Key facts
Start date: 1 to 5 March 2027
Cost: Full week: $1,800 +GST. Per day: $450 +GST
Duration: 5 days
Delivery mode: In person
Location:
Massey University
Wellington campus
Wallace Street
Mt Cook
Wellington
New Zealand
Overview
The Emergency Management Institute programme has been developed as a set of cohesive topics for each day to provide a theoretical and practical introduction to selected knowledge, concepts and skills in risk and emergency management. Each day includes a review of Aotearoa New Zealand and international research and practice. The topics are explored through a series of relevant, real-world case studies. Each day includes sessions that provide practical tools and guidance for turning theory into practice.
Who this course is for
This course is designed for those involved in all aspects of emergency management:
- planners
- educators
- engineers
- local and central government policy makers
- insurance managers
- researchers
- emergency managers
- utility and property owners.
The institute will also be part of the Massey course 130706 Emergency Management in Practice. If you are enrolled in the Massey course you will automatically be enrolled for the institute, at no additional cost. However, you do not need to be enrolled in the course to attend the institute.
Course content and structure
Day 1: Emergency Planning and Coordination
An exploration of the range of risk and emergency management planning processes and issues that need to be addressed at national, regional, local, iwi, community and organisational levels. An introduction to the fundamental risk and emergency management concepts and how these are applied in Aotearoa New Zealand through the lens of a number of recent events.
Day 2: Mana Whenua and Māori Community Roles in Disasters
Hosted at a local marae, we explore how to better understand the roles of Māori attributes (knowledge, values and practices) during disasters, drawing on some past experiences of iwi, hapū and marae.
Day 3: Warning Systems for Hazard Events
An examination of issues in improving the public’s response to warning systems for weather, flooding, tsunami, and other hazards. This includes co-development and participatory approaches to science development and communication, identifying decision-relevant communication strategies. We explore international examples of effective end-to-end warning systems and research into their effectiveness. We discuss existing training approaches among emergency agencies, implementing new technologies and approaches, and address the role of communities in developing and maintaining effective systems.
Day 4: Wellbeing and Resilience in Disasters
Drawing on recent research in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally, we explore evidence-based approaches to enhancing wellbeing in the disaster context. We discuss the role of public education (including schools), community engagement and public participation in building resilient communities. We examine resilience initiatives for both Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas and consider wellbeing for a diversity of communities. We cover monitoring and evaluation strategies.
Day 5: Hazard Landscapes and Mitigation Strategies
An active field excursion exploring many aspects of risk, emergency management and examples of mitigation in Wellington and the Hutt Valley. We visit tsunami hazard zones, discuss tsunami warnings, explore the Wellington Fault and resilient infrastructure on it. We look at land-use planning and building regulation and design for earthquakes, tsunami, landslides and flooding, and examine community-based preparedness activities.
Meet your facilitators
This course is run by the Joint Centre for Disaster Research.
Registrations
Registrations will be open until 22 February 2027.
After registering, please use one of the following links to arrange payment:
Contact information
For enquiries, please contact us at jcdr.enquiry@massey.ac.nz