About

In an era defined by climate volatility, water scarcity, shifting demographics, and interconnected global shocks, risk cultures—the shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that shape how we perceive and act on risk—are under intense scrutiny. The way we think about and approach risk is no longer a fixed discipline: it is being challenged, reframed, and reimagined in real time, as many traditional approaches no longer hold in the face of accelerating change.

This webinar brings together four distinguished thinkers and practitioners—Professor Vaughn Tan, and Lina Srivastava, Professor Ariella Helfgott, Professor Seth Westra,—each of whom brings a distinct lens to the relationship between risk, uncertainty, and decision-making. From foresight and scenario planning, to climate risk science, to organisational adaptability and innovation, to cultural and community transformation, each panellist will reframe, critique, or reinforce different ways of understanding and working with risk in contexts of deep uncertainty and complexity.

Through short, provocative presentations followed by a dynamic panel discussion, this webinar offers fresh perspectives on one of the most urgent and rapidly developing conversations in water, governance, and societal resilience today.

Details

Date
Thursday, 28 August 2025
Time
1:00pm (Australia/Sydney; find your local time)
Format 4 x 5-minute presentations with 40 minute discussion
Contact training@awschool.com.au
Resources Webcasts and other documents will be available here
Tags

Presenters

Vaughn Tan

Singapore Government Centre for Strategic Futures; University College London

Prof. Vaughn Tan is a Fellow of the Singapore Government Centre for Strategic Futures, an executive board member for Rethink Food in the United States, a founding partner in Dreddge, and Head of South... Read more

Lina Srivastava

Center for Transformational Change

Lina Srivastava is the founder and director of the Center for Transformational Change in New York, a social enterprise that supports community-led social, cultural, and political transformation. Her w... Read more

Ariella Helfgott

University of Adelaide | One Basin CRC

Prof. Ariella Helfgott is Professor of Foresight at the University of Adelaide, Program Director for Foresight and Decision-Making at the One Basin Cooperative Research Centre, and Director of Foresig... Read more

Seth Westra

University of Adelaide | One Basin CRC

Seth is Professor of Hydrology and Climate Risk at the University of Adelaide and Research Director of the One Basin Cooperative Research Centre. He has more than 20 years’ experience across both th... Read more

Risk cultures are not static—they must evolve as the world does. This is a live conversation, with the thinking of each speaker continuing to evolve in response to the challenges and opportunities they encounter in their work. In this interactive session, we will explore:

  • How different disciplines and sectors conceptualise risk, and what happens when those perspectives meet.
  • Why traditional risk frameworks often fall short in complex, fast-changing environments.
  • How evolving risk cultures can strengthen Australia’s water security, guide research priorities, and shape more healthy, resilient, prosperous, and sustainable futures.

Sponsored by One Basin CRC

One Basin CRC is a collaborative effort involving 85 partners dedicated to building a productive, resilient and sustainable Murray-Darling Basin. The Australian Water School, a business unit of Water Research Australia, proudly stands among these partners.

 

In collaboration with: