Over 300 International and Thai academics, practitioners, professionals and policymakers joined in the 7th International Conference on Building Resilience, for a three-day event that concluded on Wednesday (29th November). In her opening address to the Conference, Co-Conference Chair, Professor Dilanthi Amaratunga, from the Global Disaster Resilience Centre at the University of Huddersfield in the UK, recalled the devastating impact of the 2004 Tsunami, which devastated many communities across the region, including Thailand. In responding to hazards of this magnitude, Professor Amaratunga called for, “all countries to act in a new spirit of partnership to build a safer world based on common interests and shared responsibility.” She added that “Regional and international research will significantly enhance countries’ ability to achieve real progress, in mitigating disasters through the transfer of technology and the sharing of information.”

The conference sought to bridge the gap between the research community in disaster risk reduction, and policy and practice. Across the three-day programme, which included the presentation of over 160 scientific papers, five keynote addresses, and a series of panel discussions and side events, several recommendations to bridge the gap emerged.