Dr Wendy Saunders
Principal Advisor Risk Reduction, Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake
Dr Wendy Saunders is a Principal Advisor Risk Reduction at the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake, where she leads work on reducing natural hazard risk through land use planning and policy. With over 20 years' experience in New Zealand and internationally, Wendy is recognised for her expertise in integrating natural hazard risk considerations into planning and decision-making. Her work focuses on creating safer, more resilient communities through evidence-based policy, risk-informed land use planning, and collaboration across local and central government, researchers, and practitioners. Wendy is passionate about strengthening planning capability and advancing approaches that help communities better understand, manage, and reduce natural hazard risk.
Natural Hazards Commission Workshop
Climate change and natural hazards affect the same people, places, and decisions, but they are often managed separately. This workshop will challenge participants to think about who is responsible for managing risk, where those responsibilities should sit, and how we can take a more integrated approach to building resilient communities.