Written by Associate, Brad Slater
The Growing Threat of Climate-Induced Natural Disasters
Climate change is notably increasing global temperatures and altering Earth’s risk profile, amplifying the effect on the scale, regularity, and severity of natural hazard-based disasters1. The United Nations Office of Disaster Risk Reduction notes the current climate emergency as ‘the biggest…threat facing the planet and humanity’ with increasing numbers of floods, cyclones, and wildfires, all natural hazard events expected to progressively impact global communities within the coming years2. Wildfires in particular are expected to occur more frequently within the northern3 and southern hemispheres, extending the Australian Higher Risk Weather Season4, and to have impacts over an extended period in high wildfire-prone locations5.
Managing Risk through Framework
Considering the likelihood of longer threat periods, more frequent and more intense wildfires, it would seem appropriate to provide society with the skills and processes to manage the impacts of these natural hazard events. In providing an outline, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 identifies four key priorities to achieve this. These are:
- Understanding disaster risk, relative to assessing the risks applicable to wildfires;
- Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk, relating to establishing clear roles and governance protocols to manage the impact of wildfires across communities, and government, and non-government organisations;
- Investing in disaster reduction for resilience, related to ensuring funding is applied to mitigate and/or prevent the risks posed from wildfires and;
- Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response, relating to ensuring that communities are not only as prepared as possible for when wildfire emergencies occur, but that responsible agencies have the appropriate skills, are adequately resourced, and have relevant processes established to action any required response6
The Importance of Incident Management Systems
Ensuring appropriate Incident Management Systems (IMS) are in place is one such process.
Within Australia, the Australasian Interagency Incident Management System7 enables effective coordination of emergency services agency resources during emergency events. Other nations use differently named, but similar in function systems, such as the Coordinated Incident Management System in New Zealand8, the National Incident Management System in the United States of America9, and the Gold, Silver, Bronze10 structure in the United Kingdom. Regardless of name, these frameworks enable a strategic, tactical and operationally coordinated response to emergencies. In relation to wildfires, this could likely be an event of a protracted nature, requiring national resourcing, and that has a significant impact on communities, through not only destroying the natural and built environments, but also through affecting the health quality of residents11.
In addition to the IMS used by emergency service organisations, there are a number of crisis management frameworks such as the ISO22361:202212 that provide guidance for organisations during emergency events, specifically providing a systems approach to assess risks, coordinate responses, and ensure continuity of operations13. Within aviation, the ICAO Crisis Management Framework14 was established as a result of a natural hazard event with major impact on global operations, and the Council of Financial Regulators established their Crisis Management Arrangements15 to guide decision-making during periods of significant financial disruption. In enhancing these, established governmental frameworks enable a comprehensive national approach that identifies the need for consistency across crisis management systems and defines agency expectations during crises. The Australian Crisis Management Framework16 provides an example of the crisis coordination of wildfires within a national context.
With processes established, and community resilience-building systems identified, the responsibility remains with society to ensure we are ready for when, not if, the next emergency event occurs17. Wildfires are natural hazard events, and their expected proliferation due to climate change driven effects means that there is no time for complacency across society, either as a community, as a business entity, or as a governmental organisation. The time to act is now18.
Kenyon’s Role in Wildfire and Crisis Management
Kenyon Emergency Services, with over a century of experience in crisis management, plays a vital role in preparing for and responding to wildfire events and other climate-driven disasters. As the frequency and intensity of wildfires continue to escalate globally, Kenyon provides essential support to government agencies, organisations, and local communities by delivering integrated crisis response solutions.
From facilitating emergency planning and training to deploying specialist personnel during active wildfire events, Kenyon ensures operational continuity and compassionate care for those affected.
Contact us today to learn how Kenyon can support your approach to crisis management.
REFERENCES
1. UNDRR. (n.d.). Comprehensive Disaster and Climate Risk Management (CRM). Retrieved July 2025. https://www.undrr.org/climate-action-and-disaster-risk-reduction/comprehensive-disaster-and-climate-risk-management
2. UNDRR. (n.d.) Climate Action and Disaster Risk Reduction. Retrieved July 2025. https://www.undrr.org/implementing-sendai-framework/drr-focus-areas/climate-action-and-disaster-risk-reduction
3. OECD. (2024). Taming wildfires in the context of climate change: The case of Greece. pp.1-43. Retrieved July 2025. www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2024/06/taming-wildfires-in-the-context-of-climate-change-the-case-of-greece_754f2c60/cfb797a7-en.pdf
4. NEMA. (2024). Higher risk weather season. Retrieved July 2025. https://www.nema.gov.au/our-work/emergency-response/national-preparedness-program/higher-risk-weather-season
5. Ross, L., Gannon, C., Steinberg, N. (2020). Climate change and wildfires: Projecting future wildfire potential. Retrieved July 2025. https://www.preventionweb.net/news/climate-change-and-wildfires-projecting-future-wildfire-potential
6. UNDRR. (2015). Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Retrieved July 2025. https://www.undrr.org/publication/sendai-framework-disaster-risk-reduction-2015-2030
7. AFAC. (2025). Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System (AIIMS). Retrieved July 2025. https://www.afac.com.au/AIIMS
8. NEMA. (2024). Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS). Retrieved July 2025. https://www.civildefence.govt.nz/resources/coordinated-incident-management-system-cims-third-edition
9. FEMA. (2025). National Incident Management System. Retrieved July 2025. https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/nims
10. College of Policing. (2013). Command structures. Retrieved July 2025. https://www.college.police.uk/app/operations/command-and-control/command-structures
11. Australian Government. (2020). Australian bushfires 2019–20: exploring the short-term health impacts. p.1-47. Retrieved July 2025. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/environment-and-health/short-term-health-impacts-2019-20-bushfires/contents/summary
12. ISO. (2022). ISO 22361:2022 Security and resilience — Crisis management — Guidelines. Retrieved July 2025. https://www.iso.org/standard/50267.html
13. Smith, D. (2003). Business continuity and crisis management. Management Quarterly, 44(1), 27-33. Retrieved July 2025. www.opscentre.com/pdfs/Research/Business%20Continuity%20and%20Crisis%20Management.pdf
14. ICAO. (2023). ICAO Crisis Management Framework Document. Pp.1-68. Retrieved July 2025. www.icao.int/EURNAT/EUR%20and%20NAT%20Documents/EURNAT-DGCA%20Meetings/EURNAT-DGCA%202024/EURNATDGCA2024%20WP04%20AppA%20EURDoc031.pdf
15. CFA. (n.d.). Crisis Management Arrangements. Retrieved July 2025. https://www.cfr.gov.au/financial-institutions/crisis-management-arrangements.html
16. Commonwealth of Australia. (2024). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Australian Government Crisis Management Framework. Pp. 1-59. Retrieved July 2025. www.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/resource/download/agcmf-framework-2.pdf
17. Quarantelli, E.L. (1988). Disaster Crisis Management: A Summary of Research Findings. Retrieved July 2025.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-6486.1988.tb00043.x
18. ICRC. (2003). Preparedness for Climate Change. Pp.1-15. Retrieved July 2025.
www.icrc.org/sites/default/files/external/doc/en/assets/files/other/climatechange_report_final_eng.pdf