Living the Lessons: From Impact to Insight – CRNHet Symposium

The Symposium will take place from May 12-15, 2026 at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton, Alberta. NAIT is located on Treaty Six territory, a traditional homeland for the First Nations and Métis Peoples, and today we acknowledge that all of us are part of treaty land. The traditional name is Amiskwaciy Waskahikan [A-misk-wu-chee-wah-sku-hee-gun], which is also known as the City of Edmonton.

This year’s theme “Living the Lessons: From Impact to Insight” reflects a growing urgency to not only learn the lessons of the past but evolve our approach to disaster risk reduction to prepare for a more uncertain future. The time for incremental improvement has passed. From wildfires and floods to pandemics and cascading system failures, we are living through an era of compounding risks and profound disruption. To meet this moment, we must turn impact into insight, and insight into action in order to build stronger, more inclusive communities.

We invite you to submit a proposal that reflects your work, research, or experience in advancing resilience and learning from disruption through sessions designed to spark conversation and encourage participation from all attendees.

This call for proposal describes the themes, session types, and submission guidelines. The symposium includes both in-person and online components.

NOTE: Theme: Understanding Risk and Reducing Impact

Effective disaster risk reduction begins with understanding risk. This theme focuses on how we assess, interpret, and communicate hazard and risk information to drive decision-making and meaningful action.

Possible topics include:

• Risk assessment methods and findings
• Integrating science and local knowledge
• Translating insight into policy and practice

The deadline for applications is Sunday, November 2, 2025.