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The IRDR seeks to empower all to break down barriers to global disaster risk reduction knowledge.Ìý

Knowledge exchange

Knowledge exchange is a core part of the mission of the IRDR, which it seeks to fulfil by publishing high-impact reports, engagement with the media and building long-term partnerships. IRDR members have joined and led several field missions and have contributed to multidisciplinary reports. These reports have been drawn on extensively by the UK Cabinet Office and other government bodies in advice to ministers. For example, has acted as anÌýexpert working group member of the UK Cabinet Office initiative on revision of the National Security Risk Assessment. has been appointed to theÌýTechnical Advisory Group (TAG) for the development of the Strategy and Action Plan on health emergency preparedness, response, and resilience (Preparedness 2.0) in the WHO European Region.

The IRDR has close links with London First, the business representative grouping, private companies, London Resilience and UK Government, including the Cabinet Office, and is developing links with intergovernmental organisations such as the International Migration Organization, Plan International, UN Women and other humanitarian NGOs.

We run regular events to engage the public and potential partners in issues relating to risk and disaster reduction and humanitarian action, including ourÌýAnnual Conference and Humanitarian Summit, masterclasses, workshops and public lecture series.

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê delegation to Japan

Dr Punam Yadav was part of Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê delegation to Tohuku University in March 2023 together with Vice Provost of research, innovation & global engagement Professor Geraint Rees, where a letter of intent was signed by both universities. One of the key discussions at this visit was establishing a Gender Centre at their International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDes) to strengthen links with the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê IRDR Centre for Gender and Disaster.ÌýThe IRDR welcomed AssociateÌýProfessor AnawatÌýSuppasri from IRIDesS as a visitor in the department until December 2023.

The visit was part of a wider programme of engagement by IRDR staff and students, that began with attendance and presentations at the and concluded with the in Kyoto. Here Dr Punam Yadav, and were joined by other staff and PhD students Lan Li, Ava Sullivan, Xiao Han and Zahra Khan.

The Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê delegation, including Dr Yadav and AssociateÌýProfessor AnawatÌýSuppasri, with Tohuku Univerity leadership at theÌýInternational Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS).

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Met Office partnership

A select group of leading UK universities including Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê were selected for the Met Office Academic Partnership (MOAP),Ìýaiming to better understand the increasing impacts of extreme weather and climate change and how these affect society.

Through the partnership, Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê will build on existing projects with the Met Office by bringing together an interdisciplinary team of researchers from 12 Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÌýdepartments and centres toÌýtransform hazard and data science in weather and climate modelling to help tackle global issues.

IRDR academics, coordinated by and including , , , , , , Ìýand , will bring their interdisciplinary expertise to the discussions by leading on the Hazard to Decision Making theme.

Public policy

Image from BBC News, courtesy of UK Covid Inquiry
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was invited to join the ESRCÌýEnvironmental Social Science Strategic Advisory Group. The purpose of the ESSSAG is to provide advice to support high-level strategic oversight and development of ESRC’s portfolio of investments in the environment space. The portfolio includes climate change adaptation and mitigation, transport, land use, agriculture, economics, energy, sustainability, infrastructure, and the circular economy/waste.

Policy case study: Parental responsibility and Jade's law

In November 2022, took Global Humanitarian Studies BSc studentsÌýto the UK Parliament for a field trip as part of the year twoÌýHumanitarian Policy module (IRDR0039).ÌýThe House of Commons debate focused on ‘serious offences and suspension of parental responsibility’ andÌýis available on ParliamentTV and .ÌýThe debate called forÌýÌýto be put in place, named after a young mother leaving four children behind herÌýtrapped in the legal parental care of their father who killed her in theirÌýpresence.ÌýThe studentsÌýpassionately engaged with these topics andÌýrecommended robust policy changes that can be found in the policyÌýbriefs they prepared as part of the module.

A fewÌýmonths later in March 2023, another twoÌýdebatesÌýwere heldÌýin the UKÌýParliament linked to the policy work andÌýresearch ofÌý and in collaboration with the SHERAÌýResearch Group andÌýThe HagueÌýMothers.ÌýÌýandÌýthe IRDR0039ÌýstudentÌýsubmissions for policyÌýchange in the context of child custody andÌýviolence were also cited inÌýHouse of LordsÌýand UN SpecialÌýRapporteurs onÌýViolence Against Women and Children reports. The policy work has been widely reported on in theÌýmediaÌýincluding in the Guardian. On the 3rd of October 2023, the that theyÌýhaveÌýdecided to introduce Jade’s Law.

Read the UN and UK GOV policyÌýreports citing Dr Ayeb-Karlsson’sÌýand outÌýstudents work here:

• UK GOV (2022). . House of Lords. Children and Families Act 2014 Committee. Report of Session 2022–23. HL Paper 100. London: House of Lords. Available online:
• UNGA (2023). , Reem Alsalem. A/HRC/53/36. New York, UNGA.Ìý

Read selected media reporting on the policy development including the debate here:

• Summers, H. (2022a). . The Guardian, The Observer. 17.07.2022.Ìý
• Summers, H. (2022b). . The Guardian, The Observer. 13.11.2022.Ìý
• Summers, H. (2023a). . The Guardian, The Observer. 26.02.2023.Ìý
• Summers, H. (2023b). .ÌýThe Guardian, The Observer. 23.03.2023.
• Summers, H. and Campbell, B. (2022a). . The Guardian, The Observer. 12.06.2022.Ìý
• Summers, H. and Campbell, B. (2022b). The Guardian, The Observer. 12.06.2022.Ìý

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