UKADR Workplan, June 2016 –

• Coordination of existing networks: In practice, this would result in the dissemination of information to and between the membership of existing networks, as well as providing a forum to raise matters ‘from the bottom, up’ to those who would represent the overarching network. This would allow for greater understanding and sharing of knowledge between different research communities, whilst not undermining the collaborations that currently exist.
• Provision of a website: In addition to giving an overview of the UK DRR research base, the added value of the website would be a directory function so that the expertise of the UK research community would be visible and promoted. This would facilitate the national and international research community to formulate interdisciplinary collaborations through online forums for communities of practice. Additionally, it could serve as a resource for use at times of emergency, such as the Science in Humanitarian Emergencies and Disasters (SHED) mechanism, to source relevant expertise by hosting a searchable database.
• Organisation of an annual conference: This would provide a dissemination opportunity for the latest multidisciplinary DRR research to a diverse stakeholder audience. It would also provide a forum for interdisciplinary networking. It is envisaged that an annual conference would be coordinated in partnership with the DRG, thereby bringing together the breadth of the research community with respective policy, funding and research-user communities. It would also play a key role in providing a forum for early career researcher development.
• Mapping of current research activities: There is a large amount of research taking place in the UK, as well as that which is conducted in collaboration with international partners. Having a comprehensive overview of what research is being conducted in which fields, and within which specific geographical contexts, will allow the UK to better promote those areas where there is a wealth of expertise, and conversely identify those areas that may need greater support or benefit from learning from other fields/ experiences. This will also support the evidence base for major international and intergovernmental review processes such as the IPCC Special on 1.5 degrees, Oceans and Land.
• Responding to emerging opportunities: Opportunities arise, often at short notice, to provide expert input to national or international policy dialogues or disaster response plans, as demonstrated in the preparations for the post-2015 DRR framework. Currently there is no one forum that can claim to represent the breadth of the UK's DRR research base. A Network could ensure that an informed, balanced UK voice attended such opportunities and that the opinions of scientific experts are represented in forums which may make decisions which impact the research base. The network therefore proposes to have a function that allows advice to be harvested from multiple organisations, and for this to be coordinated to provide improved advice to decision makers such as research funders or disaster risk management authorities.
• Development of international interfaces: There are a growing number of international initiatives around DRR, which incorporate research as either their core focus, or as a key component such as the Science & Technology Major Group of the post-2015 DRR agreement process, IRDR and GADRI. Through representation of the UK DRR research base, the UKADR would be able to act by sending a representative to these forums to convey how the UK research community can be involved in international initiatives, with the potential of leveraging international funding for UK research activities. UK-ADR will be a focal point for ICSU and through this to the UN Major Group on Science and Technology and to international programmes such as Future Earth, IRDR, Co-Data and GADRI.