Disaster Resilience and Response Through a Planetary Health Lens

Expansionist and extractive human cultures and behaviours have put pressure on the planet leading to climate change, environmental degradation, infectious disease and social inequality. This has led to an unprecedented increase in the occurrence, magnitude, complexity of consequences of disasters which calls for a fundamental re-examination of how we conceptualise, define and manage disasters and how we reduce the risk, prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. Applying a planetary health lens, and within the context of current national and global scenarios, this unit takes a broad and specific exploration of resilience and responses to emergencies and disasters. Informed by transdisciplinary approaches and professional experiences, as well as contested First Nation sovereignties, the unit critically reviews concepts including vulnerability, risk ownership and reduction, preparedness, mitigation and developing resilient communities and systems. The focus is upon principles, approaches, systems, ethical and value frames, and, importantly, upon partnerships across disciplines and professions. Developing the capabilities of the existing workforce, including emergency, health and community workers, in disaster risk reduction and response is a particular focus of the unit.