The 3^rd and 4^th multiplier events were jointly held under the research symposium held on 13^th – 14^th December 2021. This symposium on ‘Rebuilding communities after displacement’ aimed to disseminate the findings of Output 1 to 4 and to share knowledge among international academics and researchers. In this symposium, there were 107 international attendees from a highly multidisciplinary background, including users of potential REGARD outcomes, representatives of built environment professional bodies, practitioners and researchers in the field. The two keynote sessions, panel discussion, 48 presentations and the question-and-answer sessions conducted during the event will help drive lateral thinking and radical approaches to address issues around rebuilding communities following a disaster and conflict-induced mass displacements, whether related to policy, research or education. Accordingly, the impact of this event can be placed on the international level. This was a highly successful event because of the active engagement of the participants and these participants include users of REGARD outcomes.

REGARD project’s 5th steering committee meeting was held on 7th October 2021 online. The meeting was attended by representatives from each of the REGARD project consortium member institutions. The project coordinator presented the progress of the project and valued the partners' contribution to the achievement of project outputs during this challenging time due to the COVID-19 global pandemic situation. During the meeting, Dr. Emlyn Witt presented the progress of output five: Training Courses: Knowledge Hub and Prof. Nishara Fernando presented the progress of the Output 6- Course Handbooks and Training Materials. Prof. Champika Liyanage then presented the progress of output 7 Competency Audit. Meeting ended with a discussion on upcoming REGARD symposium.

REGARD project’s 4^th steering committee meeting was held on 14th April 2021 online. The meeting was attended by representatives from each of the REGARD project consortium member institutions. The project coordinator presented the progress of the project and valued the partners' contribution to the achievement of project outputs during this challenging time due to the COVID-19 global pandemic situation. During the meeting Dr. Emlyn Witt from Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia presented the progress of output 4, the competency framework and Output 5, Training Courses: MOOCs. Prof. Nishara Fernando from University of Colombo presented the progress of the development of training materials and the course handbook.

The 9^th International Conference on Building Resilience (ICBR 2020) was held in Bali, Indonesia, from 13^th to 15^th January 2020. More than 200 delegates participated in this three-day international conference under the theme of Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for Building Resilient Cities.

Over 100 research papers were presented under 9 sub-themes. Dr Chathuranganee Jayakody from the University of Huddersfield, UK, a member of the REGARD project team presented the initial project findings of output 1; Community needs analysis in this conference to introduce the project and to disseminate the project findings to a wider academic community.

The “2^nd International Symposium on Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development” organized by the Asian Institute of Technology brings together discussion on various dimensions of higher education systems in the Asia-Pacific region with a focus on Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Development. The International Symposium focused on various dimensions of existing and future risk scenarios and concerted efforts of the scientific communities to find new adaptation methods.

The international symposium was organized from 24 -25 June 2021 in VIRTUAL mode. The program included keynote speeches, panel discussions, technical sessions, poster presentations, and academic exhibitions. Dr Chathuranganee Jayakody from the University of Huddersfield, UK, a member of the REGARD project team presented a paper on ‘How to address the Housing Needs of the Displaced promoting Resilience and Sustainable Communities’ in disseminating the project findings of output 1.

To strengthen the market for disaster and climate resilient infrastructure systems, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) developed an online CDRI Resilient Infrastructure Marketplace to match demand from CDRI Member Countries requiring technical services and assistance with companies, universities and organizations that can provide services to meet this demand. Beyond being a transactional facility, the Marketplace will help promote and structure the market for disaster and climate resilient infrastructure systems and products. The CDRI Resilient Infrastructure Marketplace featured as a virtual exhibition and networking space at ICDRI (17 to 19 March 2021) where conference participants were able to learn about new solutions offered by public and private sector agencies. REGARD virtual exhibition stall: E-poster, E-flyer and project Description were featured at the CDRI Resilient Infrastructure Marketplace at CDRI 2021, Virtual Exhibition, 17- 19/03/ 2021.

International Symposium on Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Disaster Risk Reduction was held from 14^th to 16^th December 2020 (Virtual event) in Collaboration with REGARD project. Over 500 research abstracts were presented and more than 800 registered delegates participated in this two-day international symposium.

Dr Chathuranganee Jayakody from the University of Huddersfield, UK, a member of the REGARD project team presented in this conference to disseminate the project findings of output 2: the role of the built environment in rebuilding communities to a wider community including both academics and practitioners in the field. The abstract submitted to the symposium was invited for a chapter submission for a book volume titled Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Disaster Risk Reduction ‘edited by Professor Dilanthi Amaratunga, Professor Richard Haigh & Dr. Nuwan Dias, published by Springer. Accordingly, the REGARD book chapter titled ‘Role of the Built Environment in rebuilding Displaced and Host Communities’ was published with an aim to disseminate the project findings to a wider audience.

10^th International Conference on structural engineering and construction management (ICSECM) 2019 was held in Kandy, Sri Lanka from 12^th to 14^th December 2019 with a vision to drive innovative research for tomorrow’s development.

In this conference, Ms Anuradha Senanayake from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, a member of the REGARD project team presented the project findings of output 1; Community need analysis in the Sri Lankan context. The presentation was titled; disaster, displacement, and relocation: an analysis of the needs and policy implications on a displaced community in Sri Lanka.

This conference served a great platform to share the research knowledge in similar research areas related to the Resilience of communities in long term displacements, resettlement planning, and resilience interventions in rebuilding communities.

REGARD project’s 3rd steering committee meeting was held on 10^th November 2020 online. The meeting was attended by representatives from each of the REGARD project consortium member institutions.
The project coordinator presented the progress of the project and valued the partners' contribution to the achievement of project outputs despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic situation. The steering committee meeting was successfully concluded with the validation of Output 3 findings and a plan for Output 4 and 5.

REGARD workshop was held online on 12^th May 2020 to validate the findings of the second Output of the project which is the role of the built environment in rebuilding communities and enhancing social cohesion between displaced and host communities. There were 26 participants including representatives of built environment professionals, disaster management practitioners, academics, and the representatives from the project consortium. The stakeholder seminar was conducted achieving two main objectives as follows.

1. Validate the project findings on the role of the built environment in addressing the community needs and enhancing the social cohesion between host and displaced communities
2. Receive suggestions and recommendations from the stakeholders on the importance, relevance, and applicability of the findings.

The event was successfully concluded with an improved understanding of how the built environment can be better planned, designed, built, and operated to ensure the long-term satisfaction and social cohesion between host and displaced communities. Further, the intellectual discussion enhanced the understanding of the participants on the built environment interventions in rebuilding communities through constructing physical assets, developing social assets, stimulating economic assets, facilitating governance assets, and nurturing social cohesion.

REGARD project’s 2^nd Steering committee meeting was held on 26^th March 2020. This virtual meeting was originally planned as a face to face event parallel to the stakeholder seminar in Sri Lanka between 23^rd–24^th March 2020. Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the event was postponed, and the steering committee meeting was shifted to an online platform. However, the meeting was attended by representatives of all the REGARD project consortium member institutions. However, the meeting was attended by representatives of all the REGARD project consortium member institutions.
Project partners from each consortium member country actively engaged in discussing the changes that may occur to the project plan, future activities, and events due to the prevailing global situation. Half a day-long steering committee meeting was successfully concluded with Output 3 Methodology and plan for data collection and plan for future meetings and events. 

REGARD Stakeholder Seminar disseminated findings of Output 1; Community Needs Analysis.The event was organized by the Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia. There were 27 participants including representatives of built environment professional bodies, disaster management practitioners, academics, policymakers, built environment professionals in Estonia and the representatives from the project consortium.  Read More...

REGARD project’s 1st steering committee meeting was held between 12th -13th September 2019 in Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia. The meeting was attended by representatives from each of the REGARD project consortium member institutions.
Project partners from each consortium member country presented the preliminary findings of the Output 1; Community Need analysis representing Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Estonia and Sweden. Through the comparison and contrast between the community needs in different contexts of the world, community needs were analysed and categorised into common themes. Together with the findings of Output 1, the plan for the Output 2 and 3 was discussed and agreed by the steering committee. One and half days long steering committee meeting was successfully concluded with overall project work plan till interim report submission, finalised quality plan, Dissemination plan and plan for future meetings and events.  

The project’s initial meeting was held from 11th to 12th January 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, bringing together a diverse interdisciplinary group of representatives from partner institutions.  Read More...