building disaster resilient places: asset mapping and data collection before a crisis

Building Disaster Resilient Places: Asset

Mapping and Data Collection Before A Crisis

Deborah TootleCommunity & Economic Development

Overview• Introduction to disasters• Vulnerability and resilience• Why asset mapping?• Vulnerability assessment and asset

identification• Pulling it all together

Introduction to Disasters• What is a disaster?

Introduction• What is a disaster?

– A disaster is generally the result of a natural catastrophic event, a technological or human caused incident that results in severe property damage, multiple injuries or death.

– A disaster also disrupts socioeconomic processes and conditions in the affected area.

Disaster Management Cycle

Mitigation and Prevention• Efforts to reduce loss of life and

property by reducing impacts of disasters

• Usually refers to physical or structural activities or approaches – such as developing or implementing building codes

Mitigation and Prevention• Efforts to reduce loss of life and

property by reducing impacts of disasters

• Usually refers to physical or structural activities or approaches – such as developing or implementing building codesWhat are some

examples of mitigation?

PreparednessWide array of protective activities at all levels:• Federal• State• Local• Organizational• Family• Individual

Preparedness – Individual and Family Level• Examples include family plans,

emergency contacts lists, emergency kits, “bug-out kits”

• Critical component of community recovery

• Hierarchy of needs – until individuals and families are safe, community business will not be “as usual”.

Preparedness – Organizational Continuity Plans• Planning and implementing plans are

key elements of preparedness in any level.

• All organizations should have organizational continuity plans in place.

• Critical for socioeconomic recovery of place

Preparedness – Organizational Continuity Plans• What are organizational continuity

plans and why are they important?– Roadmap for continuing operations

under adverse conditions– Consists of analysis, identification of

recovery strategies, planning, implementation, training, testing, revising

Response • Immediate actions to reduce

physical, psychological, social and economic impacts of an incident

• Includes rescue from dangerous conditions, providing immediate relief in terms of shelter, food, medical assistance, financial assistance.

Recovery• Longer term process for “restoring”

social, economic, structural or financial conditions in a community

• New normal• Recovery time depends on extent of

damage and resiliency of community• Six months to ten years

Disaster and Emergency Management• Local, state and national disaster

management organizations have different roles.

• Roles can differ by state.

First 72 on YOU!

Socioeconomic and Place-Based Vulnerability• Factors affecting vulnerability

– Social– Cultural– Economic– Structural– Environmental

• Why is vulnerability a controversial topic?

Socioeconomic and Place-Based Vulnerability• Socioeconomic and demographic

conditions can be very different in different communities, even within the same state or region.

• Impacts of disasters will vary according to how vulnerable places are.

Socioeconomic and Community Vulnerability: Exercise• What groups of people in your

community or city are the most vulnerable? Why?

• What organizations? Why?• What locations? Why?• We can reduce vulnerability through

place-based vulnerability assessments.

Resilience• What IS resilience?

Resilience• What IS resilience?• The National Academies defines

resilience as:“the ability to prepare and plan for,

absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events.”

Resilience

“Enhanced resilience allows better anticipation of disasters and better planning to reduce disaster losses—rather than waiting for an event to occur and paying for it afterward.”

Resilience

Asset Mapping

What is asset mapping?

Asset Mapping• An internally focused, relationship

based community development approach.

Asset Mapping:• Builds upon and uses local

capacities, skills and assets • Helps to identify skills and talents of

local people• Helps to locate and engage groups of

volunteers and other organizations

Asset Mapping• Internal focus does not mean that

additional resources are not needed – rather, that outside resources will be more effective if the local community resources are fully engaged and mobilized.

Kretzman and McKnight. 1993. Building Communities From the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community’s Assets. ACTA Publications. Chicago, IL.

Asset Mapping• Internal focus critical to restoring

socioeconomic processes and conditions, especially when first 72 on you.

Overview• Introduction to disasters• Vulnerability and resilience• Why asset mapping?• Vulnerability assessment and

asset identification• Pulling it all together

Vulnerability Assessment: Tools

Social Vulnerability Index for United States (Susan Cutter)

http://webra.cas.sc.edu/hvri/products/sovi.aspx

Vulnerability Assesment: Tools

The CBVA Guidebook: Is user-friendly and contains

worksheets for each step Complements FEMA guidance Is designed to engage

communities in the understanding of social, physical and economic vulnerabilities to disaster

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Vulnerability Assessment: ToolsThe CBVA Guidebook: Was developed in FEMA-funded

Emergency Preparedness Demonstration Project

Was prepared by MDC, Inc. and UNC Institute for the Environment in Chapel Hill, N.C.

http://www.mdcinc.org/resources/publications/community-based-vulnerability-assessment-guide-engaging-communities

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Community Based Vulnerability Assessment

Task 1 – Getting Started Organize a team that will conduct the assessment Start with what you have -- maps, plans, studies,

reports Identify vulnerable populations Assign responsibilities for carrying out

assessment

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Task 2 – Identify and Rank Hazards List different types of hazards that have

occurred or could occur in the community Rank each hazard based on the

frequency and severity of risk

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Task 3 – Map Areas of Greatest Risk– Prepare a base map of your community

– Map specific areas vulnerable to disasters:– Bridges– Hospitals– Roadways that have flooded in the past– Neighborhoods that have flooded– Other important features

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Task 4 –Identify and Map Physically Vulnerable People & Property

– Inventory and map critical facilities located in hazard-prone areas

– Estimate the number and value of residential structures currently located in hazard-prone areas

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Task 4 –Identify and Map Physically Vulnerable People & Property

– Estimate the number of people who live in these structures

– Estimate future numbers and values of residential structures that will be located in hazard-prone areas

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Task 5 – Identify and Map Socially Vulnerable Populations

Gather information on number, location, needs, and capabilities of socially vulnerable people by contacting: Non-profits and community foundations Faith-based organizations Government agencies

Prepare maps of social vulnerability

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Task 6 – Identify and Map Employment Centers Prepare list of employment centers in the

community Include current and future locations Estimate the number of employees

Map location of major employers and highlight those located in known hazard-prone areas

– Why are employers so important?

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Task 7 – Inventory and Map Environmental Threats– List facilities that handle dangerous substances– Add these facilities on base map, highlighting

those in hazard-prone areas– Determine the number of persons that could be

at risk– Rank facilities in order of the severity of threat

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Community Based Vulnerability AssessmentTask 8 – Community Ground Truthing and Asset Identification -- the public forum No one knows neighborhoods like people who live

there Ask them to validate/adjust data collected Make preparations for engaging participants in

subsequent planning processes

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Task 8.5* – Community Ground Truthing and Asset Identification -- the public forum Begin identification of local assets for addressing

vulnerabilities People Organizations

Begin mobilizing local people and organizations in planning and plan implementation processes

* Not part of MDCs CBVA

* 43

Pulling It All TogetherTask 9 – Putting it all together• Combine all data (including asset data)• Analyze• Interpret• Discuss• Begin planning process

Step 1: Form a Collaborative Planni

ng Team

Step 2: Understand the Situation

Step 3: Determine Goals

& Actions

Step 4:

Plan Developme

nt

Step 5: Plan

Preparation,

Review, &

Approval

Step 6: Plan

Implementatio

n & Maintenance

Quick Summary• Review current emergency

management plans• Look at SOVI for your county or

region• Conduct your own vulnerability

assessments

Quick Summary• Ground truth vulnerability

assessments• Identify and begin mobilizing assets• Make and implement plan

Questions?

For more information:Deborah Tootle

Community and Economic DevelopmentIowa State University Extension and Outreach

[email protected]

Preparatory work for this presentation was supported in part by FEMA, the Southern Rural Development Center and the

many land grant university colleagues who helped create the ReadyCommunity: Building Disaster Resilient Communities

Curriculum.

mailto:[email protected]

building disaster resilient places: asset mapping and data collection before a crisis

Documents

asset identificationpulling

resiliencewhy asset

years disaster

vulnerability assessment

family plans

economic impacts

structural activities

building codes mitigation