Pioneering Resilient Cities and Beyond – A Vision for a Safer, Sustainable Tomorrow
Bachelor of Engineering in Environmental Engineering
Griffith alumnus and professor, Cheryl Desha, is reimagining our cities – working with decision-makers to strengthen the resilience of our cities, our communities and our lives.
A Fellow of Engineers Australia and a Chartered Engineer, Cheryl’s journey is one marked by a deep commitment to creating a sustainable and resilient urban environment.
As a theme leader at The Cities Research Institute – one of Australia's largest concentrations of researchers focusing on all aspects of cities and urban transformation – what motivates Cheryl each day is a profound understanding of the interconnectedness of humanity and the environment.
“Put simply, when ecosystems are at risk, humanity is at risk,” notes Cheryl.
From fire to flood to more intense storms and heat waves, climate change is bringing about a world in which resilience will matter more than ever for our cities.
“Queensland receives nearly two-thirds of the nation’s disasters. When we look back at the last decade of expenditure from a government context, in Queensland around $16 billion has been spent on response and recovery — and about $0.25 billion on prevention and planning. We must harness opportunities to ‘build back better’ and adapt our infrastructure to changing conditions,” explains Cheryl.
One of Cheryl’s significant endeavours has been leading Griffith University's N79 building, also known as the Engineering, Technology, and Aviation Building, which houses a groundbreaking Disaster and Resilience Management Facility on its first level – used by Queensland government disaster management agencies during natural disasters.
In 2021, she was named ‘Engineer of the Year’ by Engineers Australia, recognising her work as an academic engineer and demonstrating the strengthening links between engineers in universities and industry.
Navigating Tomorrow's Crises: Unveiling Innovative Paths in Disaster Management
“Our decision-makers – across industry, government and communities – are increasingly tired and time-poor. Universities are places where thought leadership can be facilitated – we are ‘by-design’ equipped to play a role. We have a workforce ready to step up and lean into disaster management problems and challenges,” notes Cheryl.
Innovations in disaster management:
Cheryl leads the team of 12 academics and 20 PhD students that make up the Disaster Resilience Research theme, a priority within the Institute, that is focussed on digital earth decision-support, food security and disaster waste management. Some of the projects they are working on include;
- Decision-Support - right-time, right-place information using ‘way finding’ smart-phone applications to expedite access to life-saving information before, during and after disasters – ensuring people know where to go, where to find food and how to access recovery support.
- Biomimicry-inspired problem-solving, learning from and mimicking nature's processes, structures and systems to find ways to improve community capacity, including exploring ways that the 2032 Olympic Game infrastructure solutions can improve ecosystem health.
- Thought leadership in Strategic Resilience. Providing executive education and building capacity and expertise amongst our emergency leaders, focusing on cyclones and the growing risk of southern migration along Queensland’s coastline.
In Professor Desha, the world has an inspiring advocate for resilient infrastructure and disaster management, weaving a narrative of hope and transformation for cities and beyond. Her commitment to regenerative development and 'doing well by doing good for the planet' is a testament to her vision for a sustainable and resilient future.
Join us in building resilience together
The CRI works with government, business and peak industry bodies, as well as community organisations and researchers from around the world.
Their role is to foster thought leadership in disaster risk reduction investments that also enable community resilience and rebuild the health of planetary systems such as the atmosphere, oceans and biodiversity.
If you would like to discuss new research projects, partnership arrangements or other collaborations, please contact the CRI.
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