100 + INNOVATIONS
UNSW Bushfire
Advancing bushfire science to improve firefighter safety, community resilience and environmental sustainability
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Research Centre
Challenge
The increasing severity, frequency and destructiveness of wildfires present significant challenges to communities and ecosystems. UNSW Bushfire investigates extreme fire behaviour, associated processes and coupling effects to deepen understanding of these escalating threats and manage risk. It also focuses on the impact on firefighters, communities, public health and the environment.
Solution
UNSW Bushfire addresses the complex challenge of bushfires through a combination of fundamental and applied research on fire behaviour, developing scientifically robust mathematical models and simulations for integration into fire safety and risk management systems. These tools empower fire behaviour analysts, emergency services, policymakers and industry to make informed decisions.
The team collaborates with academia, end-users and industry to enable the sustainable integration of innovations into existing systems, strengthening community resilience and safety.
Target customers / end-users
• academia
• fire services, government, policymakers, suburban land agencies, Defence
• insurance and reinsurance companies.
Progress
• AU $ 4m + in funding from industry, government and philanthropic partners
• publications in leading scientific journals, such as Science and Nature
• global partnerships with Los Alamos National Laboratory( USA), the Australian Himalayan Foundation and the European Network on Extreme Fire Behaviour.
Societal resilience & cohesion
Innovative research translation
Climate & Clean Energy
UNSW Bushfire’ s research focuses on dynamic fire propagation, extreme fire development, severe fire weather events, fire behaviour modelling, bushfire risk at the wildland-urban interface, and more. UNSW Bushfire is also a national professional education and training provider for government and industry partners.
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