On September 14-15, the UBC Disaster Resilience Research Network (DRRN) held a Fall workshop aimed at strengthening our existing network and planning for the future.
Over two days, 37 people participated, including members of the DRRN from UBC-Vancouver and UBC-Okanagan, representatives of the BC Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, staff from UBC Safety and Risk Services, Nanaimo’s Emergency Manager, and faculty and staff from the University of Washington.
The first day of the workshop was organized with colleagues from the University of Washington’s new Center for Disaster-Resilient Communities (CDRC). This portion of the workshop introduced members of the different disaster-focused research networks to each other and laid the groundwork for future collaboration. In-depth discussions focused on future research grant applications, such as the NFRF Transformation Competition, as well as the possibilities for expanding student training in disaster resilience and the challenges and opportunities of providing technical assistance to public and private entities.
The second day revolved around the DRRN’s ongoing partnership with the BC Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. A grant from the Ministry is funding 12 pilot projects by DRRN members, as well as the formation of an academic advisory committee and collaborative research agenda. This portion of the workshop gave DRRN members and Ministry staff a chance to work together to shape the outcomes of this work. Sessions in the afternoon focused on future planning for the network and the hard work being done by the DRRN Grad Fellows, including a detailed review of scholarly literature on disaster resilience in BC.