Programme / Rebuilding broken societies through reconstruction and recovery

Rebuilding broken societies where natural or manmade catastrophes have prevailed is imperative to effect recovery and achieve stability, and to bring peace and socio-economic development to an affected region.

Post-conflict countries face particular development and security challenges as they move toward economic recovery. These countries are often characterised by insecurity and lawlessness, poor or corrupt economies, and a lack of social services and cohesion. Building enduring peace in war-torn areas is a formidable challenge which requires an understanding of managing the sometimes conflicting tensions between short-term recovery and long-term reconstruction and development.

This plenary session will explore how science can help to rebuild broken societies, with a focus on post-conflict countries. Intuitively, science can bring knowledge and rigour to understanding immediate and longer-term needs, informing roadmaps and long-term investment plans for building prosperity and improving the lives of affected people. Some post-conflict nations, such as Rwanda and Vietnam, have put this into practice and are now benefiting from the pursuit of science-for-development strategies. This session will explore lessons learned and whether there are transferrable practices that can be institutionalised and replicated in other post-conflict nations or those in transition. It will explore whether developing robust science infrastructure should be an integral part of reconstruction and recovery.