AFAC22 powered by INTERSCHUTZ in Adelaide brought people together to cover the latest research and innovation in the natural hazards and emergency management sector. Held from 23-26 August at the Adelaide Convention Centre with more than 3,200 attendees, the conference opened with the Research Day, supported by Natural Hazards Research Australia as the industry partner.
To discuss the theme, ‘Connecting communities. Creating resilience’, the Research Day featured three keynotes and 24 presentations across four streams on Day 1 of the conference. AFAC22 kicked off with Centre CEO Andrew Gissing delivering the Research Day Industry Partner Opening Address, talking about the importance of and need for natural hazards research.
“Our risk environment is only increasing in its complexity and the nature of our compounding and cascading disasters is increasing the threat to our communities,” Andrew said.
“There is a need for national thought leadership to inspire new thinking. If the official reports are finding that current thinking is falling short, we need to identify and develop new thought leadership. But it must be based on sound and accessible scientific evidence.
“Natural Hazards Research Australia allows for tapping into a large, national pool of expertise, recognising that the solutions to today’s problems may be found further afield than our own backyards. Local knowledge and experience will always be fundamental, but so is learning from a wide range of scientific experts.”
The two opening keynotes were Prof Raina MacIntyre, Head of the Biosecurity Program and Professors of Global Biosecurity at Kirby Institute, speaking on COVID, pandemics and where to from here, and Dr Robert Glasser, Head of the Climate and Security Policy Centre at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, on the need for multidisciplinary research to address the Indo-Pacific’s rapidly emerging climate and security risk.
Researchers and end-users affiliated with the Centre and its predecessors, the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC and the Bushfire CRC, featured across the four streams of the Research Day, including:
- Dr Amelie Jeanneau (University of Adelaide) on the Fuel Management Suitability Tool
- Douglas Radford (University of Adelaide) on land use planning and connectivity to wildfire hazards in the urban interface
- Li Zhao (Australian National University) on incorporating soil moisture in a physics-based model for surface fuel moisture forecasting
- Dr Andrew Edwards (Charles Darwin University) on an updated North Australia fire severity mapping technique
- A/Prof Marta Yebra (Australian National University) on the validation of a high-resolution fuel moisture content product
- A/Prof Kim Johnston (Queensland University of Technology) and Prof Maureen Taylor (University of Technology Sydney) on co-designing engagement for resilience
- Dr Revathi Krishna (Monash University) on mental health impacts and community resilience
- Amila Wickramasinghe (Victoria University) on mapping firebrand and heat flux on structures in the wildland-urban interface
As the Industry Partner, the Centre’s Research Directors and Node Research Managers chaired sessions across the four streams of the Research Day. Centre staff were present at the Natural Hazards Research Australia booth throughout the whole conference, engaging with existing and potential partners about the state of and opportunities in natural hazards research in Australia.
The Research Day concluded with keynote Lloyd Damp, CEO of Southern Launch, speaking on the emerging Australian space launch industry.
Days 2 and 3 of the conference were packed full of more incredible keynotes, the launch of the Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Spring 2022 and more presentations drawing on Centre- and CRC-funded research, including:
- Deputy Chair Iain MacKenzie (Unearth) on disaster risk reduction – are we brave enough?
- Chloe Begg (Country Fire Authority) on developing guidance for making and sending predictive maps to the community
- Katelyn Samson (Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience) on preparing emergency services for operations in a climate-challenged world
- Dr Amanda Taylor (University of Adelaide) on protecting and preserving the mental health of young adult fire and emergency service volunteers
- Dr Josh Whittaker (NSW Rural Fire Service) on understanding people’s experiences of the 2019/20 NSW bushfires
- Dr Kate Brady (University of Melbourne) on who is worst off after a disaster
- Dr Claire Leppold (University of Melbourne) on best practices in communities affected by multiple disasters
The conference program provided a valuable opportunity for delegates to engage with experts, further their knowledge on natural hazards science and start conversations that continue beyond the conference week.
AFAC22 featured sessions, panel discussions, networking functions, award ceremonies, a trade exhibition with 193 exhibiting companies, as well as the Australian Disaster Resilience Conference and the Institute of Fire Engineers conference running in conjunction with the main program.