How our research helps individuals and business to withstand and recover from disasters
By analysing the social and economic impacts of disasters and the effectiveness of policy responses, and by developing evidence-based strategies, we help businesses and government to respond to disasters effectively and with agility, and to address their vulnerabilities.
We help individuals, businesses and governments to withstand and recover from the economic impacts of natural and human-induced disasters.
Our research areas
We conduct high-impact research in two areas.
Socio-economic analysis of disasters
- Assessment of the economic and social impacts of different types of disasters across economic actors.
- The resilience of key economic sectors, for example agriculture, energy, mining, manufacturing, environment.
- Disaster effects on Australia’s global economic competitiveness.
Economic and business strategies for effective disaster response
- Economic analysis of policy responses to disasters.
- Alleviating individual and business vulnerabilities to disasters.
- Supporting firms in effective disaster response and achieving business agility.
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Work together with us
Natural disasters are a major disruptive force in Australia, and we're working to improve our ability to mitigate the social and economic damage they cause. Is your organisation seeking to develop its resilience? Find out how we can work together.
Our researchers
The Centre brings together the expertise of researchers across Deakin's Department of Economics.
Professor Mehmet Ulubasoglu
Professor Mehmet Ulubasoglu is Head of the Department of Economics at Deakin Business School (DBS). His research focus is on the economic impacts of disasters, working with national and international government organisations, including the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Asia Pacific Network, and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre.
Professor Mushfiq Mobarak
Professor Mushfiq Mobarak is the Jerome Kasoff ’54 Professor of Management and Economics at Yale University. He has collaborated with governments and NGOs in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal on research projects investigating Covid-19 impact, and face-mask distributions and vaccinations as pandemic responses.
Dr Hemant Pullabhotla
Dr Hemant Pullabhotla is a lecturer in the Department of Economics at DBS. His research uses Multi-Agency Data Integration Project (MADIP) data and Australian Census Longitudinal Dataset (ACLD) to investigate the impact of bushfire smoke on Australia’s population health.
Dr Pallavi Shukla
Dr Pallavi Shukla is a lecturer in the Department of Economics at DBS. Dr Shukla’s research uses data from India to investigate the effectiveness of universal basic income in boosting disaster resilience.
Dr Lan Tong
Dr Lan Tong is a research fellow at the Department of Economics at DBS. She has been involved in the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre-funded project, 'Optimising Post-Disaster Recovery Interventions in Australia', and the Teachers’ Health Foundation-funded project, ‘School Staff Support After Major Emergencies’.
Featured projects
The Centre for Disaster Resilience and Recovery is recognised as a leader in innovative, high-quality research that translates into real-world applications. We have many national and international research collaborations that both strengthen our expertise and offer exciting opportunities for our staff and PhD students.
Efficacy of disaster support programs
This project, led by Professor Mehmet Ulubasoglu and Dr Lan Tong, examines the effects of disasters on firms’ business outcomes and the time it takes for them to return to normal. It also investigates the effect of government disaster-support programs offered to businesses.
Effects of disasters on health
Dr Hemant Pullabhotla is exploring the impacts disasters have on population health, specifically investigating the long-term effects of bushfire smoke on the health of Australians.
Can universal income build resilience?
Dr Pallavi Shukla is analysing data on India’s universal basic income program for farm households to study its role in building resilience and its impact on demand for risk mitigation tools such as insurance.
Contact us
Stay in touch with us to hear about the latest alumni opportunities, research news and much more. Have a question? Get in touch with the team.