Regional Resilience Partnership

 

Regional Resilience Partnership (RRP) builds the capacity of communities to strengthen resilience and mitigate disaster risk. Initiated following Hurricane Harvey, which caused widespread destruction throughout the Coastal Bend, RRP focuses on the 11 counties of the Coastal Bend region, though we encourage broader collaboration with Texas and Gulf of Mexico communities.

RRP is administered by the Harte Research Institute (HRI) for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend Council of Governments (CBCOG). We envision communities in the region being resilient to natural disaster events and environmental change, becoming leaders in advancing innovative yet grounded solutions.

RRP offers the following services to its partners and stakeholders:

  • Weekly RRP-News email listserv with training and funding announcements (sign up at RRP@tamucc.edu)
  • Targeted training sessions on recovery, mitigation and resilience
  • Direct technical support and guidance to local partners on implementing recovery, resilience and mitigation measures
  • As part of the MOU agreement between the CBCOG and TAMUCC, RRP also pursues funding to help communities build capacity and reach local to regional resilience goals.

For more information see the RRP Strategic Plan: 2022-2023. Under its initial program of work, RRP received a 2021 NADO Impact Award

We invite additional partners to join us. Stakeholders and community organizations we are looking to partner with include: local officials; ISDs, chambers of commerce, non-profit organizations, churches, public health entities, industry partners, economic development corporations, higher education institutions, workforce, and state and federal partners.

RRP Projects

Community Development Block Grant - Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Mapping

RRP experts collaborated in developing a Method of Distribution (MOD) for the allocation of  $179,547,000 in Community Development Block Grant Mitigation Funds (CDBG-MIT) allocated to the region to develop strategic, high-impact activities to mitigate disaster risks and reduce future losses in areas impacted by recent disasters. The team used key data sets in Mapping Flood Hazards and Vulnerability in the Coastal Bend, which led to more meaningful discussions at the local level on mitigation priorities. 

Regional Partnerships for Wastewater: Guidelines and Principles

In partnership with the Nueces River Authority, RRP is working to ensure water infrastructure priorities such as wastewater treatment, clean drinking water, and watershed restoration contribute to the overall resiliency of our region. Regionalization of wastewater has been shown to solve compliance problems while also creating relationships and opportunities for addressing an array of other issues including drinking water, housing, and regional socio-economic planning. We have created a set of Guidelines and Principles to help guide this work. 

Geospatial Resilient Economic Development (GeoRED)

RRP secured nearly $1.5M to build a geographic information system (GIS) platform, called Geospatial Resilient Economic Development (GeoRED). GIS is a powerful tool for building resilience to disaster and economic risks. The U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration funded the initial phase of the project, with focus on the needs of Aransas, Bee, Refugio and San Patricio counties. With additional support from Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the project now also includes Nueces, Kleberg and Kenedy counties

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)

RRP is leading implementation of the Coastal Bend Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), a strategy-driven plan for regional economic development. Housed within CBCOG and overseen by the CEDS Committee, this revised version was expanded to build capacity and economic resilience in the Coastal Bend.

RRP Training Program

Earl C. Sams Foundation supported RRP to implement a training program for local officials and stakeholders in the Coastal Bend. Participants networked with experts around Texas and the nation to discuss methods for building community resilience and capacity, and worked with local partners to create data-informed funding and action strategies. The RRP team is now working to build on and expand the training program. 

Supporting Resilient Decision Making

From the local to regional level, RRP continues to support resilient decision-making across the Coastal Bend and Texas. A key element of this is working with decision-makers and community agents to identify priority needs. RRP conducted such an exercise in 2019 in response to a GLO survey to identify local priorities in building the state Mitigation Action Plan. RRP reviewed local Hazard Mitigation Plans to identify priorities that aligned with GLO issue areas. Data sets such as these are important to document and build upon as funding becomes available to address local mitigation needs. The final analysis may be accessed here: Coastal Bend Priority Mitigation Actions and/or Studies – June 28, 2019

For more information and to partner with RRP, please contact:

Emily Martinez, Director of Regional Economic Development, CBCOG: emily@coastalbendcog.org

Dr. Katya Wowk, HRI Chair for Community Resilience and Director, Texas OneGulf: katya.wowk@tamucc.edu

 

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