Research Summary
Climate change is exacerbating extreme weather events and posing other environmental and societal threats, increasing the need for disaster risk management. However, environmental risk management currently emphasizes engineering-based, reactive solutions rather than strategic, community-engaged and -led approaches. As Canada Research Chair in Community Disaster Research, Dr. Ranjan Datta is working to change that.
He and his research team aim to understand, manage and mitigate environmental risks, particularly in Indigenous, racialized and immigrant communities. Datta’s team is engaging policy experts and community members to cultivate resilience, empower local decision-making, and advocate for social action. By building trust, reciprocity and meaningful collaboration, they aim to create inclusive, adaptive policies and practices that will promote transformative change in disaster resilience.