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Speech title
Roles, opportunities and challenges for scientific disaster managers to engage in developing resilience Speaker Dr. Li, Wei-Sen Present positions Chief Secretary, National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction |
Education
PhD, Department of Civil Engineering, National Central University
Experience
Deputy Executive Secretary, National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction
Policy and Socio-economics Division Leader, National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Dahan Institute of Technology
Visiting Scholar, University of California, San Diego
Co-chair of APEC Emergency Response Working Group
Specialty
Earthquake engineering, disaster management, disaster prevention system
PhD, Department of Civil Engineering, National Central University
Experience
Deputy Executive Secretary, National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction
Policy and Socio-economics Division Leader, National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Dahan Institute of Technology
Visiting Scholar, University of California, San Diego
Co-chair of APEC Emergency Response Working Group
Specialty
Earthquake engineering, disaster management, disaster prevention system
ABSTRACT
Traditional definition and working scope of a disaster manager is to cover responsibility of preparing for and responding to disasters. Therefore, impression of disaster managers is usually equivalent to firefighters who save live in needs. While the landscape of disaster management is evolving with paces of repaid social developments and advances in knowing more about natural or technological hazards. As more data and information-communication systems are applied for disaster management by offering overwhelming information that demands reliable disaster managers to interpret scientific evidence into understandable descriptions leading to effective operations or actions. This is why “scientific disaster manager” (SDM) should deserve a space and role at all phases of disaster risk management to carry out tailor-made risk communication and facilitate discussions in demand and supply to connect diverse stakeholders who are engaged in different operations, responses, or actions. Based on engagements of different phase of disaster management among diverse stakeholders, a capable SDM should be equipped with trans-disciplinary knowledge to explain facts, find demands, identify gaps, and build consensus. According to narratives above, to academic community, emergency responders and decision makers, a new paradigm is required to picture evidence-based disaster management and position engagers for reshaping the-whole-society engagement. For example, any information system designed for disaster risk management should be aimed at producing clear and neat information intelligence, then to be delivered to end users by making use of all possible telecommunication channels. So-called information intelligence is a basis assisting in yielding timely and effective decisions on all possible solutions to mitigate adverse impacts on property and human losses. The challenges to cultivate qualified SDMs for meeting the new paradigm fall on welcoming open attitude to broader participation in disaster risk management; developing innovations in data analysis, data integration and data demonstration; enabling an environment to work with private sector.
