|
JANUARY 2023
Welcome to 2023, A New Year Full of Possibilities for Partnership!
As we embark on a new year, with new personal and professional goals, we are reminded of the power of partnership. Thanks to all of your support last year, the Resilient Nation Partnership Network (RNPN) successfully co-hosted several events on important topics such as climate equity, tribal resilience, extreme heat, and more. We also successfully concluded the Building Alliances Forum series and introduced our newest initiative, Stories of Resilience: Voices That Inspire.
We are more inspired in 2023 to connect communities across the country with one goal: building a more resilient nation. We want to learn more about your journey toward resilience and encourage you to share your wins and challenges with us to help others learn from your experience. Join us for our 2023 kickoff on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 1 p.m. ET as we prepare for another year of solving challenges together.
We thank you for your continued partnership and look forward to another exceptional year of collaborative action!
The Resilient Nation Partnership Network
 Meet Our January Speaker!
Ava Richardson, Director of Sustainability, Baltimore Office of Sustainability
Ava has over a decade of experience leading public health initiatives, advocating for environmental policies, and managing programs designed to address social and racial inequities and environmental justice. She previously served as the Sustainability Manager and a Food Matters Technical Advisor in the office, where she led special projects, supported the Commission on Sustainability, and helped to pilot new sustainability programming such as the Farmer's Market-based food scrap collection pilot. During her time with the city, Ava also served as the ReCAST Project Director at the Baltimore City Health Department, advancing efforts to address decades of trauma in west Baltimore. She holds a B.S. in Biology from Frostburg State University, an MPH from Morgan State University, and is currently obtaining a Doctorate of Public Health with a focus on environmental health and engineering from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
|
|
|
Climate and Societal Interaction’s CAP/RISA: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Funding Opportunity: The Climate Adaptation Partnerships (CAP) program, formerly the Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program, in the Climate and Societal Interactions (CSI) division of the Climate Program Office has just published a funding opportunity CAP is soliciting applications for three competitions, with approximately $3.6 million available in FY22/23. (Approximately $4.8 million is available in total.) Projects will work across existing CAP/RISA teams and expansion activity regions to test, scale, and transfer knowledge to build national adaptation capacity. The principal investigator of the proposal must be a member of a current CAP/RISA team. The three competitions are as follows:
- Improving Engagement Methods for Coastal Resilience Planning.
- Assessing Tradeoffs and Co-Benefits for Complex Decision-Making in Communities Facing Coastal Inundation and/or Inland Flooding.
- Identifying Complex Interactions Between Social Infrastructure and Wildfire Risks to Improve Community Adaptive Capacity.
Letters of intent should be received by email by 5 p.m. ET on February 1, 2023.
Full applications must be received by 5 p.m. ET on March 29, 2023.
|
Partner News
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency: Commonwealth of Massachusetts Releases the "MA Climate Change Assessment"
The Baker-Polito Administration, through the Executive Office of Energy and Environment Affairs (EEA), recently released the “MA Climate Change Assessment.” This is the first statewide assessment detailing how Massachusetts people, environments, and infrastructure may be affected by climate change and related hazards through the end of the century. This assessment will directly inform the first five-year update to the State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan (SHMCAP) that will be released in fall 2023. It evaluates 37 climate impacts across five sectors: Human, Infrastructure, Natural Environment, Governance, and Economy; and seven regions of the Commonwealth.
DRI International: Register Now for DRI2023 – the Top Resilience Conference of the Year
Start the new year right by registering for DRI2023, DRI International’s conference for resilience professionals, coming to Austin, Texas, February 26 – March 1! The exciting program includes sessions focused on BCM, cyber resilience, case studies, and much more.
Updates from The Averted Disaster Awards |
|
 |
ADA Announces Bangladesh Red Crescent Society As 2022 Winner
The Averted Disaster Award named the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) as the winner of the 2022 ADA award for outstanding Disaster Risk Management intervention. BDRCS earned the recognition for their work applying a forecast-based financing framework for vulnerable communities in Bangladesh during successive climatic events from May-July 2020.
ADA Releases Free-Access Documentary About 2022 Award Winning Project
The Averted Disaster Award announced a partnership with WaterBear to produce a documentary film short. “Rivers of Hope,” the short documentary film about the 2022 Averted Disaster Award Winner, the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS), premiered on the ADA YouTube channel.
Nominations for the #AvertedDisasterAward 2023 Are Officially Open
The Averted Disaster Award is the premier recognition of successful disaster mitigation interventions that go unnoticed precisely because of their success. While the news often highlights catastrophes, they don’t focus on the buildings that stayed standing due to earthquake-resistant building codes, the wildfires avoided due to effective forest management, or the early-warning systems that saved lives in a typhoon. In the world of Disaster Risk Management (DRM), success means "nothing happens." As a result, it can cause policy makers and society at large to undervalue the importance of proactive intervention.
The Averted Disaster Award sheds light on successes in DRM and "what might have been" to recognize the outstanding work of those who invest in measures that keep our communities and world safe.
The 2023 Averted Disaster Award is open for submissions from individuals, project teams, and organizations of all sizes, regions, and industries who wish to see successful DRM interventions recognized.
American Flood Coalition: 2022 in Review
This past year we saw the federal and state governments build on historic levels of investments. We also saw funding make it to communities on the front lines of flooding. The American Flood Coalition looks back on achievements in flood resilience in 2022.
|
Ganpat University: Inside Gujarat – The Leading State of India in Transformation From Sustainable to Resilient Urban Infrastructure
Gujarat is a state of India located on the country's western coast, on the Arabian Sea. Gujarat has a history and legacy of resilience, especially in light of the efforts made to reduce risk during the 2001 Gujarat earthquake recovery effort that resulted in Gujarat State Disaster Management Act 2003. In December 2022, Gujarat took a leadership for its expression for financing from World Bank toward the expenditure of the selection of an agency to construct a state-level Centre of Urban Innovation (CUI) in order to create an urban knowledge ecosystem for ULBs. CUI is a multi-dimensional activity at a large scale. Gujarat’s urban and business policy is secured a ₹22,000-Crore, Mega Project with Tata and Airbus. Also, Gujarat is the site of Vedanta's $20 billion India semiconductor project with Foxconn in Taiwan. For more information, please contact Kamlesh R. Damdoo, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, U.V. Patel College of Engineering, Ganpat University.
Garrison Flood Control: Museum and Art Gallery Flood Control Case Study
Garrison™ Flood Control used their Mayim™ Flood Barriers to combat flooding at the National Gallery of Art, in Washington, DC. Due to the flexibility of the Mayim Interlocking Panels, the gallery now has a flood protection system to mitigate future flooding.
|
ECOncrete: Ecological Armoring for the Port of San Diego
ECOncrete’s bio-enhancing technology recently received the National Energy Globe Award for the COASTALOCK through a partnership with the Port of San Diego. For more information, please contact usa@econcrete.us.
|
Updates from the Union of Concerned Scientists
|
Climate Change in 2022: Multiple Billion-Dollar Disasters and Unbearable Human Costs
In 2022, the nation experienced 18 disasters with costs exceeding a billion dollars each. Together these disasters caused at least 474 deaths. They cost at least
$165 billion, making 2022 the third most costly year on record. Many of these disasters—including floods, storms, wildfires and droughts—were worsened by climate change.
Missouri Community and Its Children Grappling With Conflicting Nuclear Waste Exposure Reports
Families, students, and school officials in Florissant, Missouri, have been living a modern nightmare for the past several weeks. This involved learning and unlearning that Jana Elementary School and the surrounding region may have significantly higher than estimated exposure levels of radioactive contamination.
|
 Happy New Year, New England?
From January 3 to 6, I watched or listened to the inaugural ceremonies of each of the six New England governors. Here is a state-by-state summary of how the New England chief executives included energy and climate in their first speeches as 2023 governors.
This Year’s Danger Season Is Over, but Risks to Farmworkers Remain
This year’s Danger Season has come to an end. However, there is no respite for farmworkers. The West continues to be in the grip of a severe drought. Projections show dry conditions will persist. On farmland all over the country, millions of gallons of pesticides will continue to be sprayed. Farmworkers will continue to work in excruciating conditions for minimum wage. The intensity and frequency of heat waves will continue to increase. So how do we protect farmworkers in the face of this climate emergency? If governments or regulatory agencies don’t protect farmworkers, who will?
|
Danger Season and Hurricane Season Have Ended; Work for Affected Communities Has Not
To find solutions to the climate crisis, we need to prioritize federal-level investments. These include climate-resistant infrastructure and local investments to strengthen communities’ capacities to become resilient.
My COP27 Takeaways From Sharm el-Sheikh
I want to transcend simplistic media headlines and bring you behind the COP curtain. Here are two inspiring examples of progress from COP27 that powerfully combine science and justice. They also put us on a fast track to the world we want to leave to the next generations.
|
|
|
|
|
Rebuild By Design: Atlas of Disaster
Rebuild by Design, in collaboration with APTIM and iParametrics, created a new understanding of the impacts of climate disasters on communities nationwide. Their research found that 90% of U.S. counties have experienced a recent major disaster due to extreme weather.
Learn more here
|
Rebuild By Design: Climate Displacement in NYC and Making Space for Our Neighbors
Rebuild by Design collaborated with Milliman to study the areas across New York City that could be affected by coastal flooding. They found that over 40% of the city’s population lives in areas that face high risk for climate displacement.
Learn more here
|
|
|
Updates From the National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies |
|
 |
NAFSMA Awards Applications Opening Soon
The National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA), led by water resource agencies, is focused on advocacy and knowledge to better protect our communities. Each year, NAFSMA recognizes excellence in communications that support flood awareness, pollution prevention, and environmental protection, as well as innovative water resource projects that accomplish multiple benefits. Winning projects will be highlighted at our annual meeting, July 24-27, 2023.
NAFSMA Annual Meeting Registration Opens on January 17th
From extreme weather to water contaminants to growing social service needs, increasing environmental challenges are driving new demands for water resource management and infrastructure innovation. Join your colleagues July 24-27, 2023, in Seattle, Washington, to discuss these important issues (12 continuing education credits are available for attendees).
City of Roanoke Seeking Input on Flood Resilience Plan
The city of Roanoke is asking community members to fill out two surveys related to the Roanoke Flood Resilience Plan. The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) recently awarded a grant to the city. The funds will be used to develop a city-wide flood resilience plan. This will ensure the city will be better prepared, ready to respond, and able to recover from flood events.
The first survey, The Roanoke Flood Resilience Plan Survey, gives residents a chance to tell the city about their area’s flooding challenges and possible ideas for flood mitigation projects in the city.
The second survey, RAFTS: Roanoke Area Flood Tracking Survey, is meant to help the city collect flood observation data, including the date, time, locations and photos of flooding issues in the city. The data will allow the project team to identify potential unknown or unreported flooding “hotspots” in Roanoke City.
|
Columbia Climate School Previews Disaster Policy in 2023 Legislative Session
With a busy 2021-2022 legislative session behind them, states are shifting gears this month to 2023 sessions. In a recent State of the Planet piece, Columbia reviews prefiled 2023 bills, notable 2021-22 bills, and broader policy context to preview possible resilience priorities this session.
Federal Alliance for Safe Homes: 2023 National Disaster Resilience Conference Call for Abstracts
The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes seeks presenters for its premier conference, the National Disaster Resilience Conference (NDRC23).
NDRC23 features presentations that will help create more resilient buildings and disaster-resilient communities. This will be achieved in the face of earthquakes, floods, hail, hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, wildfires, and other natural hazards.
|
Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP): Small Grants Program
ACCAP, a NOAA CAP/RISA team, has awarded four small grants to statewide and regional nonprofit organizations to enhance capacity for resilience and climate adaptation in Alaska Native communities. The U.S. Arctic Research Commission is funding one of the four awardees. These grants develop leadership, build relationships and mutual learning, and increase awareness of ACCAP’s products and services for climate challenges.
AACAP awarded the grants to the Chugach Regional Resources Commission, the Copper River Native Association, the Kodiak Area Native Association, and the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council.
Technical Assistance Available
Communities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW): Climate Resilience Hubs Program
|
CREW's Hub Program is a network of public institutions that provide information and resources to their communities about extreme weather preparedness. Currently, CREW has over 100 Hubs located nationwide and continues to grow.
|
|
 |
FEMA: Center for Domestic Preparedness
The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) enhances the resiliency of U.S. communities by teaching responders to prepare for and safely respond to a wide range of natural and manmade disasters. The advanced, all-hazards training is free and delivered on the CDP campus in Alabama, at sites around the nation, and online.
National Coalition for Arts’ Preparedness and Emergency Response: Nationwide Network of Arts Emergency Responders Created
|
The arts can be a critical network and partner in both crisis response, and disaster mitigation. Arts response coaches are being trained to work with local emergency management and build communications and support to reach more of the community.
|
|
 |
FEMA: 2023 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Direct Technical Assistance (DTA) Requests
The new online BRIC non-financial DTA request form is due on January 27 at 3 p.m. ET.
FEMA works in partnership with underserved communities and tribal nations to understand future climate conditions and design solutions to adapt to climate change impacts. This year FEMA is increasing the number of communities selected for the initiative from 20 to at least 40
|
New Resources
Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN): Resilience Hubs. Implementation of Neighborhood-Centered Resilience
Resilience Hubs are community-serving facilities. They augment support to community members, coordinate communication, distribute resources, and increase community cohesion while enhancing quality of life. Hubs are holistic and used year-round. They work at the nexus of resilience, emergency management, climate mitigation, and social equity while giving communities the chance to be more self-determining and successful before, during, and after disruptions. USDN’s Resilience Hub initiative is led by Kristin Baja (“Baja”). Kristin created the Hubs concept. She has over a decade of experience working on Hubs. Organizations interested in working on proactive neighborhood-centered resilience are invited to contact baja@usdn.org.
|
Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS): “Equitable Climate Resilience for U.S. Local Governments” White Paper Released
IBTS released results from a two-year, nationwide study, funded by The Kresge Foundation with support from NLC and NFBPA. The study explains how cities can address social inequities in climate resilience planning.
National Wildlife Federation: Nature-Based Solutions Funding Database
|
This interactive database is designed to help communities connect to federal funding resources for nature-based solutions. The database allows users to sort through 70-plus federal programs using filters to specify project needs and includes contact information for each program.
|
|
 |
|
The Pew Charitable Trusts: Wildfires: Burning Through State Budgets
More frequent and severe fires drive up public spending. At the same time, policymakers at all levels of government are faced with decisions about how to pay for the diverse interventions required to deal with them. A small body of research about the state role in budgeting for and funding wildfire activities has emerged in recent years. However, a lack of data and information persists. The Pew Charitable Trusts undertook this study to improve the available data. They also wanted to understand the impact of wildfire spending on state fiscal policy.
|
FEMA: Real Data for Real-World Situations and FEMA’s Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool
In 2022, FEMA staff used the Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool (RAPT) to promote equity in responding to Hurricane Ian in Florida. The RAPT is a free Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) web map that allows all users to examine the interplay of community demographic data, infrastructure locations and hazards.
FEMA staff used the Add Data tool to add the potential storm surge layer to RAPT. They then estimated the total number of individuals with specific demographic characteristics within the storm surge area by using the Population Counter tool.
|
Columbia Climate School: Report Details 2021-22 State Policy Trends in Disaster Resilience
This report identifies trends in state disaster resilience policy among 2021-2022 enacted legislation. Legislative trends are presented by state and by 12 categories, including FEMA Community Lifelines. For more information, see details at Columbia’s State of the Planet blog and Politico/E&E News.
|
|
|
|
