2008 International Symposium, Davos, Switzerland
Exploring Innovative and Sustainable Approaches to Improve
Community Resilience in Disaster Prevention and Response
August 29-30, 2008
Virginia Tech’s symposium attracts leading thought leaders in Public-Private Partnerships in Disaster Prevention and Response in Switzerland.
September 2008, (Davos, Switzerland), The symposium sponsored by Virginia Tech’s Institute for Policy & Governance and the Disaster Risk Management World Institute of Virginia Tech, was conducted in Davos, Switzerland and was co-sponsored by the International Disaster Risk Conference. The symposium topic, “Exploring Innovative and Sustainable Approaches to Improve Community Resilience in Disaster Prevention and Response” brought over a dozen scholars to Davos for a dialogue focused on how collaborative networks can work together to improve response to the imperatives of disaster relief and humanitarian action. The symposium was intended to foster encounters, unpack disaster network partnerships and collaboration and enhance global inter-sectoral, inter organizational and transdisciplinary research, dialogue and co-operation. The symposium series expects to increase the understanding and effectiveness of societal and public policy decision making by individuals, groups, networks, organizations, governments and society. Facilitated dialogue around the various dimensions of Disaster Risk Mitigation and global sustainability were broadly discussed with special emphasis on policy, planning and technology’s role. Also, the symposium created open exchange among public-private actors, networks, NGOs, and researchers to share experiences to build a broader understanding of sector roles. This global information exchange provided a mechanism by which all actors can be begin to know and facilitate transdisciplinary dialogue for global sustainability.
Millions of people world-wide lose their lives and livelihoods to natural and human-induced disasters every year. Disaster losses are rapidly increasing across the globe and projected losses are unsustainable. Images of earthquakes, hurricanes, droughts, floods, landslides, terrorist–related activities and their devastating effects on people, communities, and entire nations occur with increasing regularity. The increases are due to numerous factors, including poverty, population growth, increasing development in high-risk areas, inadequate chains of communication and responsibility, lack of adequate government policy and willingness to assign a high priority to these concerns, lack of education and global climate change. Under-developed regions are particularly vulnerable to disasters and face disproportionately high economic, social and environmental.
Global sustainability demands that government, business, and community organizations understand and work together. This symposium was a golden opportunity to confer with academics, public officials, business leaders, technical experts, and concerned global citizens to find practical ways to resolve the necessary trade-offs among these competing demands. The symposium provided a dialogue forum to improve the understanding of public and private partnerships, networks and disaster prevention to create disaster-resilient communities through improved policy, planning, technology and technical assistance.
Among those in attendance were representatives from Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, University of Pittsburgh, Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International, the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations, and CNA Corporation as well as affiliates from Virginia Tech’s Center for Public Administration and Policy, Institute for Policy & Governance, Disaster Risk Management Institute, Hokies United and Civil and Environmental Engineering and Business Information Technology Departments.
Participants included:
Walter Ammans, Ph.D., International Disaster Risk Conference host
Max Stephenson, Ph.D., Virginia Tech, Institute for Policy & Governance
James Martin, Ph.D., Virginia Tech, Disaster Risk Management Institute
Michael Vanrooyen, MD, MPH, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
Louise Comfort, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
Nicholas Stockton, Ph.D., Executive Director, Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International
Lori Warrens, Executive Director, Partnership for Quality Medical Donations
Patrick Roberts, Ph.D., Virginia Tech, Center for Public Administration and Policy
Christopher Zobel, Ph.D., Virginia Tech, Business Information Technology
Timothy Beres, Ph.D., CNA Corporation
Verónica Arroyave, Virginia Tech, Institute for Policy & Governance
Dave Kaufman, Ph.D., CNA Corporation
Guney Olgun, Ph.D., Virginia Tech, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Steve Schneiter, Virginia Tech, Hokies United
