Melissa Parsons

Dr Melissa Parsons

Researcher
About
Dr Melissa Parsons

Dr Melissa Parsons is a river scientist with broad-ranging research interests in river monitoring and assessment, large flood disturbances, river ecology, river and floodplain resilience, building resilience to natural hazards, public policy and water resource management. Melissa works at the interface between theoretical and applied science, examining the ways that theories such as resilience can be applied to deliver management outcomes. 

Melissa has worked on several national-scale environmental assessments including the National Carbon Accounting System and the AUSRIVAS river health assessment.  Her post-doctoral research examined the ecological effects of the February 2000 floods across southern Africa on the rivers of Kruger National Park.  Melissa currently co-leads a project within the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC to develop an Australian Natural Disaster Resilience Index.

Project leadership

This project developed an index of the current state of disaster resilience in Australian communities – the Australian Disaster Resilience Index. The Index is a tool for assessing the resilience of communities to natural hazards at a large scale and is designed to provide input into macro-level policy, strategic planning and community engagement activities at national, state and local government levels.

Deliverables include the development of disaster resilience indicators, maps of disaster resilience at multiples scales, a State of Disaster Resilience Report, and examples that use the Index in a natural hazard resilience planning context.

The research was completed through the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC's Tactical Research Fund.
Research team:

Research team

Type Project Research team
Commissioned Research The human dimensions of environmental crime mparsons, alykins, rbartel, ebarclay, ireeve
31 Aug 2020
Key findings: The Australian Disaster Resilience Index is a snapshot of the capacities for disaster...
27 Aug 2019
Australian communities face increasing losses and disruption from natural disasters. Disaster...
The Australian Natural Disaster Resilience Index
19 Sep 2018
The Australian Natural Disaster Resilience Index will assess and report the resilience of...
Virtually Resolute: Influencing Decision-Making to Promote Mental Health and Reduce Flood Driving
18 Sep 2018
Flood driving fatalities are on the rise despite appeals to the general public. While much is known...
The Australian Natural Disaster Resilience Index
30 Jun 2017
Australia faces increasing losses from natural hazard events. Resilient communities will be better...
Factors affecting long term community recovery
30 Jun 2017
This project will address two complimentary areas of research relating to the long term recovery of...
Virtually resolute: influencing decision-making to promote mental health and reduce flood driving
30 Jun 2017
Flood fatalities are on the rise despite appeals to the general public for behavioural change....
Melissa Parsons Conference Poster 2016
12 Aug 2016
The Australian natural disaster resilience index (ANDRI) will assess the state of disaster...
The Australian Natural Disaster Resilience Index: Assessing the Resilience of Australian Communities to Natural Hazards
18 Aug 2015
Resilient communities are better able to anticipate hazards, withstand adversity, reduce losses and...
The Australian natural disaster resilience index: A system for assessing the resilience of Australian communities to natural hazards
25 Aug 2014
Resilient communities will be better able to anticipate hazards, withstand adversity, reduce losses...

Resources credited

Type Released Title Download Key Topics
Presentation-Audio-Video 29 Jul 2020 The Australian Disaster Resilience Index – User guide: interpreting the Index File Save (0 bytes)
Presentation-Audio-Video 29 Jul 2020 The Australian Disaster Resilience Index – User guide: selecting and saving areas File Save (0 bytes)
Presentation-Audio-Video 29 Jul 2020 The Australian Disaster Resilience Index – User guide: dashboard features File Save (0 bytes)
Presentation-Audio-Video 15 Jul 2020 Introducing the Australian Disaster Resilience Index File Save (0 bytes) communities, preparedness, resilience
Presentation-Slideshow 09 Jul 2019 The Australian Natural Disaster Resilience Index: A profile of Australia’s disaster resilience PDF icon Save (1.47 MB) economics, planning, policy
Presentation-Slideshow 18 Jun 2019 The Australian Natural Disaster Resilience Index: A profile of Australia’s disaster resilience PDF icon Save (975.98 KB) communities, resilience
Presentation-Slideshow 17 Apr 2018 The Australian Natural Disaster Resilience Index PDF icon Save (2.17 MB) mitigation, multi-hazard, resilience
HazardNoteEdition 15 Sep 2017 Assessing Australia's resilience to natural hazards PDF icon Save (495.38 KB) communities, policy, resilience
Presentation-Slideshow 07 Sep 2017 Cultural worldviews and natural hazard risk perception: a pilot study of Australian adults PDF icon Save (540.59 KB) communities, indigenous communities, vulnerability
Presentation-Slideshow 07 Sep 2017 The Australian Natural Disaster Resilience Index PDF icon Save (928.51 KB) multi-hazard, resilience, vulnerability
Presentation-Slideshow 07 Jul 2017 Lightning presentation: the Australian Natural Disaster Resilience Index PDF icon Save (1.16 MB) multi-hazard, resilience, vulnerability
Presentation-Slideshow 18 Apr 2017 Factors Affecting Long Term Community Recovery PDF icon Save (261.69 KB) communities, recovery, resilience
Presentation-Slideshow 18 Apr 2017 The Australian Natural Disaster Resilience Index - April 2017 PDF icon Save (2.78 MB) multi-hazard, resilience, vulnerability
HazardNoteEdition 14 Jun 2016 What is disaster resilience and how can it be measured? PDF icon Save (373.58 KB) communities, indigenous communities, resilience
Presentation-Slideshow 17 May 2016 The Australian natural disaster resilience index: a system for assessing the resilience of Australian communities to natural hazards PDF icon Save (2.56 MB) communities, multi-hazard, resilience
Presentation-Slideshow 10 Apr 2015 The Australian Natural Disaster Resilience Index 2015 NSW RAF Presentation PDF icon Save (3.5 MB) communities, multi-hazard, resilience
Presentation-Slideshow 08 Sep 2014 The Australian natural disaster resilience index PDF icon Save (1.17 MB) communities, resilience
Presentation-Slideshow 19 Mar 2014 The Australian natural disasters resilience index PDF icon Save (612.61 KB) capability, multi-hazard, resilience

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