Symphony of Tradition and Innovation: Orchestrating Global Resilience in Diverse Communities
Today’s societies are complex ecosystems that are often affected by sudden or long-term disruptions, such as natural disasters including climate change. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jared Diamond explains why some societies fail and why others succeed by identifying five factors. Four factors deal with cataclysmic disruptions, such as environmental damage and climate change, while the fifth emphasizes society’s response to these disruptions. As the earth’s temperature continues to rise, the impacts are far-reaching, particularly for the most vulnerable. From urban centers to the most remote rural villages, communities and people are continuously seeking to overcome the biggest challenges faced today, i.e., improving the quality of life and living conditions in different parts of the world. Communities often demonstrate resilience through various traditions and practices passed down over generations. Traditional land management techniques, sustainable farming, and building practices have helped indigenous communities and native populations withstand the impacts of earthquakes and floods in the US, New Zealand, and Japan. Innovative building design and urban planning practices make the most creative cities and communities adapt and thrive in the face of changing climate and major disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes. Engineering achievements help restore and improve urban infrastructure with good design and advanced materials. While some of these accomplishments are indeed impressive, there are countless additional formidable challenges in disaster risk management and exciting opportunities yet to be explored. With input from a multi-disciplinary panel of disaster and resilience experts, our session will explore how old traditions are being merged with modern urban planning, building design, engineering, and technology to shape the future of more resilient societies. This session will cover a variety of topics and will be focused on innovative approaches to resilience. A lively panel session will follow brief presentations that will prioritize actions and strategies that promote a more resilient environment against sudden and long-term physical threats.
Organized by: ImageCat, Inc.
