About Us
Message from Director
Hong Kong, like other cities and countries, encounters natural disasters of different forms and intensities in the face of rapid climate change. As we aspire to continue to develop sustainably, there is a need to systematically mitigate, reduce and prepare for the adverse impacts of hazards and the possibility of disasters. Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a sine qua non for a safer future, a more resilient city and a more resilient economy. All stakeholders such as the government, civil society and the private sector need to work together to contribute to our future. From the perspective of sustainability, the PolyU–UNISDR Collaboration Programme (PolyU–UNISDR CoPe) aims to establish a platform for communication among academics, practitioners and policymakers from Hong Kong and nearby countries and territories by implementing research, education and network building.
So far, the one-year PolyU–UNISDR CoPe has achieved well its purpose of promoting risk-informed public policies for risk-resilient development through innovative research and educational initiatives within the short time-frame. Most notable is our initiation of good collaborative partnerships and networks among local, regional and international stakeholders and which will continue to be developed. Despite the end of the one-year programme, PolyU will continue to support and participate in UNISDR's initiatives to implement the Sendai Framework 2015-2030 both locally, regionally and internationally through its networks and innovative DRR academic initiatives. They include observing the International Day for Disaster Reduction, utilizing tools from UNISDR's “Making Cities Resilient" campaign to “Make Hong Kong a Resilient City," and developing educational programmes and research projects to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in DRR among academics, the scientific and technological communities, other stakeholders, and policymakers so as to promote risk-informed policies and actions in the city and nearby regions.
Dr Timothy Sim
Director, PolyU–UNISDR CoPe
Associate Professor, Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University