Emily Ha, Nanako Reza, Sophia Constantino from our lab were awarded the Best Student Presentation at the 14th Aceh International Workshop and Expo on Sustainable Tsunami Disaster Recovery (AWIEST-DR 2022) for their presentation on The ‘tsunagari’ to recovery: Social capital and place in facilitating infrastructure reconstruction after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Congratulations!
The Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research Collaborative Regional Research Programme has awarded funding (USD 70,000) to a team led by Dr Aaron Opdyke to build decision-making capacity for flood risk under climate change. The project “Advancing Local Flood Decision-Making for Disaster Risk Reduction” aims to transform disaster risk assessments by understanding how climate change will impact localised flood risk and unpack how these assessments can be better incorporated into local planning processes. The project team will accomplish this through an in-depth study of two catchment basins located in the Municipality of Carigara (Leyte, Philippines) and the Regency of Singkil…
Dr Aaron Opdyke was one of only two recipients nationally awarded a Citation for Outstanding Early Career Contributions to Engineering Education by the Australasian Association for Engineering Education. The award recognises his contributions to professionalising humanitarian engineering education and "for development of engineering curricula, resources or services that reflect a command of the field". Read more about the award here.
Disasters pose a significant threat to global development and poverty reduction. In developing communities, understanding disaster risk can be challenging in data scarce environments. This research aims to transform disaster risk assessments by understanding how climate change will impact localised flood risk and unpack how these assessments can be better incorporated into local planning processes. The project team will accomplish this through in-depth study of two catchment basins located in the Municipality of Carigara (Leyte, Philippines) and the Regency of Singkil (Aceh, Indonesia). Hydrological modelling will incorporate downscaled climate change models, in combination with vulnerability assessments, to examine shifting flood risk patterns. We will use focus groups, key informant interviews, and serious games to develop a flood decision tool for local governments to better understand and apply flood climate models. Results will inform strategies to improve resilience of resource-constrained communities.
Dr Aaron Opdyke has been awarded funding (AUD 9,000) from the University of Sydney Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Services for work in collaboraiton with Maranuka to examine research priorities for infrastructure needs in Aboriginal communities and how to integrate into exisiting engineering curriculmn.
The American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) has named Dr Aaron Opdyke as a 2021 New Face of Civil Engineering. The program highlights the next generation of civil engineering leaders. https://youtu.be/VFCjPgRZ26o Opdyke was interviewed by ASCE as part of the recognition, provided below. The original article can be found on ASCE's Source. Math has its limitations. It’s likely a controversial opinion among engineers, but one not without merit. Perhaps Aaron Opdyke says it better: “As engineers, we need to look beyond the technical solutions.” Opdyke is passionate about teaching technical knowledge within a socioeconomic context as a leader of a…
Dr Aaron Opdyke has received an Early Career Researcher Development Grant ($50,000 AUD) from the Faculty of Engineering. The funding will support new research that will examine how local knowledge can enhance engineering flood models to transform disaster risk assessments. The one-year project will compare individual household perceptions, community-based assessments, and engineering models in the Municipality of Carigara, located in the Philippines.
Dr Aaron Opdyke has been awarded a $247,500 AUD New Colombo Plan (NCP) grant from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to support a 3 year mobility program in the Philippines focused on disaster reduction education. The program will partner with Ateneo de Manila University's Humanitarian Action program and support 75 Australian students who will work alongside Filipino students in collaboration with local civil society and government organisations on short term placements.
Disasters cost the global economy $520 billion (USD) and drive more than 26 million people into poverty each year. Floods continue to impact the largest number of people of any type of disaster globally, having affected more than two billion people over the last decade. The primary objective of this study seeks to unpack how different methods of assessing hazards influence disaster risk assessments.
Dr Aaron Opdyke, along with a cross-disciplinary team from the University of Sydney, Ateneo de Manila University, and Mindanao State University Marawi, was recently awarded a Partnership Grant from the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre to investigate the how informality is increasingly shaping post-disaster and post-conflict responses. The research team includes Associate Professor Paul Jones (Urban and Regional Planning, School of Architecture, Design, and Planning, The University of Sydney), Mr Benigno (Ninoy) Balgos (Development Studies, Department of Development Studies, School of Social Sciences, Ateneo de Manila University), Associate Professor Acram Latiph (Economics, Department of Economics, Institute for Peace and Development in…