Research has developed the first, national snapshot of disaster resilience to help governments, local organisations and emergency services improve their communities’ resilience to natural hazards. This summary report outlines the detailed research behind the Australian Disaster Resilience Index.

Though shaped by past elements, history demonstrates that future landscapes will be very different from those of the present. This is particularly so in coastal areas of rapid urban growth. The effects of climate change in the future will therefore be impacting on these quite different landscapes, not on those we see today.