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On June 12, 2026, UCLA’s Sustainable LA Grand Challenge convened 30 ecologists, community leaders, and representatives from state and local fire and land management agencies, conservation organizations, and the elected offices for a workshop titled Protecting Habitat, Preventing Destructive Fire: Creating More Effective Wildland Management Policies to identify areas of consensus regarding wildfire mitigation, firefighting practices, and ecosystem conservation, while also clarifying areas of disagreement and uncertainty. Read more.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) manages one of the most critical networks of infrastructure in Southern California, delivering water and electricity to more than four million residents. Read more about how, through a long-standing partnership between UCLA and LADWP, researchers across the university are helping the community improve the resilience of its critical infrastructure so that Angelenos can continue to have access to water and power, even in an emergency. 

Sustainable LA Grand Challenge Faculty Director Alex Hall discusses his vision for a Santa Ana event ranking system, similar to how hurricanes are ranked, and how this can help with disaster preparedness.

On May 7, 2026 SLAGC convened about 130 civic and community leaders, researchers, and philanthropists for a wildfire research symposium, Urban Fires: Risk and Resilience. The aim was to build the roadmap for a more resilient American West in the face of dynamic and evolving disasters with a focus on how to pioneer new ways for universities to collaborate across disciplines, and with civic institutions and communities to create more impactful and responsive research.

On May 7, 2026 UCLA's Sustainable LA Grand Challenge brought together about 150 civic and community leaders, researchers, and philanthropists for a day-long wildfire research symposium, Urban Fires: Risk and Resilience. Read a brief synopsis and watch a video of Panel 3 | Everything That Burns: Building Resilience to Future Fire from that day.

On May 7, 2026 UCLA's Sustainable LA Grand Challenge brought together about 150 civic and community leaders, researchers, and philanthropists for a day-long symposium, Urban Fires: Risk and Resilience. Read a brief synopsis and watch a video of Panel 2 | Why Can't We Stop Fires Once They Start?: The Role of Water and Infrastructure in Fighting Wildfires from that day.

On May 7, 2026 UCLA's Sustainable LA Grand Challenge brought together about 150 civic and community leaders, researchers, and philanthropists for a day-long wildfire research symposium, Urban Fires: Risk and Resilience. Read a brief synopsis and watch a video of Panel 1 | Research Meets Reality: Mobilizing Universities for Fire Resilience from that day.

Read the report summarizing the January 23, 2026 UCLA and UC ANR Urban Water Supply + Fire working group convening, organized by UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge, and UC ANR. More than 50 experts gathered to examine a critical and underexplored issue: how to finance water systems as fire risks change and intensify. Read more for key insights.

At a panel organized by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, in partnership with the Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the Environment and the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge, for California state legislative staff at the UC Student and Policy Center in Sacramento on March 5, 2026, experts tackled lessons from recent flooding in Merced County and fires in LA County.

The Sustainable LA Grand Challenge will host a day-long symposium Urban Firestorms: Risk and Resilience on Thursday, May 7, 2026. Join us as we work together to build the roadmap for a more resilient American West in the face of dynamic and evolving disasters with a focus on how to pioneer new ways for universities to collaborate across disciplines, and with civic institutions and communities to create more impactful and responsive research.