A COUNCIL official has been chosen to lead preparations for dealing with disasters and catastrophic events in the first appointment of its kind.

Alastair Brown will take on the mantle of Glasgow City Council's chief resilience officer to oversee the development and implementation of plans to help the city deal with challenges such as storms and flooding, poverty and sustainable energy. It comes after Glasgow was named by the Rockefeller Foundation as one of the first 33 Resilient Cities to share $100  million (£60m) and a package of support to prepare for these and other problems such as an epidemic or economic shock.

Mr Brown, whose work is funded by 100 Resilient Cities, has been employed by the council since 1993 and previously worked in the community health field in the east end of Glasgow. He is currently head of sustainability and manages ­Sustainable Glasgow, which looks at energy planning, skills training and work with communities on combating climate change.

Judith Rodin, Rockefeller Foundation President, said: "In a rapidly urbanising world, cities cannot afford to remain crisis-driven and reactive. Cities like Glasgow are at the forefront of fostering a resilience mindset that will be critical to proactively managing the inevitable challenges, shocks and stresses all cities will face."

Michael Berkowitz, President of 100 Resilient Cities at the Rockefeller Foundation, said: "Alastair joins a network of peers from cities across the globe which will share best practices and surface innovative thinking. He will become a global leader in resilience and will be a tool both for Glasgow and other cities."