Natural hazards science is a sound investment for Australia: Chief Scientist

The Black Summer fires of 2019-2020 in Australia highlights the need for Australia to continue to invest in science to prevent, mitigate and respond to natural hazards.

Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel, delivering the 2020 Dr Laurie Hammond Oration, said there had been enormous progress over many decades, informed by Royal Commissions and Inquiries, plus a large body of research, but “we must do more”.

Dr Finkel’s online talk – Fire, flood, storm and cyclone: a scientific response to the challenge - on Wednesday 19 August was presented by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre as part of National Science Week.

Noting that the Federal Government had recently committed $88 million to scale up funding for critical research into bushfires and natural hazards through a new, world-class research centre , Dr Finkel said this research needed to address both adaptation and mitigation.

 “We need to continue to invest heavily in climate and natural disaster research because our circumstances in Australia continue to evolve: be they community expectations, the siting of buildings and infrastructure and the construction materials used, our unique climate, and climate change,” said Dr Finkel.

After this year’s fires, the Prime Minister asked Dr Finkel in his role as Chief Scientist to work with the science community on practical resilience measures to protect Australia’s natural assets. The recently released CSIRO-lead report on Climate and Disaster Resilience accesses the challenges likely to be faced over the next 20 years.

“The CSIRO report noted that there has been enormous progress over many years, informed not just by Royal Commissions and Inquiries, but also by a huge body of research. Research driven for almost 20 years in part by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC and its predecessor. Research driven in part by our universities and government research agencies. Research driven in response to the needs of the members of AFAC.

“But at the risk of sounding like a broken record repeating the mantra of past Chief Scientists, we must do more.”

Dr Finkel said that Australia was internationally recognised for its bushfire-related research, ranking second in the world in terms of research output. Its strengths were in fire ecology, health impacts, prescribed burning, modelling and predicting fire behaviour, and communications for bushfire preparation.

“Cumulatively, our research translated into action is having a significant impact.”

The CEO of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, Dr Richard Thornton, said the view from the Chief Scientist was a valuable contribution to the broader public discussion on how to respond to the recent fire season.

“Science is only one of many aspects being considered by the many inquiries underway, but it is timely for the nation’s Chief Scientist to broadly address the challenges for science and research arising from the impacts of the 2019-2020 bushfire season and the broader impacts of natural hazards on Australian communities,” Dr Thornton said.

Dr Finkel became Australia’s Chief Scientist in 2016, and his term concludes at the end of this year.

The annual Dr Laurie Hammond Oration is held in honour of the former Chairman of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC. Dr Hammond was appointed independent Chairman of the CRC when it began in 2013 and was integral to the growth and development of the Centre.

Dr Laurie Hammond passed away in 2018 but the annual oration on the use of science to address the real-world issues in natural hazards is a fitting legacy to his belief in the importance of transferring science into practice.

A copy of his speech is available at on the Chief Scientist's website and a recording of the oration can be viewed above or on the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Hazard Channel.