2019 - present
ReSCOOL is a collaborative research project involving University College London (UCL), University of Naples Federico II (UniNa) in Italy, the University of Moratuwa (UoM), University of Peradeniya (UoP), and the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka (SEUSL). The project is funded by Research England via UCL GCRF Small Grants scheme. ReSCOOL looks to contribute to the improvement of the resilience of the SL school system to inundation from tsunami and other hazards. The project aims to identify weaknesses in both the physical infrastructure and the disaster risk management (DRM) of schools, and propose a framework for resilience interventions that will mitigate the impact of education disruption on communities in the aftermath of a disaster.
HEARTS-SL
2019 - present
HEARTS-SL is developing an evidence base on the vulnerability of hospitals in Sri Lanka to tsunami and storm surge, with the aim of opening discussions with the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health (SL-MoH) and other key stakeholders on how to improve the hazard resilience of critical hospital services. SL-MoH in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) is working to better prepare the health sector for emergencies, through the development of a comprehensive national disaster management plan. HEARTS-SL will strengthen current initiatives that include the adaptation of WHO “Safe Hospital” guidelines for Sri Lanka, conducted by University of Moratuwa in collaboration with SL-MoH Disaster Preparedness and Response Division (DPRD).
INCREASING RESILIENCE OF SCHOOLS IN INDONESIA TO EARTHQUAKE SHAKING AND TSUNAMI
2020 - present
This project seeks to develop the field of resilient recovery to disasters, particularly in displaced communities. It simultaneously seeks to enhance the field of natural hazard preparedness. An interdisciplinary team of academics from the UK and Indonesia are co-developing an innovative intervention that targets psycho-social disaster support, hygiene and the safety of the physical environment, and which centres on schools as hubs for fostering community empowerment.
The Resilient School Hubs project is funded by the UKRI-ESRC. It is a collaborative project bringing together UCL’s EPICentre and colleagues in Indonesian universities: The University of Syiah Kuala and Tadulako University and the TDMRC are co-applicants on the study.