Enhancing Disaster Resilience: Insights from the 3rd International Conference on Natural Hazards and Risks
The 3rd International Conference on Natural Hazards and Risks in a Changing World, focusing on compound and multi-hazard risks, took place on June 12-13, 2024, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Organised by MYRIAD-EU, Risk KAN, and NatRiskChange, the conference brought together over 250 policymakers, scientists, and practitioners to discuss integrated approaches to reducing natural hazard risks and achieving sustainable futures.
As the frequency and intensity of natural hazards increase due to climate change, the conference encouraged future integrated approaches to disaster risk reduction, enhanced resilience, and promoted sustainable development. It provided a platform for exchanging knowledge, sharing research findings, and developing collaborative strategies for managing complex natural hazards. The conference primarily focused on encouraging collaboration to effectively address the complexities of hazard risks in a changing world.
Participants engaged through in-person presentations covering diverse topics such as the dynamics, interdependencies, and interactions of risk drivers, learning from historical perspectives in disaster risk reduction (DRR), improving science-policy knowledge co-generation, and advancing the use of Artificial Intelligence for multi-risk assessment. Sessions showcased innovative research on topics like risk perception, climate change impacts on ecosystems, nature-based solutions, the use of Earth Observation data, and community resilience strategies. Tools and services demonstrations featured building an integrated decision support system for climate adaptation in Helsinki, RiskScape’s multi-risk assessment software, MYRIAD-EU’s multi-hazard tools, FloodAdapt for community flood risk decisions, an integrated multi-hazard analysis platform for Myanmar, a digital Bento box for disaster and climate data, and the Disaster Risk Gateway cataloging risk assessment tools. These sessions aimed to foster collaborative solutions, bridge silos between disciplines, and effectively communicate disaster information to the public. An Early Career Researcher (ECR) side event was held on 14 June, organised and led by several dedicated ECRs, including interested trips around Amsterdam and networking opportunities. The conference was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme, “Climate, Climate Change and Society”, the European Space Agency, the World Climate Research Programme, the European Commission, and the University of Potsdam.
For more information, visit Natural Hazards and Risks in a Changing World.