According to Mother Jones, Conservatives Want to Slash FEMA’s Disaster Budget. Will Trump comply?
The article references a study done in 2016 by the conservation Heritage Foundation. The 180 page report is titled A Blue Print for Balance.
The Diva has not yet had time to read it, but welcomes comments from those who have.
From the university’s news site, mention of a new research project: Project drawing on lessons from Hurricane Sandy aims to improve US preparedness.
The university has a major grant to study H. Sandy. The focus is on recovery although the title of this article does not so indicate.
Update: Thanks to Rob Dale for adding a comment to this posting with a link to a video about the new project.
Now a I have another question: in the video the professor of civil engineering recommends that social science factors be studied. I wonder if there are social scientists as partners on this project. Anyone know?
We can learn a lot from disasters, and we now know some areas don’t recover
I believe the authors are American; see their earlier paper cited at the end of this article.
Historic Princeville, N.C. Survived Hurricane; What About FEMA?
I have written about this case recently. I do not have answers for the many questions raised, but this situation would be an excellent case study for the restore or move the town decision.
The Diva got a note from a reader, Terry Hastings, and a citation to a recent article he co-authored. She welcomes the chance to share the citation.
Terry wrote “I am a big fan of your blog and thought your readers may be interested in an article recently published by the Domestic Preparedness Journal. It is based on research my project team conducted as part of the EMI Emergency Management Executive Academy.” See: The Ongoing Quest to Assess & Measure Preparedness.
New (2023) location: https://www.domesticpreparedness.com/articles/the-ongoing-quest-to-assess-measure-preparedness
An excerpt follows:
Despite the advent of the national preparedness system and associated assessment efforts, the emergency management community is still challenged to measure and articulate local, state, and national preparedness. One of the biggest challenges to measuring preparedness stems from the fact that preparedness means different things to different people. Additionally, how communities and organizations prepare greatly depends on what they are preparing for. Following is an examination of the ongoing quest to assess and measure preparedness with the goal of identifying good practices, ideas, and recommendations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other whole community stakeholders – including public sector, private sector, and nonprofit organizations – to consider.
From the Rockefeller Foundation a new global website on resilience. Go to https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/blog/introducing-zilient-global-resilience-network/.
The Diva recommends EM magazine and the latest issue in particular. There are several interesting articles in the new issue, including a feature on Investing In Recovery. (TheDiva is quoted in that article, having chatted with the author about the topic.)
Other articles of interest include How to Reform FEMA and Evolution of the Emergency Manager.
The magazine is available, at no cost, in hard copy or online.
This is an unusual posting in that it’s essentially a “white paper” that was prepared by a notable group of academics who work in the field of hazards, disasters, and emergency management. They prepared this paper for the incoming FEMA appointees. Since those appointees are not yet known, at the moment the paper is out for review and comment.
Here is the 9-page document titled Urban Challenges and Opportunities for FEMA During the Trump Administration.
Please send comments to Ben Wisner and/or Aaron Clarke-Ginsberg. Bear in mind I did not participate in this effort but am supportive.
Preparing for Potential Disasters; How to increase the resiliency of biotechnology organizations in the face of emergency risks
From the new UN Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, this piece highlighting the importance of disaster risk reduction for promoting peace and stability. See: Tackling Disaster Reduces the Risk of Conflict
In his address to the UN General Assembly this week, he spoke about the classic drivers of disaster risk in the 21st century. “The effects of climate change, population growth, rapid urbanization, and environmental degradation are contributing to greater competition for resources, adding to tensions and instability,” he said.
In a world where inequality also fuels instability and disasters accentuate the exposure of the weakest and most vulnerable in our societies, the Secretary-General sees prevention of conflict and disasters triggered by man-made and natural hazards as an urgent priority.
Recovery Diva 