Health and Wellbeing of rural and remote communities following disasters

Communities are not homogenous. While residents may share a geographical connection, they can have diverse experiences in their locales. Population-wide surveys of experiences, immediate- and longer-term consequences of, and health and wellbeing following a natural hazard can inform recovery policies and strategies. Yet, we know that communities are comprised of diverse groups with varied experiences and needs. Understanding what is happening at community levels is paramount. However, few data-driven studies critically examine the role of inequalities in disaster health disparities disproportionately affecting lower income and minority communities are sparse. Further, few population surveys have been co-designed with community members. This project, nestled within the Fire to Flourish project aims to understand the health and wellbeing characteristics and determinants of health and wellbeing in the context of recovering from disasters, specifically the 2019-2020 bushfires. The student will gain hands on experience in collecting survey data, analysing it and being able to present the results via conferences and scholarly outputs. There is also potential for qualitative projects in this context.