Preparing for megadisasters: Lessons from the Asian tsunami

Peter McCawley will speak on "Preparing for megadisasters: Lessons from the Asian tsunami", 11 May 2010 at the Australian National University. Peter is a Visiting Fellow in the Arndt-Corden Division of Economics at the ANU.

Preparing for megadisasters: Lessons from the Asian tsunami

Peter McCawley

Tuesday 11 May 2010, 12.30pm - 1.30pm

Acton Theatre, Level 1, new Crawford Building, Lennox Crossing, Australian National University

Light lunch will be provided.

Enquiries contact Henry Keenan: Ph: 6125 5559, henry.keenan@anu.edu.au

Poor people in developing countries live risky lives. Amongst the risks they face are the risks of disasters. In recent years – and especially following the 2004 Asian tsunami – the international community has been paying increasing attention to the impact of disasters in developing countries. This new approach, in turn, is part of a heightened awareness of the need to strengthen human security for the poor in developing countries. This seminar will consider both the international and regional response following the 2004 Asian tsunami. Some policy lessons to be learnt in aiming to reduce disaster risks faced by the poor in developing countries will be outlined.

Peter McCawley is a Visiting Fellow at the ANU in Canberra . Between 1980-85 he was Head of the Indonesia Project. Most recently, he was Dean of the Asian Development Bank Institute based in Tokyo in 2003-2007. One of his main areas of current research is the provision of aid following the 2004 tsunami in Asia . In cooperation with Professor Sisira Jayasuriya from LaTrobe University he has recently completed a book on the Asian tsunami to be published later this year.