Disaster Risk
... seeks to highlight the current and potentially likely hazards, vulnerability and capacities that contribute to the cumulative risk of an area or towards a sector. This is done though a combination of several indicators of risk as well as historical hazard occurrence. I’m currently developing new methodologies seeking to fill the gaps in data where hazard records are substandard though the classification and highlighting areas exhibiting particular risk signatures/attributes.
Recent disaster risk projects undertaken
Sierra Leone Coastal Resilience
Vulnerability Specialist. The project sought to identify hotspots of the ecosystem and social vulnerability though the assessment of mangrove ecosystems changes over time and changes in social indicators. The intention of the project is to highlight locations for and possible intervention types to enhance local livelihoods and enhance education on ecosystem sustainability.
Climate Mainstreaming Facility: Multi-Annual Country Strategies (MACS)
Climate change and program advisor. The project seeks to support the uptake of climate information, climate risk analysis and adaptation assessment, providing practical advice to support advisors and programme teams in mainstreaming climate risks into donor core development work.
Vulnerability and Risk Assessment of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) for Mbombela
Climate and vulnerability analyst. The project will identify and address the impacts of climate change on the access of vulnerable areas in Mbombela concerning fresh water, sanitation, and hygiene. The project consisted of detailed spatial vulnerability analysis and long-term projected climate exposure.
Alfred Nzo District Municipality Disaster Risk assessment
Disaster Risk analysis. The Risk assessment was conducted under the structure of the Disaster Management Act 2003 as part of the legislative mandate of district municipalities. The risk assessment looked at meteorological (flooding, drought, wind, and lighting) and environmental (Alien vegetation, fires, and deforestation) hazards in the context of local physical and social vulnerability and coping capacities. The spatial risk was then correlated to population density, Agricultural activity, and physical context.
Building the resilience of urban populations in Laos with ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA)
Disaster risk lead. Supporting the development of a Feasibility Study and Funding Proposal for this GCF-funded project. The project will be implemented in six cities in Laos. The Laotian cities of Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Paksan, Savannakhet, Thakek and Pakse are rapidly growing urban areas directly adjacent to the Mekong River. All six cities are impacted by river flooding and flash floods, both of which will be exacerbated by climate change. The outputs of this project will: i) improve policy and planning for urban EbA and flood management; ii) build local institutional capacity for managing urban EbA; iii) build the resilience of vulnerable urban areas to both river and flash floods using urban EbA; and iv) facilitate knowledge-sharing around urban EbA for flood management.
Strengthening Climate Service and Multi-hazard Early Warning for Resilience in Sudan
Spatial data and early warning specialist. Development of a Simplified Approval Process Concept Note and Funding Proposal for submission to the GCF. The project objective is to build the technical capacity of countries within the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) region through regional cooperation, ensuring that climate forecasts and projections can be generated and disseminated effectively and timeously to inform early action. This will be achieved by i) increasing the capacity to generate and use downscaled climate forecasts and projections at regional and national levels; ii) mainstreaming climate information into key policies and programmes of IGAD and its member states, and iii) developing regional systems to facilitate early action on extreme climate events.
Jordan Integrated Landscape Management Initiative
Resilience, Spatial data and climate specialist. Development of a Funding Proposal and Feasibility Study for this GCF-funded project. The objective of the project is to increase the resilience of vulnerable communities in the Jordan Rift Valley to the adverse impacts of climate change, including the increased frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events such as droughts and floods. This objective will be realised through Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) across five ecosystems (forest, wadi, marine, rangelands, and agriculture).
Resilience to hurricanes, floods, and droughts in the building sector in Antigua and Barbuda
Resilience, Spatial data and climate specialist. Development of a Feasibility Study and Funding Proposal for this GCF-funded project. The project will build the climate resilience of Antigua and Barbuda to the impacts of hurricanes by i) supporting the mainstreaming of climate-proofing measures into funding mechanisms, policies and standards for the building sector; ii) strengthening technical capacity for planning, implementing and monitoring climate-proofing and other adaptation interventions in the building sector; iii) assessing barriers, identify financial instruments, and develop operational guidelines to enable the private sector to access funding for adaptation in buildings; iv) climate-proofing identified public buildings to improve resilience to extreme climate events – including tropical storms, hurricanes, droughts and extended dry periods, floods and rising air temperatures – and improve adaptation interventions during such events; and v) developing and implementing plans for climate-proofing activities and interventions in community buildings.
Business Continuity, Emergency and Crisis Management Systems updating and training
Emergency procedures lecturer. Review of Abu Dhabi Department of Transport Business Continuity, Emergency and Crisis Management Systems and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure alignment with National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) and best practice IS0 22 301 standards. My experience in emergency response meant that I was well suited to lecture the emergency standard operating procedures with relatable and practical examples to bring meaning to the SOPs for the stakeholders.
Tactical Radio Network for the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality: Feasibility and Technical Specifications
Project leader. Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) required the design and implementation of a tactical radio network for first responders in their area. The purpose of this project is to research and supply specifications for an effective tactical radio network for emergency services in BCMM to enhance the reliability and usability of communications technology to better serve the population and area of BCMM. To effectively address the problem expressed by BCMM, this project sought first to assess the needs within the municipality and applicable technology analysis to the stakeholders that would use communication technology in operations in the form of a feasibility study assessing stakeholder requirements and potential technology solutions over varying well as assessing varying coverages. The Design and Specification Report described the requirements for a new radio network based on digital trunked radio technology suitable for the needs of BCMM Emergency Operations and Disaster Management Departments. My responsibility for this project was to coordinate the technical resources responsible for the detailed radio specification and to deliver the stakeholder needs assessment. Furthermore, cognisance and adherence to client-specific needs and feedback throughout the project were fundamental to the successful delivery of the project.
Review of the Drakenstein Spatial Development Framework
Resilience and Climate Change analyst. The team was appointed to undertake a review of the Drakenstein Spatial Development Framework (SDF), encompassing the compilation of a Spatial Development Framework including the incorporation of environmental, geotechnical, physical, economic, local economic development, tourism, transportation, and other specialist studies into a planning document for the local authority. In this project, I was responsible for the spatial climate change analysis and implications thereof to the varying components of the bio-physical sector.
Buffalo City Disaster Sector Plan
Project leader and stakeholder facilitation. This project required the development of sector plans and field operations guidelines for multidisciplinary disaster response in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. The team was appointed to collate pertinent operational information from first responders and those that work on secondary response and longer-term incident stabilisation. Further requirements were to develop an implementation plan and budget for streamlining response. All documentation was consolidated, and a discussion document was put forward for public comment. The resulting document was workshopped with both the technical professionals and the councillors represented in the area. The final policy, implementation plan and budget were handed over to the municipality's disaster management for further implementation. In addition to leading the project, I was primarily involved with stakeholder engagement and extracting their context-specific needs and operational objectives and balancing those against other stakeholder priorities. I was required to graphically represent the stakeholder SOPs in varying emergencies and represent the responder’s operational relationships throughout an incident.