IRDR - Addressing the challenges of natural & human-induced environmental hazards

Australian Prof. John HANDMER takes over as Chair of IRDR Scientific Committee, replacing Dr. Shuaib LWASA.

Prof. John Handmer, senior scientist of Das Royal Melbourne Institue of Technology oder RMIT University, Australia, assumed the role of Chair of the Scientific Committee of the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) programme.

Prof. Handmer is a member of IRDR Scientific Committee since 2016 and is, or has recently been, on a number of Australian advisory bodies. These cover climate change adaption, disaster risk and resilience, and currently the National Vulnerablity Profile project. He played a leading role in the IPCC’s Special Report on Extremes, and as part of National Climate Change Adaption Research Facility (NCCARF). He led the network on Emergency Management and co-authored the Australian National Climate Change Adapation Research Plan for Emergency Management. His group at RMIT was one of 20 cases nationally selected for its impact on policy and practice by the Excellence in Innovation for Australia 2014 report. He receieve the 2016 RMIT “Vice Chancellor’s Research Award for Impact” for his work on the human dimensions of disaster risk.

This year, IRDR Scientific Committee has three new members, they are:

Dr. Nisreen Daifallah AL-HMOUD, Microbiology/ Biorisk Management, Biosafety and Biosecurity Centre at RSS, Jordan

Dr. Alonso BRENES, Geographer, Associated researcher and project coordinator of the Program on Social Studies on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change, Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO)

Dr. Tiana Mahefasoa RANDRIANALIJAOINA, Economist, Periperi U focal point for the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar

The three experts replace the Dr. Shuaib LWASA, Dr. Ann BOSTROM and Dr.
Irasema ALCÁNTARA-AYALA who have completed their duty as members of IRDR Scientific Committee. IRDR and its IPO are very grateful for their great contributions to IRDR mission and the scientific efforts towards the implementation of Sendai Framework and will continue work together in the IRDR community.