The NEEDS (Network of European Emergency and Disaster Studies) 2026 conference Societal Resilience in Times of Cascading Crises and Disasters, organized by Civil Society and Sustainability Research group at KTU, provides a forum for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to examine challenges and opportunities of societal resilience in the context of interconnected and overlapping crises. It offers an opportunity for scholars and practitioners to meet in the Baltic States, a region shaped by a unique geopolitical and security context.
Resilience has become a key idea in how we respond to today’s growing number of crises and disasters. Because our social, economic, technological, and environmental systems are so tightly connected, even small local disruptions can quickly spread into wider challenges. International frameworks such as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the European Union Preparedness Strategy emphasize the need to strengthen prevention, preparedness, and response efforts.
The conference also calls for suggestions for special sessions in more creative, interactive formats, e. g. interactive workshops, roundtable discussions, crisis scenario simulations, co-creation sessions, project presentations, etc.
More information and registration: https://needs.ktu.edu/
Contact of Local organising committee: needs2026@ktu.lt
Important dates:
- Deadline for abstract and special sessions submission: 15th of January, 2026
- Decision about acceptance: 1st of February, 2026
- Preliminary programme: 15th of February, 2026
- Registration: 15th of March, 2026
- Final programme: 31st of March, 2026
