While we all still grieve for the victims of Australia’s devastating bushfires, in this In Focus section, Policy Forum will take a look at what comes next. Angus Blackman kicks us off by asking the crucial questions: how do we protect against future disasters, help communities recover, and cope with a changing climate?

This fire season, Australia must fight to protect its most valuable assets – working with traditional custodians in the lead-up needs to take a higher priority, Leslie Schultz, Jessica Weir, and Helen Langley write.

Though the recent National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework may allow Australia to improve its response to climate change-related natural disasters, without introducing more pre-emptive measures, increased funding means very little, Paul Barnes, Anthony Bergin, and Robert Glasser write.

Faced with a future marked by even more natural disasters, governments need to get on board with how best to confront and manage them, Helen James, Douglas Paton, and Petra Buergelt write.

Underinsurance and new Australian building codes create an uncomfortable price gap for homeowners hoping to rebuild after a bushfire.

Australia is good at responding to natural disasters, so why the public backlash against emergency services and political leaders each time one happens, asks Stephen Dovers.