Ali Asgary

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  • Professor, Disaster & Emergency Management, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies & Director, CIFAL York, York University, Canada
A fisherman walks across a dry patch of land in the marshes of southern Iraq which has suffered dire consequences from back to back drought and rising salinity levels in Dhi Qar province on Sept. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil)

The disasters we talk about shape our priorities and determine our preparedness

Fatma Ozdogan, Université de Montréal and Ali Asgary, York University, Canada

From drought to soil degradation and environmental pollution, why does society overlook the most impactful disasters?
Vancouver police look over a black SUV involved in the attack at the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver on April 26, 2025, that killed at least 11 people. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rich Lam

Vancouver SUV attack exposes crowd management falldowns and casts a pall on Canada’s election

Ali Asgary, York University, Canada

At least 11 people died in a Vancouver SUV attack deemed to have a ‘low threat level’ by police. What goes into making that calculation, and is a public event ever truly low-risk?
Displaced Palestinians make their way from central Gaza to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip on Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Why Trump’s Gaza reconstruction proposal is unlikely to work

Ali Asgary, York University, Canada

Post-war reconstruction must be multi-dimensional and based on a clear understanding of local conditions and careful consultation with the affected people.
Low-flying aircraft are deployed when fighting large fires like the Greater Los Angeles wildfires. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Ethan Swope

The use of drones during wildfires can disrupt response operations

Ali Asgary, York University, Canada

A Canadair CL-415, known as a Super Scooper, collided with a drone during wildfire emergency response operations in Los Angeles, Calif. on Jan. 9.
The vessel Polar Prince towing OceanGate Expeditions submersible vessels from St. John’s, N.L., as it leaves to tour the Titanic wreck site on May 29, 2023. (Shutterstock)

Titanic submersible ‘catastrophic implosion’: questions remain about the costs and ethics of rescuing tourist expeditions

Ali Asgary, York University, Canada

A team of rescuers has located debris from the Titan, indicating the end of search-and-rescue efforts. Risky undertakings need to assess the cost and capacity of any potential rescue needs.
The Sudbury 17 wildfire burns east of Mississagi Provincial Park near Elliot Lake, Ont., in this June 4, 2023 handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Canada urgently needs a FEMA‑like emergency management agency

Ali Asgary, York University, Canada

Creating a federal agency — let’s call it the Emergency Management Agency of Canada or EMAC — would support comprehensive emergency management as Canada faces more and more natural disasters.
Rescue workers continue to clear rubble from collapsed buildings in Antakya, Turkey, six days after two powerful earthquakes caused scores of buildings to collapse. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Turkey and Syria earthquake: Long‑term funding is needed to support search‑and‑rescue after major disasters

Ali Asgary, York University, Canada

The devastating outcomes of earthquakes is worsened when buildings cannot withstand the impact. Also, increased urban density and new construction materials are complicating search-and-rescue efforts.

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