The Environmental Disaster Resilience Cluster will focus on a range of disasters impacting communities and the environment in California and beyond, particularly those augmented or driven by climate change. This will include, among other themes, wildland fire innovations to protect people, property and the planet; flooding from sea level rise and associated impacts on coastal communities, industry and environments; air and water pollution monitoring, modeling, and innovations to reduce exposure of those already overexposed. The cluster will bring together industry, academia and governmental agencies to collaborate on research, development, pilots, tests, and evaluations of new and emerging technologies in disaster prevention and response. The cluster is committed to building disaster resilience in a sustainable, accessible and equitable manner.
The Environmental Disaster Resilience Cluster will be led by The UC Berkeley Disaster Lab. The Disaster Lab supports the development of innovations which aim to prevent, mitigate, and foster faster recovery from climate-change related disasters in California and beyond — currently focusing on wildfires, earthquakes, and ocean impacts. The Disaster Lab focuses on those technologies with the potential to significantly improve prevention and response, particularly those with disruptive potential. Disaster Lab partners with other faculty and labs across the U.C. Berkeley campus to facilitate connections with first responders and frontline communities, ensuring lab research and innovation meets the needs of those most impacted by environmental disasters.