What we do

Disaster Risk Reduction

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SAGE Task Team

Disaster Risk Reduction Task Team

The SAGE Disaster Risk Reduction Task Team supports the use of sub-seasonal to seasonal information in anticipatory action, preparedness, and risk management for high-impact weather, compound events, and cascading risks.

Anticipatory action Preparedness Early warning Risk communication

Overview

The SAGE Disaster Risk Reduction Task Team connects disaster-risk researchers, early-warning specialists, humanitarian actors, and operational partners to examine where S2S forecasts can inform decision timelines before hazards become emergencies.

Its work focuses on preparedness thresholds, uncertainty communication, decision-relevant hazard and risk information, and practical links between forecast science and civil protection, humanitarian action, resilience planning, and community-level disaster risk reduction.

Role within SAGE Connect S2S forecast information with preparedness, early action, and DRR decision-making.
Application focus Support anticipatory action, risk management, civil protection, and humanitarian preparedness.
Contribution Develop knowledge on decision timelines, thresholds, risk communication, and operational use.

Forecast-to-Action Pathway

01

Forecast signal

Identify S2S signals that may indicate elevated risk for high-impact weather or climate-related hazards.

02

Risk interpretation

Translate forecast information into decision-relevant hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and risk information.

03

Preparedness threshold

Connect lead time, uncertainty, and actionable thresholds for preparedness and early action.

04

Anticipatory action

Support civil protection, humanitarian action, institutional preparedness, and community-level DRR.

Team Members

The Disaster Risk Reduction Task Team brings together expertise in risk governance, emergency management, early warning, humanitarian action, hydrometeorological extremes, uncertainty communication, institutional capacity building, and community-level preparedness. Full biographies are available through the SAGE team pages.

Ziqiang Han

Co-lead

Shandong University

Risk governance, disaster and emergency management, preparedness, and resilient city assessment.

CEMADEN

Disaster risk analysis, warning systems, organizational capacity, extreme events, and SAGE leadership.

Shipra Jain

Member

University College London

Weather and climate extremes, hydrometeorological risks, operational research, and climate services.

Dewald van Niekerk

Member

North-West University

DRR governance, anticipatory governance, early warning systems, resilience, and institutional capacity.

Masilin Gudoshava

Member

ICPAC

DRR and climate-service applications in regional preparedness and early warning contexts.

Massey University

Natural-hazard science communication, effective warnings, uncertainty communication, and risk information.

Juan Bazo

Member

Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre

Climate science for humanitarian action, S2S prediction, anticipatory action, and disaster preparedness.

Scope and Priorities

Preparedness

Anticipatory action

Identify where S2S information can support earlier preparedness decisions before hazards become emergencies.

Decision timing

Thresholds and lead times

Connect forecast lead times, uncertainty, and decision points for civil protection, humanitarian, and DRR communities.

Systemic risk

Compound and cascading risks

Support understanding of high-impact, compound, and cascading events affecting communities and infrastructure.

Communication

Early warning and risk communication

Improve how uncertainty, risk information, and preparedness guidance are communicated to decision-makers and communities.

Capacity

Resilience and institutions

Link S2S applications with resilience planning, DRR governance, institutional capacity, and preparedness.

Operations

Humanitarian applications

Explore practical ways to make S2S information accessible, reliable, and usable for early-action protocols.

Current and Planned Activities

Work programme in preparation

Details of current and planned activities will be added after further input from the Disaster Risk Reduction Task Team. This section may include reviews, case studies, workshops, research instruments, stakeholder engagement, or operational pilots.

Expected Outputs

Outputs to be confirmed

Expected outputs will be updated as the Task Team further develops its work programme. Potential outputs may include synthesis materials, case studies, guidance notes, workshop summaries, and contributions to SAGE meetings and newsletters.

Related Resources

This page will be updated as the Disaster Risk Reduction Task Team further develops its work programme, activities, and outputs within SAGE.