Sustainable Places Research Institute

Security, risk and resilient places

Humanity faces massive environmental challenges in the 21st century, including climate change, population growth and scarcity of resources.

The emerging risks which these present, demand strategies, technologies, physical infrastructure and governance arrangements, which are secure, resilient and sustainable.

Recognising that many of the world’s environmental problems cannot now be easily addressed through mitigation measures alone, both national and international policy is increasingly turning to impacts forecasting and the search for suitable adaptation measures. This programme will explore how risk management and protection of the natural and built environment can be integrated into sustainability policy.

The findings will enable progress to be made in seeking:

• New ways of developing technology to build an integrated approach for ‘resilience engineering’, both physical and organisational;
• New governance arrangements and development practices for strategic policy, planning and emergency management;
• Improved inclusion for citizens and organisations through the evaluation of participation governance and risk models for sustainability and development.

To make this progress, the researchers will seek to gain a deeper understanding of the relations and conditions which drive local governments, businesses and citizens to work together towards protecting their environment from the risks posed by these global hazards.

This programme will link existing international expertise at Cardiff working in issues of natural and human risk, resilience and sustainability, primarily located in the Schools of Engineering, Psychology, Medicine, and Earth and Ocean Sciences.