Australian bushfires & floods
This short blog focuses in on Australian bushfires and floods. It has been updated in March 2024, as late summer bushfires threaten a number of localities across Australia. Whilst the majority of examples relate to bushfires, the principles behind them apply equally to floods (as well as to other Australian hazards such as tropical cyclones and drought). This blog is written by Chris Piper, an Australian-based Global Humanitarian Practitioner (GHP) and Teacher/Trainer/Facilitator. With regards Australian bushfires and floods he has been involved in coordinating volunteer recovery responses to the 2009 Victorian bushfires and 2011 floods, as well as acting as Bushfire Recovery Adviser (BRA) to the Baptist Union of Victoria (BRA) following the 2020/2021 bushfires. He also teaches on different aspects of bushfire recovery work on the TorqAid Participatory Disaster Risk Management (PDRM) program.
The Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Diagrammatic Framework is a very useful approach to better understanding disasters, particularly as they pass through their Normal/Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Emergency Response & Recovery Stages. See the enclosed article here.
DownloadThe Australian 2019/2020 bushfire season was unprecedented in its intensity and geographical spread. Following the fires, Chris worked from March-May as BRA for the BUV, this involving him visiting and supporting affected communities in the east of Victoria. The following two links highlight some aspects of his visits to the field.
BUV Video on Corryong, 5-6th March 2020
https://www.buv.com.au/news/corryong-and-surrounds-from-bushfires-to-covid-19
BUV Video on Gippsland, 11-12th March 2020
https://www.buv.com.au/news/an-update-on-our-response-to-the-bushfires
In January 2020 Chris prepared an article on the bushfires for the March 2020 edition of the Geography Teachers Association of Victoria’s (GTAV) quarterly ‘Interaction’ magazine. This includes some suggested Classroom Activities for Secondary level students. This gives a good overview of the Emergency Response Stage of the bushfires; some comments on the recovery challenges throughout 2020, this complicated by COVID-19; and some thoughts on future Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) initiatives, these including some related to climate change.
DownloadBased on his BRA work, Chris prepared an article in mid 2020 on training for bushfire-related field staff and volunteers, these people involved in recovery work within a COVID-19 context.
DownloadFollowing the earlier 2009 bushfires in Victoria, Chris coordinated some church-based community recovery work on a number of weekends during 2009-2011. He produced a Project Design Document (PDD) relating to this, and interested folk can contact on chris@torqaid.com to request a copy of this.
Following this 2009-2011 work, Chris prepared a short article on the management of volunteers in such pst-bushfire and flood situations.
DownloadAspects of bushfires is covered in Topics TC 01 and TC 02 of the aforementioned PDRM program. the first link below relates to PDRM training offered throughout 2024, with the second link to the more specific online PDRM running from the end of February through to mid-May 2024.
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