What is the HRRC?

Background

The Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center (HRRC) was established at Texas A&M University in 1988. HRRC researchers focus on hazard analysis, emergency preparedness and response, disaster recovery, and hazard mitigation. Researchers study the full range of natural disasters and technological hazards. Natural disasters include floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes and droughts, while technological hazards may involve chemical plant accidents, transportation accidents, hazardous materials and lifeline failures. The Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center is one of only two United Nations (UN-OCHA) Collaborative Centers in the world. The center serves OCHA as a research and consultant agency with particular emphasis on national disaster plans and their implications for future development. The center engages in research on hazard and disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The staff of the HRRC is interdisciplinary in nature and includes the expertise of architects, planners, sociologists, policy analysts, and engineers. Dr. Dennis Wenger is the founding Director, and Dr. Walter Peacock has been the Director since 2004.

Mission Statement

As a United Nations Collaborative Centre, the Hazard Reduction & Recovery Center (HRRC) has the following mission:

• To increase our understanding of the nature and impact of natural and technological hazards upon humans and the physical and built environment in which they live, and to increase our knowledge regarding hazard mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
• To enlarge the hazard research community through graduate student training, faculty development, and educational endeavors.
• To disseminate research findings to the research community and to practitioners so they can use this information to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
• To provide assistance and consultation to those state, national and international agencies charged with responsibility for hazard analysis, emergency preparedness and response, disaster recovery, and hazard mitigation.