About the Series

We cannot stop natural disasters but we can arm ourselves with knowledge: so many lives wouldn’t have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness.

Petra Nemcova

Extreme weather can pose many challenges to communities and critical infrastructure and is only expected to become more severe and frequent with climate change. Although disaster response is critical for communities, it is equally important to consider how we can develop and implement effective strategies ahead of events to reduce the impact of future extreme weather.

This five-part virtual series, hosted by the National Adaptation Forum, will feature presenters from across the United States who will speak about strategies to enhance the preparedness and resilience of communities before disasters strike, thereby minimizing the damages from extreme weather. The goal of this series is for audience members to learn more about innovative work and actionable strategies for disaster preparedness across the country and how this work is integrated into longer-term climate adaptation planning.


Session Descriptions

Session One: Enhancing the preparedness and resilience of communities before disasters strike: the case of Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico.

RESCHEDULED: December 3rd, 12 pm – 2 pm PST

SESSION DESCRIPTION

In this session, the panelists will discuss different preparedness and resilience efforts that were rooted in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and have expanded to other regions of the USA including Florida and Texas. We will explore insights on how to place communities at the heart of preparedness planning, with representatives from the Community Resilience Research Innovation and Advocacy Center (CCRIA), the Latino Resilience Hub Network, and community-based research groups in Puerto Rico.

SPEAKERS

Cecilio Ortiz-Garcia, Professor, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Marla Perez-Lugo, Professor, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Ivis Garcia, Associate Professor, Texas A&M University

José Rodriguez, Deputy Director, Alianza Center

MODERATOR

Fernando I. Rivera, Director & Professor, Puerto Rico Research Hub- University of Central Florida


Session Two: The Importance of Small Business Continuity Planning When Preparing for Extreme Weather Events

October 22, 2024 | 11:30 am – 1:30 pm PST

SESSION DESCRIPTION

Business continuity planning is a critical, and often overlooked, component of extreme weather preparedness. In this session, our speakers will describe what business continuity planning is, why it’s important to community-level resilience, and share examples from across the country. 

The first presentation from Peter Plumeau will offer insights and examples from the “ClimateReadyVT” program, which helps Vermont small businesses create climate resilience strategies and action plans. ClimateReadyVT is hosted by Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) and designed and facilitated by Reframe Lab, LLC. 

The second presentation from Tracie Sempier will focus on how your community can partner with local businesses to ensure they are ready for storm events utilizing a Business Continuity Plan (i.e. resources are staged before/after disaster events, flood zones are identified). Tracie will discuss planning strategies to enhance a business’s ability to recover after natural or man-made disasters including distribution of goods, cross training staff, and obtaining necessary re-entry passes.

The session will also include interactive breakout groups where attendees will discuss what goes into planning an effective business continuity workshop.

SPEAKERS

Peter Plumeau, Partner, Reframe Lab

Tracie Sempier, Resilience Engagement Lead, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium

MODERATOR

Daniella Rolle, National Adaptation Forum Program Associate, EcoAdapt and CivicSpark Fellow, CivicSpark


Session Three: Harvesting Strategies from the Agriculture Sector to Enhance Climate-Amplified Disaster Preparedness 

November 7, 2024 | 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm PST

SESSION DESCRIPTION

As extreme heat events become more frequent, we need adaptation solutions that can meet the needs to prepare for these events across scales and sectors. For the agricultural sector, there is a growing approach to harness the sun’s energy during periods of extreme heat, rather than trying to combat it with increasingly expensive measures. This approach is a farming system called agrivoltaics. Rose Olivas is a researcher with the Redford Conservancy study on agrivoltaics in southern California. In this session, she will discuss the dual use of land for both agriculture and solar energy, as in solar panels. Agrivoltaics has been helping farms to minimize heat stress and generate energy to store and use on farms and distribute to local communities. She will present on how agrivoltaics can be designed for agricultural producers, current projects, and how it can aid disaster preparedness. 

Dr. Rachel Schattman is an Assistant Professor of sustainable agriculture at the University of Maine and the University of Maine Agroecology Lab lead. In the second presentation, Rachel will present on climate change and agriculture, specifically adaptation and mitigation at the farm scale. She will share a new tool for working through a climate adaptation or mitigation plan. This tool was designed specifically for working with farmers but will be of use to those working in other sectors as well. 

SPEAKERS

Rose Olivas, Redford Fellow of Applied Research, Robert Redford Conservancy for California Sustainability at Pitzer College

Dr. Rachel Schattman, Assistant Professor, University of Maine

MODERATOR

Daniella Rolle, National Adaptation Forum Program Associate, EcoAdapt and CivicSpark Fellow, CivicSpark


Session Four: Nature-Based Solutions as Adaptation to Extreme Weather

December 10, 2024 | 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm PST

More Session Details Soon To Come!

SPEAKER

Merissa Zuzulock, Climate Resilience Integration Branch Chief, Federal Emergency Management

MODERATOR

Douglas Mason, Assistant Director of Nature Based Solutions, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy


Session 5: The Evidence for Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Hazard Risk Reduction

Date TBD

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Series Sponsor

This series would not have been possible without the generous support of the CO2 Foundation. We encourage you to learn more about their work.

CO2 Foundation

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