UMD Resilience Experts Share Best Practices with Chinese Delegation

Affiliates of the Center for Disaster Resilience met with a delegation of Chinese officials earlier this month to share best practices in emergency preparedness and planning and discuss strategies used to anticipate and develop plans for natural and human-caused disasters.

Part of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, the meeting included officials from the China Earthquake Administration, Chinese Center for Disease and Prevention, Red Cross Society of China, and School of Public Management at China’s Northwest University.

“Natural or human-induced disasters do not recognize borders, so it is immensely important that we continue to learn from and exchange ideas with countries like China on how to bring better awareness to risk and prepare for future disaster scenarios,” said Richard Krupar III, a postdoctoral associate with the Department of Fire Protection Engineering and the leader of the meeting. “It was an honor to host the delegation at UMD and a rewarding experience learning more about best practices in emergency preparedness and risk perception in China.”

The delegation heard from A. James Clark School of Engineering faculty Gerry Galloway, Brian Phillips, and Michael Gollner on their ongoing research initiatives focused on preparing for and responding to flooding, earthquakes, wind hazards, and wildfires. Galloway also discussed the National Academies view on understanding, managing, and reducing disaster risk as well as the importance of building local capacity.

Part of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Center for Disaster Resilience leverages multidisciplinary expertise to help communities, industry, and decision makers assess their risks from natural and human-caused hazards and implement management strategies grounded in the latest science.

Published November 20, 2017