Understanding Risk Forum 2016 in Venice, Italy

A CCOUC field trainee Ms Karen Li attended the Understanding Risk Forum 2016 held in Venice, Italy from 16 to 20 May 2016. The annual forum is initiated by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), a partnership of 36 countries and seven international organisations managed by the World Bank since 2006. More than 650 specialists and students from the field of risk reduction, representing more 100 countries and over 350 organisations, participated in the fourth forum. Over 50 sessions were held during the 5-day event, including training events, workshops and plenaries, aiming to facilitate the exchange of ideas among professionals from all over the world.

At the poster presentation event named “Risk assessment, risk reduction and risk mitigation – what role do models, numbers, text and stories play?” on 18 May, Ms Li shared her experience with the CCOUC team in risk reduction work in Yingjiang County at Yunnan Province of China with the risk reduction academics. She also exchanged with specialists and professionals her ideas in risk reduction advocacy and policy making as well as climate change and its correlation with disaster risk.

“This experience was new and very rewarding,” said Ms Li. “I opened up my eyes to the different approaches that can be taken in risk assessment, such as integrating the cultural behaviours of the community into risk assessment. And it was so inspiring to see how organisations, both large and small, are contributing to helping communities mitigate risk.” She is looking forward to participating more in risk reduction work in the future and practising what she learnt.

Ms Li is a Year 3 medical student in the Global Physician-Leadership Stream of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She joined CCOUC Ethnic Minority Health Project as a field trainee.