International Disaster and Risk Conference, IDRC Davos 2010
From 30th May to 3rd June 2010, the International Disaster and Risk Conference, IDRC Davos 2010, will be held again in Davos, Switzerland.
IDRC Davos 2010 will bring together leading experts and practitioners, policy and decision makers, academics, researchers, and other risk management professionals from fields such as science, technology, the private/ business sector, governments, administration, UN-organisations, and NGOs from around the world in various fields of risk reduction, disaster management, sustainable development, natural resource management, climate change and land degradation
Experts are invited to submit abstracts for papers and posters and to present and discuss recent advancements, effective strategies and innovative solutions on how to manage and reduce these risks and disasters, as well as to identify the needs and challenges of the present and the future in these and to contribute to the unique, interdisciplinary dialogue in Davos.
As recent mega-disasters and crises have shown, risk management from a
single perspective is no longer adequate to address the complex threats
to today's society. Future risk management solutions will undoubtedly
involve a mix of approaches, from state-of-the art technology to
forward-thinking policy making and wise institutional governance. A truly integrated and participative approach is planned to ensure that the valuable lessons learned about risk reduction from a wide spectrum are applied correctly to create safer, more resilient and thus sustainable societies for the benefit of communities, countries, and regions.
The following topics of interest will be discussed at the IDRC Davos
2010:
Risk reduction, disaster management
• Natural hazards
• Emerging risks
• Urban risks & mega cities
• Vulnerability reduction and resilience increase (political, structural, social, environmental)
• Critical infrastructures buildings, components, systems and services
• Early warning
• Mitigation, prevention
• Disaster and crisis management, recovery
• ICT in risk and crises management
• Financial tools for risk transfer and disaster recovery support
Environment, resources
• Climate change mitigation and adaptation
• Desertification, land degradation, drought
• Environmental emergencies
• Resources and risks
• Harmonization with disaster management
Science, education
• Education and knowledge transfer tools
• Capacity building
• Research needs
Risk governance, society, health
• Governance, decision making
• Risks and Ethics
• Gender aspects
• Pandemics and health security and sustainable livelihood
In keeping with GRF Davos foundation's motto "from thoughts to action", the objective of the conference is to continue the dialogue between the different risk arrays and their stakeholders, to provide platforms for networking and to serve as a bridge between science, politics, the private sector and society as a whole to make progress in risk governance, sustainable development, problem solving, green and clean technology, and in capacity building. Abstracts submitted which focus on lessons learned, case studies or best practice examples, and in particular also abstracts on experiences with public-private-partnership projects and initiatives are highly appreciated.
Also, a number of short-courses and workshops will be offered in connection with the conference. To submit requests for special sessions, short-courses, workshops or pre- and post-conferences on a topic of your own choice is highly appreciated and could cover topics like for example:
• Public-private partnerships for resilient societies
• Multicountry and multicultural risk management and disaster relief
• Young scholars and professionals forum
• Education programs for risk management: Training for tomorrow's professionals
• Lessons learned from recent mega crises and catastrophes, for example financial crises and H1N1,
The program of IDRC Davos 2010 will include various formats like keynote lectures, plenary sessions with presentations and panel debates, thematic and special sessions with paper presentations and discussions scientific and policy-oriented, specific regional seminars, daily highlights by a distinguished personality, poster sessions, an exhibition, excursions, and so on.
The expected outcome of IDRC Davos 2006 is to build stronger ties between risk management communities and sectors, and to devise approaches to move towards a more truly integrated way of thinking about risk: a holistic approach to risk reduction with safety and sustainability at the center. This is an approach that will help policy makers and business people, risk managers and civil society to address the complex risks around them more effectively.
Walter J. Ammann, President Global Risk Forum GRF Davos
For details see: www.davos2010.org/
