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December 2020
Not long ago the Resilient Nation Partnership Network (RNPN) was simply an idea. Over time we have learned, adapted, and evolved. Listening to your priorities and working in partnership with you has carried us through what has been a difficult and challenging year for all of our organizations and stakeholders. But nothing that happened in 2020 can overshadow the transformation that has occurred with this Network and the accomplishments of our partners. In five years, that one idea has truly become a movement. Nowhere is this more visible than in this newsletter.
The definition of resilience is broad, often challenging to make concise, and it is increasingly difficult to classify as a particular sector. What 2020 has taught us is that resilience truly has no sector, that all organizations and individuals have a stake in creating a more Resilient Nation, and that none of us can do it alone. Only by placing the success of our partners first will the RNPN continue to grow, diversify, and drive action toward whole community resilience.
We thank everyone for your continued partnership and wish you a safe and happy holiday season.
Sincerely,
The Resilient Nation Partnership Network Team
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Upcoming Events
Funding Opportunities
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Partner News
“Amplify This!” Releases a New Episode
The newest episode of “Amplify This!” features Bernadette Onyenaka, Co-Founder and Principal of the O&G Racial Equity Collaborative as well as Nicolette Louissaint, Executive Director, Healthcare Ready. The emergency management and public health veterans reflect on their experiences and those of family members considered "essential workers" during this pandemic.
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US Chamber of Commerce Session: Business Solves: The Magnitude of Natural Disasters in 2020 and Beyond
In addition to the pandemic, economic distress, and discord on equity, unprecedented environmental disasters including wildfires and record storms have made a lasting mark on 2020. This session looks at the increasing severity and frequency of disasters, their impact on distressed communities and what we can expect beyond 2020.
Climate Central’s New Coastal Risk Screening Tools
Climate Central’s Coastal Risk Screening Tools allow users to explore sea level rise and coastal flood risk by water level or year, including a map showing affordable housing at risk. The tools are available in English and Spanish.
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National Advisory Council Reports on 2045 Vision for Emergency Management
Last month, members of FEMA's National Advisory Council presented a report to Administrator Gaynor outlining recommendations on three key emergency management issues: the vision of FEMA and emergency management in 2045; building emergency management capacity at the local level; and ensuring equity in FEMA program outcomes.
The council passed 31 recommendations, which can be found on the FEMA website.
NEFRC Establishes Northeast Florida Economic Resilience Taskforce
The Northeast Florida Regional Council, a government agency that serves seven counties and 26 municipalities, recently established the “Northeast Florida Economic Resilience Taskforce” to assist the region in responding to economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Training on COVID-19 Available on the TRAIN Learning Network
Public Health Foundation is highlighting available training on COVID-19 response and resilience. Live searches on a number of key topics (Contact Tracing, Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication, Health Professional Self-Care and Mental Health, Infection Control in Long-Term Care Facilities, Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions, and Personal Protective Equipment) are continuously updated.
In addition, two training curriculums are available:
Updated Strategies to Improve Your Power Infrastructure Resilience
Throughout 2020, GBCI worked with a variety of energy stakeholders to gather data, strategies and clarifications to ensure that PEER continues to transform the power sector as LEED transformed the building sector, bringing greater resilience and reliability to the projects it impacts. The result of this work is a 2020 Stakeholder report. Questions about how to use the Stakeholder Report? Reach out to the PEER team.
Enterprise Community Partners Launches Equitable Path Forward, a New, Five-year, $3.5 Billion Nationwide Initiative
Enterprise Community Partners is excited to announce Equitable Path Forward, a new five-year, $3.5 billion nationwide initiative, including $25 million from Netflix, to help dismantle the deeply-rooted legacy of racism in housing – from the types of homes that are built, where they’re built, who builds them, and the wealth that is generated from them.
FEMA Releases the National Risk Index
The National Risk Index (NRI) is a new online application from FEMA that identifies communities at risk to natural hazards. This online mapping tool provides data and visualizes natural hazard risk based on 18 natural hazards, expected annual losses, social vulnerability and community resilience. With the NRI, users can discover a holistic view of community risk to natural hazards.
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Silver Jackets’ Floodplain Management Plans Surge Across Kansas and Missouri
Recently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Kansas City District has provided so many floodplain management plans (FMPs) for communities in Kansas (KS) and Missouri (MO) that they are now providing technical assistance and training. Click here to learn more about the initiative and planned FMPs. Interested communities should contact Brian Rast, Lead Silver Jackets Coordinator in KS and MO.
Building a Safer, More Secure Digital Baton Rouge
The City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge have taken numerous steps toward becoming a more cyber-resilient community, even amidst a record-setting hurricane season. For more information, please reach out to Clay Rives, Director at the Mayor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
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Updates from the Union of Concerned Scientists
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Prepare Communities for the Next Disaster
In a year of record-breaking disasters, FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program is more important than ever. Read more on how the BRIC program can help our communities better prepare for the next disaster or extreme weather event.
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Rapid Intensification and Number of Storms Make 2020 a Record Hurricane Season
With record-breaking statistics this year, we need to better understand how and why these hurricanes are increasing in frequency and strength. Read more on this season’s climate science and the case for equitable pre-disaster preparedness to help curtail post-disaster costs and recovery.
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Top Four Ways to Center Environmental Justice Reform
During the summer and fall, we at the Union of Concerned Scientists released a series of factsheets detailing specific ways to reform and prioritize science-based decision making, including a factsheet on equity and environmental justice. Read our top four actions that we think should be taken to center and prioritize environmental justice.
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ISTI: USA COVID-19 cases by Municipality: Trends and Maps for your County
Multiple Internet sites provide graphs and maps tracking the global pandemic. Surprisingly, in the US, finding full COVID-19 information at a county level is difficult. County portals’ content varies from one county to another. Instrumental Software Technologies, Inc’s COVID-19 Web page tracks trends of cases in each USA county. A simple interface allows a user to view daily cases, cumulative cases, mortality rate, and daily percent increase of cases from the beginning of the pandemic. Additional tabs present easy-to-understand historical and graphical views of regions with the highest spikes in recent cases. The information is updated on a daily basis from the New York Times GitHub repository. For more information, please reach out to Sid Hellman.
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Wharton Risk Center Issue Brief: The Mispricing of Flood Insurance: A Look at Portland, Oregon
The City of Portland, Oregon piloted an innovative flood insurance affordability program in 2017 and 2018 that included one-on-one consultations between flood insurance policyholders and an insurance agent who was an expert on flood insurance. These consultations found that roughly half of the reviewed policies had some type of error in pricing or could lower insurance costs through application of elevation certificates. Others could have secured lower prices by adopting mitigation measures or switching to a private insurer
Resilience Innovation Hub: National Town Hall on Flood, Disaster and Risk Mitigation: Year-in-Review, Year Ahead Perspectives
The final 2020 National Town Hall co-hosted by the Insurance Information Institute’s Resilience Accelerator and ResilientH2O Partners culminated a series of one-hour conversations among public and private sector thought-leaders from the insurance, investment and technology communities discussing trends, opportunities, and emerging partnership models for pre-disaster risk mitigation. Over the past six months, Town Halls have brought together over 350 participants seeking to learn how alternative financing, unique technologies, and practical engagement of industries and communities align to reduce future loss of life, property, operations, and economic drivers during a time of COVID-19 and persistent storms.
Anthropocene Alliance’s Strong Network of Resilient Leaders
Anthropocene Alliance is the largest coalition of communities on the frontline of climate change. This year our flood survivor network. Linked by shared understanding, research and moral force, our frontline leaders are bringing visibility to the struggle for environmental justice.
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58 grassroots groups from 21 U.S. states comprising 500,000 people. 60% represent low-income, Black, Latinx and Native American communities.
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26 of our members have received grants in amounts ranging from $300 to $92,000, for a total value of $625,000.
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29 have been matched with pro bono scientists thanks to a partnership with the Thriving Earth Exchange of the American Geophysical Union.
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Seven are matched with pro bono lawyers as they fight developments in flood prone areas.
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Eight are piloting nature-based solutions to flooding thanks to funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Federation.
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Three are matched with green infrastructure expert planning teams thanks a technical assistance grant from the American Planning Association.
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Two are working with the non-profit group, Buy-In, to get homes bought out.
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Two are introducing municipal ordinances through ballot initiatives.
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Five are matched with artist-photographers.
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Members received 121 media mentions in 2020.
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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Conducts New Project on Critical Hazard Mitigation and Resilience
During 2021, the National Academies’ Resilient America Program will conduct the project, Applied Research Topics for Hazard Mitigation and Resilience, with the aim to focus and engage applied research and collaboration on critical hazard mitigation and resilience topics. For more information, reach out to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
2020 Highlights from the American Flood Coalition
The American Flood Coalition had a strong year in 2020 as we added almost 60 new members, including our first municipal members from California, Illinois, New York, and North Carolina, bringing us to over 250 members across 19 states.
We partnered with Johns Hopkins University on the “Local Economic Impact of Flood Resilient Infrastructure Projects,” a report that quantifies, for the first time, how flood-resilience infrastructure projects can boost local economies and create jobs and businesses, among other benefits.
And at the state level, we saw an upswell of support for flood resilience efforts from the creation of Chief Resilience Officer positions to the emergence of new funding sources in states such as Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia.
We're thankful for all those who support our work and look forward to continued, collective success in 2021.
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Maine State Government Welcomes Plan to Combat Climate Change; Announces Actions to Protect Maine People & Communities, Spur Economic Growth
This four-year Climate Action Plan, Maine Won’t Wait, is the consensus result of months of painstaking study, dialogue, discussion, and public deliberation to determine the steps Maine must take to combat climate change.
ASCE Seeks Comments on New Professional Standard: Standard Requirements for Sustainable Infrastructure
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will conduct a public comment period on the new standard activity ASCE/COS 73-XX Standard Requirements for Sustainable Infrastructure. The public comment period will run until January 25, 2021. The components and outcomes described in the chapters of this standard are intended to guide sustainable infrastructure development through the entire life-cycle process. Please note that commenting will require using or creating an ASCE web user account.
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Cognitive Dissonance and Disaster Risk Communication
Much of effective disaster risk communications practice is based on the equitable distribution of crisis messaging to the target population. Cognitive dissonance studies, however, show that well-intentioned disaster management messaging not only can produce an undesirable public reaction, but can also solidify public sentiment to resist or deny that very message.
Climate Finance Advisors Publishes Three Reports on the Intersection Between Finance and Climate Change
Climate Finance Advisors recently published the following three reports:
- Protecting Low-income Communities through Climate Insurance;
- Financing the Green and Just Recovery; and
- Understanding the Role of Climate Risk Transparency on Capital Pricing for Developing Countries.
Pew-Led Network Helps States Plan for Rising Costs and Impacts of Flooding
Long after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, state governments will continue to face monumental challenges, including what promises to be a sustained future with increased climate-related disaster risks. This grim reality, long forecast by climate scientists, has been made clear yet again in 2020, a record year for wildfires and hurricanes. And this problem is growing at a time when states are already grappling with budget shortfalls that are unlikely to ease soon. To help, The Pew Charitable Trusts launched the State Resilience Planning Group, a forum for officials from numerous states to collaborate on innovative practices and lessons learned as they develop and implement comprehensive resilience plans.
We appreciate everyone who participated in the Alliances for Equity Virtual Forum. Below you will find a snapshot of the impact we were all able to make together through the Forum. We look forward to continuing to advance initiatives centered around equity in 2021 and beyond.
 
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