Australia will now be linked into a global research effort into disaster risk reduction through a new natural hazards research centre.
The Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) will be the national coordinator for a United Nations backed committee that promotes and supports disaster risk reduction research programs and activities around the world.
This coordinating role – officially called the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk National Committee for Australia - is sponsored by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, the International Council for Science and the International Social Science Council. It was formed to address the major global challenges of natural and human-induced environmental hazards.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Dr Richard Thornton said that Australia now had the opportunity to gain access to and influence the scientific direction of this important research, and take a lead role in the promotion of a range of activities and events.
“This appointment recognises the role the CRC plays as a major coordinator of disaster and hazard research across Australia and internationally,” said Dr Thornton.
“Disasters cause great social and economic loss across all regions of the world, and in Australia and New Zealand we have had our fair share of impacts in recent years. Our membership of this global research committee allows us to have a real voice at the highest level in influencing the quest for a better understanding of how to reduce these severe impacts across our communities.”
TODAY (1 July 2014) marks a year from when the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC began.
The CRC is funded by the Australian Government with the support of the all fire, land and emergency management agencies in all states and territories, plus 23 universities and research organisations.
The CRC has started an eight year $47 million research program on the key issues for natural hazard management for Australia and New Zealand.
Today is also significant for marking the end of the Bushfire CRC after 11 years of national bushfire research. Over the last year, the two CRCs have worked in tandem, sharing resources and ensuring that the research outputs of the Bushfire CRC remain accessible.
For the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC it has been a year of establishment and promotion. After 39 proposals for research were carefully selected from 190 applications, more than 100 researchers and postgraduate students from across Australia and New Zealand have begun work on projects that will enable emergency managers to protect and rebuild threatened communities.
Dr Thornton said the new research program builds on the achievements of the Bushfire CRC to cover bushfires, floods, storms, cyclones tsunamis and earthquakes.
“The national research program is ambitious in its scope, but strategic in its intent and realistic in its measures of achievement. Importantly, it covers a multitude of issues that are common to all hazards including communications and warnings, building infrastructure, extreme weather, policy and economics, and community preparation.”
In addition to its membership of the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk National Committee the CRC has also established other key foundations in its first year:
A national research program of 39 projects is now underway – each with a multi-organisation research team and a multi-agency reference group.
A national call for PhD students has attracted around 15 new researchers across a range of academic disciplines. This is expected to grow substantially. In addition a special category of Associate Students is beginning to attract more bright minds from across the country.
The CRC has been active in promoting its research and seeking new partnerships amongst the general community and targeted related sectors including accepting invitations to address the peak organisations in local government, insurance, utilities and health.