The 4th International Disaster and Risk Conference will be held on the topic: "Integrative Risk Management in a Changing World: Pathways to a Resilient Society".

Today’s societies are faced with numerous interconnected, complex and emerging risks. Environmental, technical, social and economic risks are often closely linked and can result in successive impact. For example the recent earthquake in Japan, resulted in a disastrous tsunami, creating nuclear meltdown at its key facilities. Risks and disasters explored at the IDRC include, amongst others, natural hazards, failures of critical infrastructure and ser-vices, pandemics, acts of terrorism and financial crises. All can severely impact and influ-ence human beings and collective societies.

Participants of IDRC include risk management experts, practitioners, scientists, key players from civil society, Non-Governmental Organizations and the private sector. The diversity of participants enables both a strategic and operational level of discussion to ensure “the last mile” will be considered with key players from line ministries and disaster and risk management authorities. IDRC Davos 2012 helps bridge the gap in problem solving between the causes of problems governance, and technology.