About us
AUT Applied Disaster and Risk Research (ADARR) Centre’s vision is to be a leader in advancing disaster and risk reduction knowledge and learning, through transdisciplinary and applied research, that contributes to addressing complex issues related to risk accumulation and development in Aotearoa New Zealand, Asia-Pacific and beyond.
Core research principles
There is a growing global consensus within both policy and scholarly communities for heightened attention to the developmental reduction of disaster risks and advancement of resilience. Furthermore, projections on climate change, coupled with changing demographics and fast growing/uncontrolled urban environments, highlight additional disaster risk and sustainable development challenges on the short- and long-term.
In this context, we need a better understanding of local disaster risk challenges and opportunities to produce robust, contextually meaningful research that provides new and creative directions to manage risk and act upon developmental challenges faced by local people/communities.
ADARR focuses on research that is:
- Transdisciplinary, to recognise that disaster studies intersect with different disciplines and fields such as public health, community development, climate adaptation, indigenous studies, gender studies, psychology, violence and trauma studies, and sciences.
- Innovative, drawing upon and developing, new/creative approaches, tools, and methodologies to contribute to more robust and contextualised policies and actions.
- Applied, therefore involving the participation of, and partnership with, a wide array of stakeholders (i.e. local communities, NGOs, iwi/marae, government agencies and ministries, etc.).
- Beneficial to people and communities who are at the forefront of disasters and development issues, by integrating their voices, knowledge systems and lived experiences.
Our goals
Advance scholarship
Advance students’ and emerging researchers’ abilities, skills, and potentials to make a difference now and in the future, through exposure to cross-cutting issues related to disaster risk management and collaborative research and learning environments.
Build and mobilise partnerships
Build new and existing partnerships with researchers, local communities and organisations involved in disaster risk reduction, health and development, and mobilise them to produce robust, contextually meaningful research that help build community resilience.
Advocate for change
Advocate for innovative and novel directions in research, policy and practice to manage disaster risk and act upon developmental challenges faced by local communities.
Inspire
Inspire current and next generations of researchers to innovate through creative approaches, tools, and methodologies.
Our partners and accords
ReNDES
ReNDES (Research Network on Disaster, Environment and Society) is a collective of over 20 multidisciplinary researchers based across three universities: the University of Auckland, Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and the University of the Philippines Diliman. The network focuses on the intersections of environmental issues, disaster risk reduction and social vulnerability. Members bring expertise from fields such as geography, public health, psychology and urban planning.
RADIX: Radical Interpretations of Disasters
Over the past two decades, RADIX has evolved into a dynamic collective of people from around the world. It has inspired an entire new generation of disaster scholars to be critical and explore radical pathways for understanding and preventing disasters.