Natural Hazards Research Forum 2025

Natural Hazards Research Australia is hosting the fourth annual Natural Hazards Research Forum at the National Wine Centre in Adelaide from 18 - 20 June 2025.

The Forum serves to be Australia’s pre-eminent meeting place for thought leadership and dialogue based on natural hazards research. It provides a physical meeting place to connect with leading research, reflect on lessons learned and discuss how innovation can support safer, more resilient and sustainable communities going forward. The Forum draws on more than two decades of funded research into natural hazards that affect community resilience and quality of life in Australia and how to best drive resilience to these hazards. In 2025, the Forum will focus on going beyond transactional relationships and initiatives, to focusing on transitions and integrated solutions.

The Forum is an in-person event with a live stream component covers only the plenary sessions over the three days for those who cannot attend in person. The three-day program will have a focus on how using research, science and innovation can, and is, transforming Australia’s disaster resilience and response. The Forum will be an active event, and your participation is encouraged in the discussion, engagement, knowledge sharing and road-mapping of natural hazards research. Your participation will ensure that the research of the Centre is relevant, useful and dynamic to the changing needs of the country.

• Representatives from Centre Participating organisations: registration is included as part of your organisations’ membership of the Centre. No further registration fee applies. Not sure if your organisation is a Participant of the Centre? See a list of Participating organisations here (note that Collaborator organisations are not included as Participating organisations).
• Researchers actively undertaking research with the Centre: registration is included as part of your research role. No further registration fee applies. Centre researchers will receive additional information in early 2025.
• Centre Postgraduate Research Scholarship students: registration is included as part of your scholarship. No further registration fee applies. Postgraduate Research Scholarship students will receive additional information in early 2025.
• If people who don’t fit into the above categories, Forum registration is $660 per person for in-person attendance (GST included, plus booking fees).
• The live stream component covers only the plenary sessions over the three days and is complimentary, but registration is still required.

A draft program is now available. Please note the program will be updated on a regular basis and is subject to change.

We’re excited to announce a series of workshops that will be held over the three days of the forum. The full list of workshops is provided below. To register, please contact Vaia Smirneos, Senior Events Officer, at vaia.smirneos@naturalhazards.com.au to secure your place.

Workshop Options: 

• Support integration of Recovery Capitals in service plans for communities with different levels of social disruption 
  Wednesday 18 June, 7:30am – 12:00pm 
  This workshop will bring together relevant end-user agencies and academics together with Red Cross and the project team to discuss early progress. This opportunity for in-depth engagement will prove invaluable, fostering feedback and identifying additional considerations while it is still early enough to adjust the plans if needed. This will ensure the selected indicators will support end-user partners' strategic decision-making.  
  
  
• Storing and sharing qualitative data 
  Thursday 19 June, 7:30am – 8:45am 
  This workshop will draw on the key project findings to brief participants on the implications for qualitative social research projects. It provides a timely update on expectations, opportunities and benefits regarding storing and sharing data including tips and resources to support managing sensitive data. 
  
  
• Bushfire information database – scoping study 
  Thursday 19 June, 7:30am – 8:45am 
  This workshop will explore the challenges associated with procuring and using data across the emergency sector: “If the key characteristics of a future Australian bushfire data plan are to be envisioned collectively and beyond the organisational boundaries, what data should be included; how should they be catalogued; and how do we enable integrated access, including databases operating and managed independently within the national context?" 
  
  
• Assisted Relocations Community of Practice Workshop
  Thursday 19 June, 7:30am – 8:45am 
  This workshop is an opportunity for participants to exchange learnings regarding assisted relocation programs nationally and internationally.
  
  
• New research projects showcase 
  Friday 20 June, 7:30am – 8:45am 
  This session will provide the opportunity for newly approved Centre projects to be presented to Forum participants. Topics range from managing smoke impacts on firefighter eye health, managing the risk of heat stress for first responders to social media in community experiences of TC Alfred.
  

Please note the live stream component covers only the plenary sessions over the three days and not the workshops or any breakout sessions on any other day.

Want to know what to expect and get inspired? Revisit #NHRF24 with a collection of plenary sessions from day one, posters, presentations and graphic recordings.

If you have any questions about registration, please contact Senior Events Officer, Vaia Smirneos vaia.smirneos@naturalhazards.com.au

Please note the Centre will be supporting various workshop on Tuesday 17 June 2025, more information on the workshops will be available at a later date together with a separate registration link.