Me, Myself & Disaster

Ever wondered how we would detect a nuclear disaster in Sydney? Most people don’t realise that the ground beneath our feet is full of invisible radiation. In this episode, Andrew and Josh speak with researchers at the University of Sydney to discuss how groundbreaking research has mapped natural gamma radiation across Sydney, to build a clear picture of the background environment. This map provide...

https://youtu.be/MOUV0bPDmA8 As a major city, Tokyo faces one of the highest disaster risks in the world with a 70% probability of being struck by a major earthquake in the next 30 years. In pre-modern Japan, disasters were accepted as a force outside of out control, and subsequently residents had a high level of awareness of disaster risk. Today, with emergency management agencies established and...

Deputy Commissioner of the WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Melissa Pexton shares the recovery story of Fitzroy Crossing, a remote community devastated by tropical cyclone Ellie in 2022 / 2023. Located 400 kilometers east of Broome, this region faced unprecedented flooding that challenged traditional emergency management approaches. In this episode, Melissa shares how the recove...

Communities have always played an important role during disasters. Australia’s growing population, exposure to increasingly frequent and impactful severe weather events and evolving trends in volunteerism are transforming how communities respond to disasters. As natural hazards become more frequent and severe, non-government organisations and grassroots community groups will increasingly seek to &...

Veteran of the Royal New Zealand Navy Stephen Gibson joins the show this month to share his experience transitioning out of the military into humanitarian work, including in disaster zones across the Middle East. After 23 years in the Navy where he deployed as a peacekeeper to Yugoslavia and the Solomon Islands, Steve joined the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. Steve...

Community organisations are so critical to disaster recovery efforts, and many organisations emerge during and directly after disasters. Following the destructive Marshall Fire in Colorado, one community member co-founded a community organisation to support disaster survivors. Empowered by her experience, she then ran for Public Office and became a Trustee on the Local Council in the town of Super...

As climate change impacts our environment, communities might face a tough choice. Do they stay and accept a lower quality of life, mitigate the effects of climate change, or decide to leave? This episode explores the complex relationship between climate change, disaster risk reduction, and human mobility. Andrew and Josh speak with Professor Mo Hamza who has been researching people movement for 35...

When disaster manager Brenden Winder arrived in Christchurch after the earthquake, he found a city with destroyed buildings, chimneys fallen to the ground and windows blown in. The devastation was confronting. As aftershocks continued, rescue crews worked around the clock to pull people from the rubble. In this episode, Andrew and Josh are joined in Christchurch by Brenden Winder, Head of Civil De...

Research as far back as 1992 indicates a disturbing trend in Australia, with increased violence and aggression from men towards woman after a disaster. Today Josh and Andrew are exploring this hidden disaster – the rise in domestic violence following a disaster, such as a bushfire or flood. What can emergency managers to reduce this violent behaviour altogether? Experts Dr Debra Parkinson an...

Have you ever visited a location impacted by a disaster, such as Chernobyl, Ukraine or Fukushima, Japan? Dark Tourism involves people visiting sites of death or tragedy, where the extraordinary has occurred. In this episode, dark tourism expert Dr Philip Stone joins Andrew and Josh to understand the motivations for dark tourism and why people visit disaster sites. Philip explains the history behin...

Gear up for the year ahead with our insights and highlights from Season 3 of Australia’s leading disaster podcast. During this season, Andrew and Josh spoke with guests from around the world about disasters. These are some of their favourite highlights.

Money is often said to make the world go round, and targeted investments in strategic projects can indeed wield significant influence, especially when directed towards mitigating disaster risks. In this episode, Andrew and Josh chat with Steven Goldfinch, Senior Disaster Risk Specialist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Steve explains ADB's Strategy 2030, a comprehensive plan aligning the bank'...

Dr Albrecht Beck joins Andrew and Josh to discuss his award-winning disaster diplomacy work facilitating emergency management cooperation between Israel, Palestine, and Jordan - one of the world's most complex regions.  Albrecht shares the challenges of building trust between the nations and how focusing discussions on shared risks from natural hazards such as earthquakes helped establish initial...

The year was 2002, and Inspector Peter Baines was working with NSW Police in Sydney when he was deployed to Bali following bombings in two busy Kuta nightspots. Two and a half years later, Peter was deployed again overseas – this time to Thailand, to assist with victim identification following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. In this episode, Peter Baines joins Andrew and Josh to discuss his l...

Parts of the northern hemisphere have been suffering through record high temperatures. Canada has experienced the worst wildfire season on record. The world is becoming warmer and communities are struggling through seemingly endless heatwaves. Heatwaves are the silent killer. The 2003 European heatwave caused an estimated 70,000 excess deaths. 473 heat-related deaths were recorded in Australia in...

Have you ever worked or volunteered in an organisation where it felt toxic? It's likely a result of poor leadership and culture. Expert leadership scientist Dr Darja Kragt joins the show to discuss leadership and culture in emergency management, and what leadership looks like now and into the future. Darja shares with Andrew and Josh the importance of emergency management and key challenges when l...

Innovation is everywhere - and technology is distrupting our lives faster than ever before. But what happens when we cross innovative technology with the climate crisis and the impact of more intense disasters? In this episode, Andrew and Josh speak with Associate Professor Roslyn Prinsley, Head of Disasters Solutions at the Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions at the Australian Nati...

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4BZjsVfyUeT3OCNe5cBmE4 Are we headed for a future without volunteers? And what does the future look like for the wider emergency management workforce? Andrew and Josh are joined by Dr Blythe McLennan, Node Research Manager (Victoria) at Natural Hazards Research Australia to discuss the shifting landscape, workforce challenges and opportunities for emergency managem...

Shortly after taking off from Singapore in November 2010, a Qantas A380 suffered a severe engine failure. Engine No. 2 exploded and 400 pieces of shrapnel almost cut the engine off the wing and busted holes in fuel tanks. It took the flight crew an hour and a half to work through the problem before devising a plan to safely land the aircraft back at Changi Airport. Captain Richard Champion de Cres...

The palm trees are swaying gently in the breeze, the water is crystal clear. Phuket, Thailand is picture perfect and an iconic holiday destination for travellers around the world. On Boxing Day 2004, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Northern Sumatra resulting in a tsunami that reached as far as South Africa. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand were worst affected, with colle...

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ltkBpGvNVBzMSp71njLpI The Japanese city of Ishinomaki, with a population of 140,000 people, was one of the worst affected areas following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. More than 3000 people died after 46% of the city was inundated by several tsunami, each up to 10m high. In this episode, Andrew and Josh travel to Ishinomaki to meet with Richard Halbersta...

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MXV8FaRHswkd3H4vWRYFD The recent Hurricane Ian is a timely reminder of the impact of severe weather events, and the consequences they have on communities. 157 people died in the disaster, with a damage bill expected to exceed $50 billion USD. The scale of this type of disaster is hard to comprehend. Preparing communities for future disasters and influencing behavi...

On New Years Eve 2019, 'apocalyptic' bushfires ripped through the NSW South Coast, destroying 89 properties in Lake Conjola. It was 1030am and local resident Greg Webb was in his office. Within minutes the temperate jumped from 38˚C to 50˚C - which Greg described as same feeling as 'opening an oven' when he walked outside. Greg's house was engulfed in flames and destroyed in the bushfires - with o...

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tKWzCiFjGPXMtQMWG3mfw The extent and impact of recent flooding in Pakistan is hard to comprehend. 765,000 houses have been destroyed and 1,500 people killed – including 552 children. The 2022 floods follow extensive flooding in 2010 and 2011 from which the country is still recovering – a clear example of a compounding disaster and a country facing the...

Driven by the severity and frequency of disasters, Australia is on the cusp of a transformation - according to Dr Robert Glasser. As the former Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Robert has travelled extensively and worked with Governments across the world, witnessing a siloed approach to climate risk and disaster risk. In Australia, Robert...