讲座简介：

Water resources management is undergoing a fundamental transition from risk-based to resilience-based decision making. Traditional approaches emphasized identifying hazards, assessing vulnerabilities, and documenting roles, responsibilities, and procedures. While effective in parts, this paradigm has proven insufficient under conditions of accelerating global change, where hazards are increasing and resilience is simultaneously eroded.

Resilience-based decision making offers a more proactive and integrative framework, emphasizing prevention, mitigation, preparedness, recovery, and response in equal measure. It builds on emergency planning experience but moves further—placing stronger emphasis on action-based resilience planning, community engagement, and recognition of diverse needs, strengths, and vulnerabilities. Global case studies demonstrate that resilience enhances the capacity of complex water and social systems to absorb disturbances while maintaining critical functions.

This presentation introduces a systems framework for quantifying resilience as the ability of physical and social systems to withstand and adapt to disturbance. The framework considers interactions across the built and natural environment, social dynamics, metabolic flows, and governance networks. By shifting from a risk-centered to a resilience-centered perspective, water resources management can better support sustainable development, climate adaptation, and long-term human wellbeing.

主讲人简介：

Slobodan P. Simonovic is Professor Emeritus at Western University (Canada) and a world leader in applying systems approaches to complex water resources management problems. His pioneering research integrates systems dynamics, risk analysis, and decision support for disaster management, global change adaptation, and resilience building. He has developed widely used computer-based tools, including systems modeling platforms for water and disaster management, downscaling tools for climate data, web-based platforms for evaluating global change impacts, urban infrastructure resilience assessment, updating rainfall statistics under climate change, and visualizing climate-driven flooding across Canada. Widely published and honored, he continues to shape international water and disaster policy.