Our Work

At ICPEM, we are at the forefront of advancing knowledge and practice in civil protection and emergency management, with a particular focus on emerging fields such as Space and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Disaster Futures, and Disaster Science.

Our work in Space & DRR explores how space-based technologies, such as satellite monitoring and remote sensing, can enhance disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. By integrating space-based data into disaster risk management, we aim to improve global resilience to natural and human-made hazards.

Through Disaster Futures, we investigate the evolving landscape of global risks and hazards, using scenario planning and foresight techniques to anticipate future challenges. This forward-thinking approach helps shape strategies that will address the risks of tomorrow, today.

Disaster Science remains a cornerstone of our work, combining interdisciplinary research to better understand the causes, impacts, and mitigation of disasters. Our research in this field informs both policy and practice, contributing to the development of evidence-based solutions for disaster resilience.

Together, these initiatives highlight our commitment to pioneering innovative solutions and providing actionable knowledge for the global emergency management community.

Space & DRR

At ICPEM we are focused on two research perspective relating to outer space:

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) of threats from space, and
Use of space-based infrastructure for DRR pursuits

We are especially keen to bridge the gap between academia and industry to maximise opportunities to increase resilience to

earth-bound hazards. In addition, we are keen to promote the huge opportunity to improve evidence-based decision-making by utilising the data rich resources from satellites at all stages of the disaster management cycle (improved prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery) to terrestrial hazards.

We are currently developing a set of events and the programme will be issued shortly.

If you would like to get involved please contact admin@theicpem.org

Disaster Futures

Disaster Futures is an ICPEM programme which will use foresight and horizon scanning approaches to consider how the practices of civil protection and emergency management may need to evolve capabilities and responses to potential future extreme events and disasters.

Strategic Foresight

Strategic foresight strives to enable non-predictive understanding of plausible future states and support improved present strategic decisions.

Horizon Scanning

The systematic examination of potential problems, threats, opportunities, and likely future developments.

Used in combination foresight and horizon scanning can bring the following benefits:

Assist organisations to develop a structured approach to, and dialogue on, emerging and future issues
Help in the development of more robust present-day decision-making and assist in the creation of preferred future strategies
Help build collective preparedness to consider a range of possible alternative futures
Foster an anticipatory approach to help an organisation be adaptable to key areas of future change.

Foresight and horizon scanning approaches were first formally developed towards the end of World War II in response to the emerging Cold War security environment. Since then the methods and tools have continued to evolve and have been adopted by governments, commercial and third sector organisations.

Aims

Disaster Futures will be an evolving programme. It is designed to achieve the following high-level aims.

Support the longer term strategic direction of the Institute and help position it as a source of innovative insight and research development.
Provide members with a dedicated space in which to discuss and explore civil protection and emergency management futures-orientated themes and emerging issues and contribute to these approaches and their research outputs.
Provide members with the opportunity to engage with, and learn, some practical horizon scanning skills to help their own professional development.
Support two other ICPEM strategic development programmes - Disaster Science and Continuing Professional Development.

Disaster Science

This project is brought to you by the Institute of Civil Protection & Emergency Management. Sponsored by Chair of ICPEM Sarah Schubert and delivered by Co-Chairs:

Stephanie Buller BSc MRes MICPEM
Professor David Alexander

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (STAG) makes the following recommendations.

Encourage the use of science to demonstrate that it can inform policy and practice
Use a problem-solving approach to research that integrates all hazards and disciplines
Promote knowledge into action
Science should be key to the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction (Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction).
Watch this space

Watch this space for ResilientNation[UK] and our

Future Disaster Science project updates.