Around the world, multiple disasters – both natural and human-made – increasingly threaten our health, wellbeing and safety. These risks pose the greatest threat to the poor and most vulnerable in society as they are more likely to live in homes that are more vulnerable to the impact of these disasters. The range of disasters range from earthquakes, violent storms, collapsed infrastructure, conflicts, forced migration and pandemics such as the ongoing COVID-19. The result is that housing and living conditions that are impacted by one hazard are the same living conditions that were previously known to be vulnerable to other disasters. While these human-made and natural disasters are a common feature in the lives of those most impacted, they only become the foci of academics, policymakers and practitioners when they happen. In addition, during disaster response, interventions are usually reactive and often focus on the current hazard while failing to address systemic and structural inequities that would ensure a sustainable solution to mitigate and/or prevent other future disasters.
Under the theme ‘Global Health and Resilient Housing’, this webinar will explore important recurring systemic and emerging risks relative to this topic. We will discuss potential strategies for increasing the safety, health and wellbeing of people, and the ways in which communication can be deployed to enhance global health and resilient housing. We will also explore potential ways to more effectively engage with communities most affected and integrate their varied lived experiences into a complex and interdisciplinary framework on which to base technical solutions.