Daminda Solangaarachchi

PhD Student

Telephone: +61 2 6268 8214
Fax: +61 2 6268 8017
Email: d.solangaarachchi@student.adfa.edu.au
Location: Room 304, PEMS North

Field of Study - Geography

Supervisor: Dr Amy Griffin

Co-Supervisor: Prof. Brian Lees
Co-Supervisor: Mr Michael Doherty, CSIRO Sustainable Systems

Research Topic - Bushfire risk assessment at the urban-bush interface in metropolitan Australia : An integrated modelling approach

In many parts of Australia there has been growth in the population at the urban-rural interface. This population growth is a result of people choosing an idyllic lifestyle to live at the rural-urban interface, or un-affordability of housing within urban areas for those who earn a low income. The environment which draws people to these locations is fire prone and there is a potential threat to lives and property. Although there have been many unforgettable bushfire events with significant impacts, the lack of a risk assessment framework has been the primary limitation to quantitative risk assessment. It is clear that a systematic approach to assess bushfire risk while combining hazard occurrence, social/physical vulnerability and community resilience is required to determine activities of the disaster managers at all phases of the disaster management cycle i.e. pre-event, during the event, post-event. This will help to determine how scarce resources should be utilized in a more effective manner to minimize the impact of the event. Furthermore, it will help to identify the locations of the communities which need assistance in advance. This will also help to make a proper evacuation plan by prioritizing areas when a mass evacuation is required. This research will develop a conceptual model of risk that provides a holistic perspective on natural hazards risk assessment with reference to bushfires. It will incorporate hazard, social vulnerability, physical vulnerability, and the resilience of the urban bush interface.