridging cultural gaps: innovating bushfire response and recovery through effective communication and Indigenous collaboration in rural areas – lessons from the Black Summer 2019-2020 – Evelyn Liew (postgraduate student, Griffith University), Dr Irfaan Peerun (early career researcher, Griffith University)
This proposal envisions a transformative approach to bushfire response, driven by the lessons of Black Summer 2019-2020. By weaving trust, cultural sensitivity and dynamic collaboration with Indigenous communities, it aims to revolutionise a more inclusive, and effective disaster management framework to overcome disaster crisis’s, uniting communities and fortifying resilience
At the heart of society’s approach to disaster resilience are the notions of shared responsibility and community-led action, backed by scientific evidence and lived experience. This requires informed, trusted and effective relationships between people and organisations involved in preventing, preparing, responding and recovering from disasters, including climate change.
There are many ways to build and sustain mutual trust, however trust can be eroded by the decisions and actions of people, communities and organisations. In its place people, communities and organisations can be disconnected, communication can break down and cynicism, doubt, isolation and non-participation can grow.
When trust is challenged the foundations of disaster resilience are threatened.
The Challenge
In a world where trust is both vital and fragile, how can we build and sustain trust across our whole society to drive the collective and coordinated actions that are fundamental to reducing the risks and impacts of disasters, and strengthening the safety, sustainability and resilience of all Australians?
The Disaster Challenge is a national challenge to encourage new ideas, new thinking and new research.
The Disaster Challenge calls out to early career researchers, postgraduate and undergraduate students across Australia – it is your chance to make a difference with innovative ideas and solutions for the wicked problems the country faces with natural hazards.
Hosted by Natural Hazards Research Australia with support from universities and emergency management organisations, the Disaster Challenge invites the best and brightest minds in our universities to put their creative talents into helping us solve the trickiest problems that surround how we deal with floods, bushfires, storms, cyclones and other natural hazards.
A wicked problem is one that is urgent, but difficult to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, or changing requirements that are often difficult to recognise or evaluate.
With a national final and prizes, what innovation can you and your team bring that Australia hasn’t done yet?
“It was such a rewarding, challenging and just incredible experience, where I got to meet lots of new people and hear lots of new innovations. If you were considering entering the Disaster Challenge I would say absolutely go for it – you will not find a more rewarding, challenging and just inspiring challenge to be a part of.”
Lydia Wardale, Disaster Challenge winner 2023
“The Disaster Challenge gives participants the opportunity to work together across universities and disciplines around the country. They get to take on a challenge, be imaginative, creative and collaborative, with guidance from some brilliant mentors.”
Professor Cheryl Desha, Griffith University Disaster Management Network
“The great thing about the Disaster Challenge is that it really gives us the opportunity to hear from early researchers about some new and innovative ideas. As a disaster management sector, that gives us the opportunity to really push the limits and think about what is new and fresh coming our way that we can incorporate in to the way we do disaster management.”
Kath Ryan, Executive Manager Public Information and Warnings, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services. 2022 Disaster Challenge Final judge.
The 2024 Disaster Challenge was coordinated by Natural Hazards Research Australia and hosted with support from universities and emergency management organisations.
Thank you to our 2024 Steering Group:
We acknowledge the traditional custodians across all the lands on which we live and work, and we pay our respects to Elders both past, present and emerging. We recognise that these lands and waters have always been places of teaching, research and learning.