Slow-Onset Crises: A Review of Surge Practices
Emergencies that gradually crescendo into disasters can be difficult to prepare for and respond to. This report examines the challenges of responding to slow-onset events—such as refugee crises, drought, or food shortages—and how resources that are normally deployed in surge events might also be used for progressive disasters. The report suggests a variety of ways governments and humanitarian agencies can craft policies that trigger response to slow-onset disasters and allow surge capability to be used.
National Health Security Preparedness Index
The National Health Security Preparedness Index has provided a snapshot of public health in the United States for the past four years—and the latest picture is pretty but a bit out of focus. The Index aggregates health data in several categories (called domains by the index) and rates preparedness for each state and the nation as a whole. The most recent report, released in April, found health security is improving, but slowly, and some areas are far less prepared than others.
How Did Climate Change Affect That Extreme Weather Event?
If you ever wondered how climate change is like cookies, this video will make it clear! Using a baking analogy to explain how climate change impacts the quality of the weather Mother Nature cooks up, this animated short from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine provides an entertaining and easy-to-understand overview of the interrelation between climate and weather.
Flood Insurance: Comprehensive Reform Could Improve Solvency and Enhance Resilience
The National Flood Insurance Program is currently nearly $25 billion in debt and attempts at reform have met with resistance from the public and various stakeholders. The time, then, is ripe for this examination by the Government Accountability Office. The GAO names six areas where action might be taken to create a more solvent program. But with challenges ranging from less affordable policies to barriers to private-sector involvement, the report warns that the path won’t be easy.
Building Your Roadmap to a Disaster Resilient Future
Communities looking to jump on the disaster resilience bandwagon can potentially face a lot of bumps in the road. This report, published by the National Hazards Mitigation Association, aims to smooth the way. With links to a wide range of available resources and insight on how to navigate them, this document is a handy reference for all the people who drive resilience efforts in a community and points to the many and varied paths that lead to disaster risk reduction.