Building resilience towards natural hazards: cross-­‐scale knowledge and institutional linkages.

Our environment is becoming increasingly complex: the rapid urbanisation, often accompanied by uncontrolled use of land, occupation of unsafe environments as well as the increased rate of occurrence of climate events are introducing elements of uncertainty (Pinna, 2002). The idea of certainty or security that was fundamental to risk management in the past, collapses. In this context, the notion of ‘risk society’, introduced by Ulrich Beck in 1992, is considered as a shifting paradigm in world security, where our modern society becomes ever more interdependent and more complex, and consequently more vulnerable to threats and risks. Traditionally, planning plays a central role in the scientific management of risks mostly based on the control of calculated risks. But, the increasing uncertainty and the emerging of new types of risks require an alternative path of planning practice that acknowledges and interacts with society’s risk implications. Despite its lack of clarity, resilience offers opportunities to the uncertainty and insecurity of contemporary context (Davoudi et al., 2012). The overall aim of this research is the exploration of a new path of planning for resilience that responds to the increasing uncertainty in the context of global ‘risk society’. It would contribute to the new dynamic of safety and security by drawing on risk dimensions modifications. Several areas of knowledge are developed within this research aimed to improve ways of governing society resilience that covers the continuous system for mitigation, readiness, and resistance in the context of risks. Out of that, new areas of collaboration are identified among urban and emergency planners, decision makers, and the citizens to strengthen societal resilience.