UCL Town Meeting on Risk & Disaster Reduction

A UCL Town Meeting on Risk & Disaster Reduction (RDR), held on 20 May 2009, heard that the number and severity of disasters worldwide was growing, and that to reduce both risk of disasters and disasters themselves would require the application of the breadth of UCL's expertise. In an increasingly hazardous world, risk- and disaster-related activities are major growth areas. Reducing global risks and disasters presents a colossal challenge that requires coordinated and collaborative action. UCL is uniquely well-placed to provide this, with at least 70 academics across 12 departments and seven faculties involved in world-class research and practice in the field. The establishment of a UCL Institute for Risk & Disaster Reduction has been proposed to maximise the impact and value of UCL activities in RDR. Peter Sammonds, UCL Professor of Geophysics, who coordinated the town meeting, welcomed attendees, while Professor David Price, UCL Vice-Provost (Research) set the initiative in the context of UCL's Grand Challenges. Bill McGuire, UCL Professor of Geophysical & Climate Hazards, described the potential benefits of the proposed institute.