Hazards & Risk

1. • The University has world-leading expertise in risk theory, analysis of uncertainty, and the development of risk assessment methods. There is broad experience of applying these methods to real-world situations and research expertise includes flooding, volcanism, earthquakes, radioactive waste, water resources, extreme weather events, climate change adaptation, pollution, animal disease and epidemiology. • Bristol researchers are currently leading major Research Council programmes on understanding and managing environmental risk, bringing expertise in scientific co-ordination of complex trans-disciplinary multi-partner networks, along with dynamic engagement of stakeholder communities. • The University collaborates with many universities, research institutes, and commercial partners in the UK and internationally, and has extensive links with risk management consultancies and the insurance sector. Current projects of particular relevance include: • The new 10-year International Council for Science (ICSU) Integrated Risk and Disaster Reduction (IRDR) programme. • The Global Risk Identification Programme, under the auspices of the World Bank and the UN. • The £3.5m EPSRC-funded Engineering Doctorate Centre in Systems Engineering is developing holistic, risk-based approaches to the whole life performance management of engineered and built environment systems. These approaches underpin the effective management of such systems to cater for natural hazard impacts. This research is complemented by The Systems Performance Centre (SPC), a research alliance between the University of Bristol and British Energy, which is developing system-based solutions to maintain the safety of nuclear power plant. Hazards & Risk Hundreds of thousands of people are killed and millions injured, affected or displaced each year because of natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, cyclones, floods, landslides, wildfires, heat waves and droughts. Current evidence demonstrates that changes in the global climate will continue to increase the frequency of such hazards and the University is playing a leading role in developing improved strategies to minimise their harmful effects. For more information, please contact: brite-enquiries@bris.ac.uk