Join us for the seminar “Innovation in Disaster Management: Policy, Early Warning & Decision-Support”, co-hosted with the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation (DSTI). This online event explores how emerging technologies, data-driven tools, and policy innovations are transforming the way we prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
With climate-related risks intensifying and urban vulnerabilities becoming more complex, effective disaster management requires integrating multi-hazard early warning systems, decision-support platforms, and people-centred approaches into planning and response frameworks.
Drawing on insights from policy experts, researchers, practitioners, and technology developers, this session will:
Highlight innovative solutions and practical tools that strengthen disaster resilience.
Explore strategies to enhance preparedness and reduce disaster impacts across South Africa and beyond.
Feature municipal perspectives on embedding innovation in disaster risk reduction and everyday service delivery.
Date: Thursday, 6 November 2025
Time: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (SAST)
Format: Online Event
Participation is free, register here.
Meet our speakers
- Dr. Wilfred Lunga (HSRC) - is a multidisciplinary researcher bridging Indigenous Knowledge Systems, climate change, and disaster risk reduction. He focuses on community resilience and integrating traditional insights with scientific research to enhance climate data use and policy. With expertise in climate data integration, cross-cultural dialogue, and risk communication in remote contexts, he leads research and projects across Africa and Asia, advancing inclusive, data-driven, and locally grounded climate solutions.
- Mr Faizal Seedat is the Senior Manager for Strategic Planning in eThekwini Municipality’s Human Settlements Directorate, leading inputs into the IDP, SDF, and related plans. He has received awards for pioneering the Informal Settlement Programme and advancing the Collaborative Informal Settlement Action approach as part of the City’s Resilience Strategy. As joint Technical Lead on the UK Prosperity Fund’s ISIMS project, he championed data-driven informal settlement planning. He also chairs the Informal Settlement Incremental Upgrading Forum, driving the City-Wide Incremental Upgrading Strategy.
- Ms Tinashe Dube is a socio-spatial researcher at the CSIR, working across policy, infrastructure, and sustainability in South Africa’s human settlements sector. Her expertise includes green building policy, housing innovation, and climate-responsive design. She has contributed to initiatives such as Johannesburg’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Strategy and the national STI4SHS Roadmap, focusing on heritage and culture. A PhD candidate at Wits University, her research explores how rural–urban migrants adapt domestic spaces in postcolonial African cities. She also leads youth-focused citizen science projects linking architecture, digital tools, and sustainability.
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