CQUniversity Unit Profile.

Task Description
 
Important: This is an individual assessment task, with a Level of GenAI use allowed being Level 2, AI Planning.
 
You will select ONE (1) significant disaster event the list of historical emergency management events which is provided on the Moodle site (under the Assessment Task 1 - Poster Presentation) located under the Assessment Tile.
You will produce a one-slide poster presentation, that describes and analyses your selected disaster event.
Additionally, you may use PowerPoint's in-app notes function (which usually appears in the form of a text box at the bottom of the page) to add a small amount of additional content, if you feel there was anything that needed to be presented in shorter form on the poster but that would benefit from slightly more explanation. Your more detailed explanation is to be included in the in-app notes function section. However, the primary part of your submission must be the poster, and your final submission must be the poster, and it must function as a standalone visual. The poster content must communicate its message without additional context.
Examples of poster presentation layouts and templates are available on Moodle.
 
You must choose one (1) disaster event only from the list provided (see end of this task).
 
You must create a Poster (and notes) that must cover EACH (all) of the following points:
 
1. A concise description of the disaster event, including when and where it occurred, what happened, and the scale of the event;
2. An explanation of the direct and indirect impacts on people, communities, infrastructure, the environment, and essential services;
3. An identification of the key hazards associated with the event and how these hazards created risks for people living nearby or farther away;
4. An explanation of the vulnerability factors that increased the level of risk for affected communities, such as location, demographics, social disadvantage, housing, infrastructure, access to warnings, health status, mobility, or isolation;
5. A brief analysis of how the event was managed across the prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery framework;
6. A brief statement identifying the key lesson that emergency managers, governments, or communities should learn from this event;
7. Evidence from 6 or more credible, peer-reviewed sources to support your analysis, with appropriate referencing, in-text and a reference list.
8. You must include at least two appropriate supporting images.
 
Students are strongly encouraged to use the CQU &-Step Search Strategy for this assessment task 1.
 
This assessment is worth 40% of the overall grade for this Unit. This Assessment Task is due by Wednesday 5pm, Week 5.
 
List of Disaster Events – CHOOSE ONE (1) ONLY
 
You must choose one (1) of these disaster events to be the subject of your Poster:
 
1. 2022 Eastern Australia Floods — Queensland and New South Wales, Australia
2. 2023 Türkiye–Syria Earthquakes 
3. 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda — Philippines 
4. 2017 Grenfell Tower Fire — United Kingdom 
5. 2023 Maui / Lahaina Wildfires — Hawaiʻi, United States
 
Level of GenAI use allowed: Level 2 - AI PLANNING

You may use AI tools for pre-task activities such as brainstorming, planning, and initial searching. You must thoroughly review and evaluate all AI-generated content so the final output accurately reflects your own understanding, knowledge and intended meaning and you can explain and justify it when asked. You may not submit AI-generated content as part of the final submission.
 
STUDENTS MUST INCLUDE GEN-AI USE DECLARATION
 
Choose your appropriate AI declaration. Complete relevant details.
 
Suggested wording for AI use declaration:
 
AI Use Declaration  (include at the bottom of your title page)
In completing this Assessment Task, I acknowledge the use of [specify the GenAI tools/platforms] to guide the [specific process/es: brainstorming, drafting, research assistance, editing, etc.]. The output from these prompts was used to [explain how the output from GenAI was critically evaluated to use in your own work]. I confirm that all AI-generated content underwent thorough review and evaluation and the final output accurately reflects my own understanding, knowledge and intended meaning. While AI assistance was used in the process, I maintain full responsibility for the content, its accuracy, and its presentation and can explain and justify all inclusions. This declaration is included to ensure transparency and to formally acknowledge the role of AI in the completion of this assessment task.  
 
Complete this declaration if you did NOT use AI:
 
In completing this Assessment Task, I confirm that this work is entirely my own and I have not used any Generative AI tools. This assessment task accurately reflects my own understanding, knowledge, and intended meaning. 

1. Description of events and their direct impact 
2. Characterisation of hazards and risks arising from the event
3. Identification of factors impacting on vulnerability 
4. Discussion of PPRR applicability to the event 
5. Appropriate academic writing style and referencing 
6. Presentation (formatting) of Poster

Note: the complete marking rubric will be available on the unit's Moodle site, from week 1 of the term.

Important: This is an individual assessment and its level of GenAI use allowed is Level 2 – AI Planning.
 
Assessment Task 2 asks you to choose your own disaster event that has occurred anywhere in the world. 
You will then prepare a written case vignette (maximum 3,000 words). In your case vignette, you must describe and analyse your selected disaster event and consider how future impacts from a similar event could be reduced. Your response should identify the hazard characteristics, the exposed populations and assets, the social vulnerability factors that shaped the consequences of the event, and the strategies that could strengthen future disaster risk reduction and community resilience.
 
Your analysis must apply relevant ideas from the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and, where appropriate, the Sustainable Development Goals. You should support your discussion with credible peer-reviewed and grey literature.
 
In answering this question, you must include each (all) of the following components:
 
1) Disaster event overview - describe the selected disaster event, including when and where it occurred, the type of hazard involved, the scale of the event, and the main consequences for the affected community.
2) Hazard characteristics and risk - analyse the characteristics of the hazard or hazards involved in the event. Explain how these characteristics created risk for people, infrastructure, essential services, the environment, and community functioning.
3) Community exposure - identify who or what was exposed to the hazard. This may include geographic areas, settlements, infrastructure, critical services, industries, cultural assets, environmental values, or particular groups within the population.
4) Social vulnerability and differential impact - analyse the social, economic, demographic, cultural, political, environmental, or health-related factors that made some people or groups more vulnerable than others. Consider, for example, whether vulnerability differed across age, disability, income, housing, language, mobility, remoteness, access to services, First Nations status, migrant status, or other relevant factors.
5) Community impact and resilience - discuss how the disaster affected the community before, during, and after the event. This should include both immediate impacts and longer-term recovery issues. You should identify existing community strengths, capabilities, networks, or resilience factors that helped reduce harm or support recovery.
6) Application of the Sendai Framework and SDGs - Apply the perspective of the Sendai Framework to the selected disaster event. Explain how one or more Sendai priorities could be used to reduce future disaster risk, strengthen preparedness, reduce vulnerability, and improve resilience. Where relevant, you should also link their discussion to appropriate Sustainable Development Goals.
7) Risk reduction and resilience strategies - recommend practical strategies that governments, emergency services, community organisations, businesses, and/or community members could use to reduce vulnerability and improve resilience before a similar event occurs again. These strategies should be realistic, evidence-informed, and connected to the Sendai Framework.
8) Support the case vignette with credible peer-reviewed and grey literature. This may include academic journal articles, government reports, inquiry reports, emergency management reviews, NGO reports, UN documents, and reputable disaster databases.
 
Important: 
• You must write/ format your case vignette according to the standard report structure (refer to template provided)
• You must use the CQU 7-step search strategy to carry out your search for additional sources The 7-step strategy is detailed in full on this unit's Moodle site.
• You must include a copy of your documented use of the CQU 7-step search strategy as an Appendix to your case-vignette.
 
Level of GenAI use allowed: Level 2 - AI PLANNING

You may use AI tools for pre-task activities such as brainstorming, planning, and initial searching. You must thoroughly review and evaluate all AI-generated content so the final output accurately reflects your own understanding, knowledge and intended meaning and you can explain and justify it when asked. You may not submit AI-generated content as part of the final submission.
 
STUDENTS MUST INCLUDE GEN-AI USE DECLARATION
 
Choose your appropriate AI declaration. Complete relevant details.
 
Suggested wording for AI use declaration:
 
AI Use Declaration  (include at the bottom of your title page)
In completing this Assessment Task, I acknowledge the use of [specify the GenAI tools/platforms] to guide the [specific process/es: brainstorming, drafting, research assistance, editing, etc.]. The output from these prompts was used to [explain how the output from GenAI was critically evaluated to use in your own work]. I confirm that all AI-generated content underwent thorough review and evaluation and the final output accurately reflects my own understanding, knowledge and intended meaning. While AI assistance was used in the process, I maintain full responsibility for the content, its accuracy, and its presentation and can explain and justify all inclusions. This declaration is included to ensure transparency and to formally acknowledge the role of AI in the completion of this assessment task.  
 
Complete this declaration if you did NOT use AI:
 
In completing this Assessment Task, I confirm that this work is entirely my own and I have not used any Generative AI tools. This assessment task accurately reflects my own understanding, knowledge, and intended meaning. 

Based on the task description, the assessment criteria are:

1. Chosen disaster event description - Clearly describes the selected disaster event, including location, date, hazard type, scale, and main consequences.
2. Hazard, risk and exposure analysis - Identifies the hazard characteristics and explains how people, places, infrastructure, services, and environments were exposed to risk.
3. Social vulnerability analysis - Analyses the social, economic, demographic, cultural, political, environmental, or health-related factors that made some groups more vulnerable than others.
4. Community impact and resilience - Explains the immediate and longer-term impacts on the community and identifies resilience factors, strengths, or capacities that supported recovery.
5. Application of the Sendai Framework and SDGs - Applies relevant Sendai Framework priorities and, where appropriate, relevant Sustainable Development Goals to the selected event.
6. Risk reduction and resilience strategies - Recommends realistic, evidence-informed strategies to reduce future vulnerability and strengthen community resilience.
7. Use of evidence and research - Uses credible peer-reviewed and grey literature, such as academic articles, government reports, inquiry reports, NGO reports, UN documents, and disaster databases.
8. Structure, clarity and academic writing - Presents a clear, well-organised case vignette within the word limit, using appropriate academic writing, referencing, and student’s own words consistent with the Level 2 AI Planning requirement.

Note: the complete marking rubric will be available on the unit's Moodle site, from week 1 of the term.