Disaster Studies Specialisation

Total units 24 Units

Areas of interest Earth and Marine Sciences, Geography, Human Ecology, Anthropology, Population Studies
Specialisation code DISS-SPEC

Academic career Postgraduate
Academic Contact Dr Sara Beavis

Effective disaster risk reduction and management requires an understanding of the complex integrated policies and practices in this field, and the correlated impacts of climate change, development and socio-political frameworks on disaster governance. This specialisation takes into account the significant impacts disasters have in the Asia-Pacific, Australian, Caribbean, and African regions, and has at its core, analysis of the principles and applications of international policy on disasters, including the Yokohama (1994), Hyogo (1995) and Sendai (2015) frameworks. Gaining a thorough understanding of the interrelationships among the environment, socio-cultural and socio-political systems, and disaster risk management prepares students to engage as practitioners, researchers and policy advisers in disaster risk reduction and management, environmental and natural resource management, and human ecology.

Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate effective understanding of the integration of disasters, development, poverty alleviation and climate change and their impacts on disaster-affected regions of the world.
Analyse and synthesise the complex connections among institutions, culture, governance and leadership including socio-economic and political frameworks that impact on effective disaster risk reduction, preparedness and recovery.
Critique and synthesise existing conceptual and practical approaches to development of effective disaster risk reduction and management strategies and policies in international and Australian contexts.
Apply specialist and non-specialist written, oral and visual communication skills to effectively convey and discuss integrated knowledge about disaster risk reduction, preparedness and recovery and policy applications and global frameworks in multidisciplinary contexts.
Engage with current environment and sustainability policy debates, demonstrating autonomy, expert judgement, knowledge, adaptability and responsibility as a practitioner within the socio-political and cultural contexts in which disasters occur.