Event Summary
Organization: GFDRR & Stanford University
Session Leads
- Stuart Fraser, GFDRR
- David Lallemant, Stanford University
- Robert Soden, GFDRR
- Brenden Jongman, GFDRR
Speakers
- Anna Wellenstein, Practice Manager, Global Practice of Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience, World Bank Group (introductory speaker)
- Catherine Linard, Free University of Brussels
- Julie Arrighi, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre
- Matthjis Bouw, Rockefeller Urban Resilience Fellow
- Adrien Vogt-Schilb, World Bank Climate Change Group
Description
Disaster risk is constantly evolving due to changes in hazard, exposure, and vulnerability; these complex dynamics have led to an increase in disaster-losses over recent decades. Urbanization and population growth are among the key drivers of this risk increase. The year 2008 marked a significant threshold in the history of human settlement when for the first time urban dwellers outnumbered rural dwellers; from homo sapien we have truly evolved into homo urbanus. Cities are often located in areas prone to flooding, earthquakes and other hazards. For example, nearly 1 billion people are estimated to live in areas prone to flooding, an increase of 90% from 1970. In addition, climate change induced increases in frequency and intensity of weather-related hazards may further aggravate the situation, especially for poorest urban citizens.
This session brought together scientists, practitioners and policy-makers connected through two basic convictions: (1) that disaster risk is growing rapidly, due to combined changes in hazards, exposure and vulnerability, (2) that the projected future growth of cities (representing exposure not yet built) presents an amazing opportunity to control future risk. The session therefore focused on the drivers of disaster risk and approaches for taking control of the risk trajectory of our communities. Homo urbanus can also simultaneously be homo resiliens.
Check out the UR2016 blog by Dr. Stuart Fraser (GFDRR), Dr. David Lallemant (Stanford University), and Dr. Brenden Jongman (GFDRR)
Presentations
Introduction and launch of The Making of a Riskier Future, Anna Wellenstein, World Bank Group
Socio-economic resilience to natural disasters, Stephane Hallegatte, Mook Bangalore & Adrien Vogt-Schilb, World Bank Group
Modelling and forecasting urban population patterns for vulnerability assessment, Catherine Linard, University of Brussels
Rebuild by design, Matthijs Bouw, One Architecture; Rockefeller Urban Resilience Fellow; University of Pennsylvania
Ignite
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