The past decade has seen a concentration of disaster events causing major social, economic and financial impacts. In order to tackle these increasing losses, the Sendai framework for disaster risk reduction 2015–2030[1], endorsed by 187 UN states in 2015, promotes disaster risk reduction practices.

One of our aims is to develop a doctoral programme that integrates academic and professional knowledge throughout the construction industry, to increase resilience to disasters.

Almost 10 years ago Dilanthi Amaratunga was coming to the end of an enjoyable family visit to her home country of Sri Lanka. But disaster was not far away. On December 26, 2004, there were indications that a major environmental disturbance was developing which would rock the region and introduce the rest of the world to the word ‘tsunami.’ “Small boys were running towards us saying the sea was coming to the land,” Dilanthi said. It was the day of the Indian Ocean Tsunami that would claim more than 230,000 lives, displace more than 1.6 million people around the region and cause massive economic damage.

Built and Human Environment Without Walls, edited by Professor Dilanthi Amaratunga and Dr Richard Haigh, captures the international reach and collaborative spirit of the University of Salford’s School of the Built Environment during 2009/2010. The publication reflects Professor Amaratunga’s leadership in advancing global partnerships, disaster resilience research, and knowledge exchange across academia, industry, and international agencies. Developed with Dr Haigh, it showcases a wide portfolio of teaching, research, policy engagement, and international collaboration aimed at addressing major global challenges in the built and human environment.