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A 100 Resilient Cities Success Story: Go to Hawaii

I think the linked document shows what success looks like.

Addressing disaster and other community resilience is not easy. It is terribly easy for people and organizations to get distracted and "go in circles," not getting anything really accomplished. For instance, I don't know what Seattle accomplished with their efforts, but I really like what Hawaii and Honolulu accomplished via this report, and it takes a multi-dimensional look at resilience and sets goals and standards to be reached.

Check out Ola O'ahu Resilience Strategy.

The report shows a "whole of community" approach. If they are willing and able to follow the strategies identified in the document, they are on their way to success. 

Someone noted to me, "Current population levels in Hawaii are unsustainable. If the islands were cut off for an extended period of time (for whatever reason) from mainland supplies, they would find themselves in a very unpleasant situation very quickly."

It is my basic premise that we are becoming less and less resilient as we seek to optimize costs and increase profits. Thus, we are living on the edge every day and it won't take much to to knock us off our stride and send our communities spiraling down into the disaster abyss. 

Until then — have a nice day and enjoy!

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.