Natural disasters occur because we live where nature can harm us. Natural disasters can also catastrophically impact on the natural environment itself. The frequency, extent and cost of natural disasters is increasing in part due to human interaction and modification (e.g. climate change) to the environment.

Natural disasters are caused by bushfires, land and sea movement (land slip, earthquake, and tsunami), rainfall and flood inundation, tidal inundation, storm surge, cyclones, and intense weather events including severe storms and drought, when they impact on human settlements and the environment itself.

Across the globe, environmental practice is recognised as one discipline in a coordinated approach to support our communities, economies and environments to be natural disaster resilient.

Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) members, supported by our Australian Divisions, New Zealand Chapter, and Special Interest Sections are well placed to make significant improvements in the resilience of our community and environmental assets relating to natural disasters. The Special Interest Sections provide specific support on climate change, heritage, contaminated land, ecology, impact assessment and more recently environmental accounting. In addition, members provide critical expertise, on relationships between human settlements, infrastructure, and natural systems.

The EIANZ provides the following suite of documents to support and guide environmental practitioners to take a lead role in using natural assets to reduce the impacts of natural disasters on our communities and infrastructure, to understand environmental impacts of new development and to manage environmental values within the context of natural disaster resilience. The documents also inform others of the significant value added and opportunities for incorporating management of our natural assets and values in making our communities and environments disaster resilient.

View the documents

EIANZ Position Statement – Environmental Practice and Natural Disaster Resilience

Context and Background – A background to natural disaster resilience and the relationship with environmental management.

Suggested Actions for environmental practitioners, Divisions and Chapters and Special Interest Sections – Delivering Environmental Practice and Natural Disaster Resilience

Key references and resources