Defining “Catastrophic” — what sets it apart?

Tackling the lack of consensus on what constitutes a catastrophe versus a major disaster – does it matter?

Hazard science and credible catastrophic scenarios – identifying our key national threats — Tsunami, earthquake, volcanic and Alpine Fault risks

Assessing the scale of plausible losses and the potential impacts of a catastrophic event

Analysing the critical system assumptions that won’t scale under catastrophic stress

Recognising that planning for catastrophic events is incredibly hard and that we are so far off having the capacity and capability to effectively respond that it can feel pointless – where and how do we start?

Connecting catastrophic planning with general emergency management best practice – delivering catastrophic emergency planning with multi-hazard co-benefits for day-to-day emergency management

How best to plan – BAU scaled up and on steroids – or plan for highest level and scale back?

Exploring the implications for planning, funding, and legislative frameworks

Operationalising catastrophic risk detection and hazard mitigation into regional and national planning

Examining how hazard-agnostic vs. hazard-specific planning changes priorities

Introducing the Catastrophic Event Handbook the rationale and intent and its practical application as a national catastrophic readiness framework

Sharing the lessons learned through our experiences of a catastrophic event

Understanding what went wrong in the post-event response and recovery - what would we do differently?

How has the experience informed our ongoing scenario planning and risk reduction?

Exploring the challenges of coordinating international aid, support and crisis relief

Leadership under pressure — delivering crisis leadership in catastrophic scenarios

The importance of building crisis leadership capacity and capability before the event

Exploring the science of tsunamis – why is our knowledge still so undeveloped?

Recognising that part of the challenge is that no two tsunamis are the same

Where are the hot spots around the world – and where is most at risk?

Exploring indigenous experiences and oral histories of past tsunami events around the world

Summarizing global experience of recent catastrophic tsunami events - a lessons identified, lessons applied approach:

- Banda Aceh – Indonesia – Boxing Day tsunami
- Japan Tohoku Magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami
- Tongan volcanic eruption

Developing our understanding of and capability to predict tsunami risk

Tsunami hazard mitigation in ports and other critical coastal infrastructure

Where and how is New Zealand most at risk?

The Tsunami Emergency Planning in Australia Handbook

Tsunami planning in Washington State USA

East Coat Lab – planning for a Hikurangi Subduction Zone event that is capable a magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami

Examining the scientific research that indicates there is a 75% probability of an Alpine Fault earthquake occurring in the next 50 years and a 4 out of 5 chance that it will be a magnitude 8+ event

The South Island Alpine Fault Earthquake Response (SAFER) Framework – a consolidated planning and response framework using robust science to inform planning and risk management

Outlining a potential science scenario for the 7-day response period to support coordination of response and priority setting

Understanding the Auckland Volcanic Field and how an eruption would affect Auckland and the rest of New Zealand

Exploring the DEVORA programme working collaboratively to provide an assessment of volcanic hazard and risk

Predicting future risk by studying the timing, size, location, and deposits of past eruptions

Understanding the process for reporting to Te Tāhū Hauora and scope of harm and near miss incidents that must be notified

Assessing key hazards associated with a future eruption to determine potential impacts

Modelling potential population exposure and evacuation timelines for the Auckland Volcanic Field

Analysing the science of space weather

Recognising the potential of a significant space weather event to have a catastrophic impact in New Zealand, disrupting critical infrastructure and essential services and the ability for society to function as we know it

Exploring the effect of impacts that may be on a global scale and with long restoration times – what do we do if the rest of the world is in the same boat as us?

Examining key roles and the responsibilities of different agencies in supporting an effective space weather response

Do some of our communication activities actually work counter to enabling communities to respond?

Understanding the impact of the use of mass alerts and the potential for message fatigue or text fatigue

Has the increased use of mass communication text messages led to decreased recognition of threats by the public and awareness of key messaging such as “long strong and gone”? – are people going to wait to be told what to do, which may or may not be possible?

Communicating catastrophe – do we want to or have an obligation to inform the public about the true potential scale of devastation or our inability to ever truly prepare sufficiently?

Managing misinformation and an over-reliance on digital channels

Public communication, psychology and human behaviour in crisis - how people actually behave vs. how planners expect them to and how does this affect how we communicate with people around risk and emergencies

Public communication, psychology and human behaviour in crisis - how people actually behave vs. how planners expect them to and how does this affect how we communicate with people around risk and emergencies

Developing communication strategies for vulnerable populations

Analysing the logistics of best practice evacuation operations and mass movement

Exploring operational principles for large-scale evacuations

Exploring the use of vertical evacuation and the design of vertical refuge structures

Developing strategies for the evacuation of vulnerable populations and at-risk groups

Undertaking Tsunami Inundation Assessment and Evacuation zonation

From plans to practice: Operational readiness, response, and recovery

Mobilising national resources – are we prepared for the all of government response that will be required?

Analysing the key logistics and deployment challenges — people, fuel, supplies and the role of Defence, emergency services, and critical industries – designing surge capacity across all sectors

Health, hospitals, and mass casualty management - triage, surge capacity, and medical evacuation planning

Medical system resilience, hospital evacuation and continuity planning

Exploring the ethical, logistical and psychosocial challenges of managing mass fatalities. potentially many thousands in the case of a catastrophic event

Prioritising the restoration of lifeline utilities and critical infrastructure

Managing interdependencies and cascading failures

Coordinating responses across multiple sites – locally, regionally and nationally – making tough tactical decisions with limited resources

Dealing with the massive welfare challenge of evacuated populations

Commercial and civil society responses- leveraging the supply chain capabilities of business to provide access to crucial supplies

Scaling up lessons from the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle

International assistance and diplomatic coordination- requesting and integrating international aid

The Recovery Gap —recognising that the weakest link in our understanding and planning is what life will be like in the weeks and months after a catastrophic event

Undertaking financial impact analysis and modelling

Achieving supply chain resilience and business continuity planning

Housing and land decisions - retreat vs rebuild

Insurance and financial sector engagement

Remapping coastlines and rebuilding communities

Coordinating recovery governance and funding