Karl Astbury (UK)

Karl is a Business Partner with the Civil Contingencies & Resilience team for Greater Manchester’s 10 local authorities. Karl has responsibility for a number of thematic areas, providing expert civil contingencies services to local government including in the areas of health protection, disaster risk reduction, mass fatalities, and emergency management and recovery. The department offers a year round emergency response service, ensuring Greater Manchester’s local authorities always have access to disaster management expertise. Karl also works closely with Stockport Borough council to provide disaster risk management advice and expertise. He has been heavily involved in the response to a number of emergencies in Greater Manchester including the 2011 civil disturbances and the recent Boxing Day floods, and has assisted in recent campaigns such as the United Nation’s (UNISDR) Making Cities Resilient Campaign in which the UN has recognised the city region as one of only 45 role model cities worldwide. He is also working closely with the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities network following Greater Manchester’s successful bid to join earlier this year. Karl has previously led a planning group brought together to produce a series of multi-agency off-site reservoir inundation plans funded through the UK Government Department of Food and Rural Affairs. He has varied and extensive experience in both the public and private sector previously working within a wide range of local government services including Social Care and Homelessness, as well as working for Northern Rail as Retail Controller. Karl has recently contributed to the Sendai Framework Words into Action Implementation Guide around local and national platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction, and provided written evidence for the UK Health Select Committee Inquiry into Public Health post-2013. He is also working with Public Health England on a pilot public awareness campaign around Anti-Microbial Resistance. Karl holds an English Literature degree, and is mid-way through his MSc in International Disaster Management, both studied at the University of Manchester, as well a being a published writer and musician.