HRI Receives GOMA "Gulf Star" Grant for Community Resilience Index Project
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies has been awarded a Gulf of Mexico Alliance Gulf Star award for its project, "Incorporating Socio-Economic Indicators into the Community Resilience Index I."
The Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) announced today the award of more than $666,000 for 11 Gulf Star projects. This is the second year of the Gulf Star public-private partnership program. The awards, developed in consultation with GOMA’s Priority Issue Teams, address small, but foundational issues associated with coastal resilience, water quality, habitat resources, data and monitoring, wildlife, education, and ecosystem services. Together, these projects will provide data and information to inform the larger restoration efforts in the region.
HRI's project will focus on integrating socio-economic metrics into the extensively utilized Coastal Community Resilience Index (CRI). The CRI is used by cities and counties to assess their preparedness for and resiliency after a disaster. The results of this work will have tangible benefits for coastal communities around the Gulf and beyond. Co-Principal Investigators for the project include Drs. Katya Wowk, HRI Senior Associate for Strategic Planning and Policy, and Lauren Hutchison, HRI Postdoctoral Research Associate.
The Gulf Star program is for five years and supports projects that are tied to healthy ecosystems that impact Gulf economies. The 2017 Gulf Star partners include all five Gulf States, NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Shell, Freeport McMoRan, The Nature Conservancy, Anadarko, and BHP Billiton. Gulf Star contributions from these partners leverage dollar for dollar.
**UPDATE 08/2021**
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