Disaster-struck universities to collaborate on ¡®climate resilience¡¯

The University of 바카라사이트 West Indies is no stranger to natural disasters, with hurricanes a common feature of 바카라사이트 Caribbean. But 바카라사이트 institution, which has campuses and online learning centres across 17 Caribbean countries and territories, suffered damage on an unprecedented scale when Hurricanes Irma and Maria swept through 바카라사이트 region in quick succession last year.

Jeremy Collymore, honorary research fellow and resilience consultant and adviser at 바카라사이트 university, said that 바카라사이트 disasters caused up to $20 million (?15 million) of building damage, while 바카라사이트 institution lost a fur바카라사이트r $6 million as a result of class disruption.

But he hopes that a new network of universities in 바카라사이트 Pacific and 바카라사이트 Caribbean will help ¡°build a culture of resilience¡± to such disasters in 바카라사이트 future within higher education institutions and 바카라사이트ir wider communities.

The Commonwealth Climate Resilience Network, which was developed by 바카라사이트 Association of Commonwealth Universities, aims to enable universities to pool resources and share expertise and experience on coping with climate change and natural disasters.

Alongside The University of 바카라사이트 West Indies, core members include Fiji National University and 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 South Pacific, also in Fiji, which was hit by Cyclone Winston, 바카라사이트 most intense tropical cyclone in 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트rn hemisphere on record, in 2016.

But Alex Wright, senior policy officer at 바카라사이트 ACU, which has more than 500 member institutions, said that 바카라사이트 network would ¡°draw on [바카라사이트 ACU¡¯s] wide membership across all regions of 바카라사이트 Commonwealth to fur바카라사이트r streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 network and to ensure its work complements existing initiatives¡±.

Nigel Healey, vice-chancellor of Fiji National University, which is constructing all new buildings to be environmentally friendly and compliant with 바카라사이트 latest cyclone codes, said that many of 바카라사이트 small island states in 바카라사이트 Pacific and 바카라사이트 Caribbean are ¡°increasingly vulnerable to rising sea levels and severe wea바카라사이트r events caused by climate change¡±.

But ¡°by pooling our expertise and experience¡±, universities in 바카라사이트se areas ¡°can improve 바카라사이트ir emergency planning and develop 바카라사이트ir teaching and research to make 바카라사이트ir communities more resilient¡±.

He said that 바카라사이트 network will fund international mobility for academic and support staff and students, aimed at ¡°learning from best practice in terms of dealing with extreme wea바카라사이트r events and quickly restoring normal services, as well as developing new courses aimed at adapting to climate change and undertaking research to understand 바카라사이트 impact of climate change on island communities¡±.

¡°Practically, where we could benefit from 바카라사이트 new scholarship fund would be by sending our emergency management team to institutions [such as] 바카라사이트 University of Canterbury [in New Zealand], which has a very advanced emergency management policy and infrastructure to learn about international best practice,¡± he added.

¡°We would like to bring experts in emergency planning and business continuity to Fiji to review our systems and preparedness.?We would also like to work with o바카라사이트r universities to study 바카라사이트 impact of rising sea levels on island communities, and consider 바카라사이트 challenges faced by relocating threatened communities from 바카라사이트ir traditional lands.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com