GfGD Contributes to Free Online Course on Building Sustainable and Resilient Communities

GfGD has contributed to a new open-access e-learning course designed to enhance the engagement of natural hazard scientists in disaster risk reduction (DRR). The course, titled "Building Sustainable and Resilient Communities: Actions for Natural Hazard Scientists," was announced at the European Geoscience Union’s General Assembly in Vienna in April. It is available on the Open University’s ‘Open Learn’ platform.

This course features seven comprehensive modules that support participants in exploring good practices, evaluating current DRR approaches, and designing effective research-based DRR activities. The modules emphasize integrating natural hazard science into DRR to support sustainable and resilient communities.

Understanding Earth processes is crucial for hazard analysis, which informs actions needed to manage and reduce disaster risk. This course aims to equip scientists with the knowledge and skills to contribute effectively to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Developed by experts including Dr. Joel C. Gill (GfGD and Cardiff University), Dr. Solmaz Mohadjer (University of Tübingen and Parsquake), Dr. Faith Taylor (King’s College London), and Caitlin Jay (Arup), the course draws inspiration from a peer-reviewed article published in the EGU journal Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences.

Access the course here: OpenLearn Course. Aspects of the course are still in development. It has been made available to solicit feedback and help the authors understand what improvements are required.

Help improve the course by providing feedback: Feedback Form

Stay updated on our educational resources: GfGD Education. This online course is the next step in our commitment to resourcing the global geoscience community to help contribute to sustainable development. Additional educational resources generated by Geology for Global Development can be found on our website.