The Queensland Disaster Research Alliance, a collective of seven Queensland universities that includes Griffith University, has appointed Dr Paul Barnes as its first Manager to help coordinate disaster focused research activities, foster collaboration across universities, and strengthen funding applications.
Dr Barnes is an operational risk reduction and resilience specialist with more than 25 years of experience both within government service and as a practitioner/academic.
His professional focus includes research and operational/policy development on disaster risk reduction and resilience building as well as national-level risk management strategy development.
“I am very much looking forward to working with the Queensland Disaster Research Alliance to help coordinate Queensland’s disaster research,” Dr Barnes said.
“The Alliance brings together some of our sharpest disaster researchers to support, challenge and encourage each other.
“This Alliance will deliver research that will have direct impacts on the lives of Queenslanders, whether they are recovering from a disaster, or hopefully using our research, to better prepare and mitigate the risks of future events.”
Professor Paul Greenfield, Chair of the Queensland Disaster Research Alliance, said Queensland has a unique position in disaster research and management as the most disaster impacted state in Australia.
“Queensland is exposed to some of the most challenging conditions mother nature can throw at us,” he said.
“Our cultural and geographic diversity provides an opportunity for Queensland universities to become disaster management knowledge exporters around the world.
“Queensland stretches from the timber-clad south to the desert out west, the coastal east, and the tropical north, providing us with experience in a range of natural disasters all in one place.
“Queenslanders have learnt to adapt to these challenges and the Alliance aims to build on that to help make Queensland communities even safer.
“There is also great opportunity for Queensland to share this knowledge with the world, particularly our neighbours in southeast Asia and pacific islands.”
The Queensland Disaster Research Alliance is a collaboration of seven universities across Queensland:
- Central Queensland University
- Griffith University
- James Cook University
- Queensland University of Technology
- Sunshine Coast University
- University of Queensland
- University of Southern Queensland
