This issue of Emergency Management is dedicated to resiliency. Whether we’re talking about the threat of a catastrophic earthquake or the trends for greater concentrations of water from storms, the concept (or framework as the Rockefeller Foundation puts it) is similar in that it takes partnerships, collaboration and forward thinking.
“Resiliency” can be an all-encompassing term but in the context of this publication we’ll use the framework put forth by the Rockefeller Foundation in its 100 Resilient Cities Challenge (see Chief Resilience Officers: Coming to Your City?) of “the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses and systems within a city to survive, adapt and grow no matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience.”
Such shocks and stresses vary across the country and range from earthquakes, poverty and violence to hurricanes and sea-level rise. As you’ll read in the cover story, Innovative Plans Help Cities Effectively Live with Water, scientists’ predictions suggest that an increase in hurricanes is in the offing, along with a rise in sea level. Mitigating these events means more than moving water elsewhere; it means living with the water. This story features innovative efforts in New York City and New Orleans to develop plans to live with the increase in water or sea-level rise.
Louisiana launched a $50 billion coastal master plan to develop resiliency to sea-level rise.
It calls for a multifaceted approach, including levee protection, investing in coastal restoration and implementing water use plans within those levees.
New York City’s Storm Protection Plan, like the Louisiana plan, takes a comprehensive approach that includes strengthening coastlines, upgrading buildings, reinforcing critical infrastructure and also looks at what the Dutch have done.
Out west, Los Angeles faces the looming possibility of an earthquake of the magnitude that could paralyze the city if and when it hits. For Preparing for the Unknown, we looked at different sectors, including transportation, banking, education and the water supply, all of which will need to be up and running ASAP after an emergency. There are interesting scenarios. For instance, the public will need access to cash, and deals are being brokered among banks to cash one another’s checks or waive ATM fees. Banks’ armored vehicles could also
play a role in recovery.
It’s imperative after a disaster to get schools reopened as soon as possible to restore some semblance of normalcy. In L.A., communication plans that keep parents abreast of what’s happening and evacuation plans are in place. The more preparation and collaboration between sectors and entities, the more resilient the city will be.
In Chief Resilience Officers: Coming to Your City?, we feature two of the first chief resilience officers of the 10 U.S. cities chosen for the 100 Resilient Cities Challenge. We talk to Patrick Otellini and Christine Morris, chief resilience officers of San Francisco and Norfolk, Va., respectively, about their new positions and the challenges of creating a resilient city.
Although the kinds of shocks and stresses differ in these cities, you’ll notice the path to resiliency has already begun.
