Resilience Live Episode 14: Communicating Resilience: Visualization, Virtual/Augmented Reality, Serious Games, and AI
Date: October 30, 2024
Speaker: Dr. Bruce Malamud
Bionote: Dr. Bruce Malamud is the Wilson Chair of Hazard and Risk and the Director of the Institute of Hazard, Risk, and Resilience (IHRR) at Durham University. His research focuses on multi-hazard interrelationships as well as single-hazard studies, including landslides, earthquakes, floods, and wildfires. His work spans topics such as anthropogenic processes, invasive species, time-series analyses, mathematical models, visualization, complexity, confronting models with data, and science communication. He has held leadership roles as the President of the Natural Hazards Division of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) and as Programme Committee Chair for the EGU Series on New Dimensions for Natural Hazards in Asia, and he serves as the executive editor of Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (NHESS).
Presentation Abstract: In this talk, Dr. Bruce Malamud explored how innovative tools—visualization, serious games, virtual/augmented reality, and artificial intelligence—can be used to communicate resilience more effectively. These technologies help bridge the gap between science and society, making disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) more engaging and accessible. Visualization was introduced in the context of both quantitative and qualitative data, with examples provided on how serious games, virtual/augmented reality, and AI are being used to enhance resilience. Dr. Malamud also discussed some of the challenges these technologies present. For instance, while AI offers powerful insights, it requires careful scrutiny, and serious games provide a different kind of evidence, prompting consideration of how to validate and utilize such experiential learning. Virtual reality, though immersive, raises questions about how to engage effectively with audiences. This talk was not intended to delve deeply into any one topic but aimed to spark discussion and offer illustrative ideas on the use of these tools. Throughout, Dr. Malamud explored how to convey uncertainty in these methods, ensuring that both the strengths and limitations of resilience-building efforts were communicated.