CSU Resilience Dialogue: Are you Ready for the Next Catastrophe?

Dialogue: Are You Ready for the Next Catastrophe – The State of Resilience Planning

Pandemics and other disasters have been around for centuries. Many guidelines have been published and task forces have been set up around preparedness for and management of such disasters. However, it seems that we are still surprised by them when they happen—hospitals in NYC did not know how to locate and transport surplus medical equipment to neighboring hospitals, an island lost 11 out of 13 health clinics because of a tornado (a real catastrophe with more patients but fewer health clinics), and the city of Kolkata was hit hard by COVID and a cyclone at the same time, forcing people to share small shelters (no opportunity for social distancing!). According to UNDRR, “There is a lack of planning for hazards and disasters at all levels …The frustrating shortages could have been avoided if there had been adequate scenario-planning at the national level, supported by the allocation of required resources to local governments”. It seems that urban sustainability at the macro level is getting limited attention and that coherence is missing between the local, regional and national level actions in numerous cases.

How can computer aided resilience technologies serve as important tools for planning and design professionals and policy makers—and help meet future challenges and gaps?

Welcome:
Emmanuelle C. Slossberg, Board Member, Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization

Moderator:
Urs Gauchat, Founding Member, Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization

Presenters:
Sarbuland Khan, Chair, Advisory Board, Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization
Amjad Umar, UN ICT4SIDS Partnership and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

Respondant:
Pontus Westerberg, Programme Management Officer, Innovation Section, UN Habitat

In Partnership with:
UN Habitat New York Office
AIA New York
AIANY Design for Risk and Reconstruction Committee
UN ICT4SIDS Partnership for Small island and Developing States
Habitat Professional Forum
NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology