Public–private partnerships key to containing disaster impacts

Emergency services must engage in partnerships with the private sector to contain the impacts of disasters and climate change, according to disaster response and coordination expert Dr Emily Chapman, speaking at a disaster and emergency management conference on the Gold Coast last week.

Dr Chapman, who was a presenter at the conference, specialises in partnerships and coordination during international humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).

“It’s a privilege to speak at this important conference to share my on-the-ground experience, knowledge and research findings from my PhD on civil–military interaction during Australian responses to overseas natural hazards,” said Chapman, who also works as a consultant for the Public Safety Training and Response Group. “One of the key areas the conference is focusing on is what interagency collaboration and communication might look like in the near future, and we know that the cornerstone is public–private-people partnerships.

“Public–private partnerships are also the key to maximising resilience in the face of climate changes.”

Unsurprisingly to many Australians who have been impacted by our vulnerability and risk to natural hazards, the World Risk Report 2023 shows that Australia is globally in the top 10 countries with the highest exposure. Our close regional neighbours such as Indonesia and India are also at high risk.

“Australia’s exposure rating means we should consider how we collectively decrease vulnerability and susceptibility, as well as increase our coping capacities and balance our risk of exposure,” Chapman said. “We consider partnerships that include all sectors of communities — public, private and communities themselves — to be the building blocks of effective disaster responses.

“We see the private sector progress shared responsibility through their actions during a response due to established partnerships or a commitment to such partnerships, which include providing specialised operational teams and equipment, and personnel that are not already in response workforces.

“It is vital that we build partnerships before a disaster or emergency to achieve shared understanding of each other’s knowledge, expertise and capabilities, because it is too late during a response to overcome resource and preparation shortfalls,” she concluded.

The Public Safety Training and Response Group is headquartered in Brisbane and has global experience in both public safety training and operations.

Image credit: iStock.com/Phillip Wittke