About Project

 

          

Project Goal

  • The CIRCLE (Community and Infrastructure Resilience to Climate-geological Long-term Effects) project will integrate quantitative impact assessments of physically interconnected infrastructures subject to hydroclimatic-geological multi-hazards and qualitative socioeconomic evaluation to identify vulnerable people and to co-produce pre-disaster preparedness-recovery plans by working with coastal communities with diverse cultural and social settings in Canada, Cuba, and Indonesia.

 

Background, Context, & Research Gap

Coastal communities face escalating risks from hydroclimatic and geological events exacerbated by climate change and population growth, necessitating urgent planning and science-informed policies for resilient infrastructure. Vulnerable populations suffer disproportionately from disasters, highlighting the need for inclusive strategies. Community-driven models, involving diverse communities globally, are key to developing adaptive solutions. Establishing "Living Labs" and holistic risk management are crucial for resilience-building. Collaboration with local communities is vital for sustainable policies. Pre-disaster preparedness-recovery plans are lacking in many exposed communities, underscoring the importance of proactive risk management. Effective disaster risk reduction requires collective responsibility across sectors.

 

Objectives and Tasks

  • Task 1 – cascading multi-hazard modeling of climate and geological risks (risks to low-lying coastal socio-ecological systems),
  • Task 2 – quantitative impact assessments of communities and interdependent infrastructure networks under multi-hazard resilience stress-testing scenarios (risks associated with critical physical infrastructure, networks and services)
  • Task 3 – community-specific disaster resilience through co-designing approaches to facilitate pre-disaster preparedness-recovery planning (risks to living standards).

The project team comprises hydroclimatic-geological hazard scientists, infrastructural systems specialists who assess the physical and socioeconomic impacts of interrupted infrastructure and services, social scientists who have long-term engagement with coastal communities identified in this project, and local emergency officials who implement these plans in the communities. This interdisciplinary and trans-sectoral team has been created to tackle the key challenges from community-centered and grassroots perspectives. The international collaborative partnership will facilitate the capacity building of local communities and knowledge mobilization related to the community disaster resilience globally.