FEMA Announces 483 Community Disaster Resilience Zones: A Step Towards a More Resilient Nation
When it comes to preparing for and mitigating the impact of natural disasters, collaboration and coordination across all levels of government and various sectors are essential. Recognizing this need, the Community Disaster Resilience Zones (CDRZ) Act, passed with bipartisan support in December 2022, represents a significant stride towards building disaster resilience across the nation.
Driving Resources to Vulnerable Communities
The primary goal of the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act is to channel federal, public, and private resources toward underserved communities that are particularly vulnerable to natural hazards. These communities often lack the support and resources needed to enhance their resilience. On September 6, 2023, FEMA took a crucial step forward by announcing the initial designations of 483 CDRZs. For more information and to view an interactive map, visit the FEMA webpage.
A Vision of Collaboration and Coordination
The vision behind the CDRZ Act is clear: to leverage collaboration and cross-sector coordination among government agencies, philanthropic foundations, private non-profits, universities, the insurance industry, and private businesses. FEMA aims to ensure that the most at-risk and in-need communities receive the necessary support and opportunities to enhance their resilience.
Bipartisan Efforts for Climate Resilience
One of the most promising aspects of the CDRZ Act is the bipartisan support it has received. In a time when political divisions often dominate headlines, it’s heartening to see lawmakers working together to assist the communities that need it most in building climate resilience.
Access to Resources and Funding
One of the primary benefits of a CDRZ designation is increased access to funding and technical assistance for resilience and mitigation projects. FEMA’s implementation of the Act aims to ensure that communities facing the highest risks have the resources and support necessary to enhance their resilience.
Building a Climate-Resilient Nation
We are working in collaboration with FEMA and its federal agency partners, to develop the technical support program required to implement the CDRZ initiative. Navigator Organizations within each state and territory will play a crucial role in assisting communities with CDRZ designations in accessing the climate resilience support they need. This initiative sets the stage for a more comprehensive system of climate support services known as Climate Ready America. Navigator Organizations will evolve into Climate Innovation Centers, providing extensive support to all communities within their jurisdiction.
In the face of climate challenges, this bipartisan effort reminds us that together, we can strengthen our communities and build a brighter, more resilient future.
CDRZ Updates
- One Month Later: Community Disaster Resilience Zones “What They Are Saying” (FEMA, Sept. 29, 2023)
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Arsum is the Senior Adaptation and Coastal Resilience Specialist for the National Wildlife Federation’s Southcentral Region. In this role, she advances climate adaptation efforts, with a focus on nature-based approaches to address the impacts of climate change and extreme events across the Gulf region. She has authored and co-authored numerous publications on climate impact assessments and adaptation solutions. Additionally, she regularly participates in state-based coastal resilience and hazard mitigation planning across the Gulf, collaborating with regional and local stakeholders.
Frank is the former President of the Reinsurance Association of America. Frank currently serves on the Advisory Board of the OECD’s International Network for the Financial Management of Large-Scale Disasters, the RAND Center on Catastrophic Risk Management and Compensation, and the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Lindner III Center for Insurance and Risk Management Advisory Board.
Jim is a multilingual world traveler. Based in Bavaria during the 1970s, Jim spent most of this period in India, Afghanistan and Nepal, where he founded and operated a charitable medical clinic serving Tibetan Refugees. He settled in Oregon in 1983 on a forested ranch in the Umpqua National Forest.
Dr. Micah Hahn is an Associate Professor of Environmental Health in the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies at the University of Alaska-Anchorage. She received her joint PhD in Epidemiology / Environment and Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her MPH in Global Environmental Health from Emory University. Subsequently, she was a postdoctoral fellow for the CDC Climate and Health Program, and in this position worked collaboratively with the CDC Division of Vector-borne Diseases and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Her research focuses on understanding the health impacts of climate change and working with communities to develop locally-relevant adaptation and resilience-building strategies. Dr. Hahn is also on the Management Team of the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center.
Michael is a former Founding Principal of Resilient Cities Catalyst, a global non-profit helping cities and their partners tackle their toughest challenges. He is currently the Executive Director of Climate Resilience Academy at the University of Miami.
Dr. Quintus Jett is a consultant, educator, and strategist for public causes. He has a doctorate in Organizations & Management from Stanford University, and a two-decade faculty career which spans schools, departments, and programs of business, engineering, liberal studies, divinity, and public and nonprofit management. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Dr. Jett launched a volunteer project in New Orleans, which enlisted residents, students from over a dozen colleges and universities, and hundreds of others to field map the city’s Gentilly district, Lower Ninth Ward, and New Orleans East. Dr. Jett is an innovator in higher education, bridging the divide between academic research and the other priorities of the modern university, including student access and diversity, community engagement, and providing foundations for life-long learning in today’s rapidly changing world.
Scott is Monfort Professor of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. He has written about 100 publications in the peer-reviewed climate literature, is a former editor of the Journal of Climate, and served for five years as founding Science Chair of the North American Carbon Program.
Linda has many years of experience in disaster preparedness and resilience. She has been an elected official on the Linn County Iowa Board of Supervisors, Chair of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the East Central Iowa Council of Governments, the statewide Mental Health Developmental Disability and the Linn County Board of Health. Langston is a former president of the National Association of Counties (2013-2014).
Ken works with families and organizations as a mediator, organizational consultant, trainer and facilitator. Along with his passion for helping people prepare for and reduce climate change, Ken also volunteers as a mediator through Mediation Works and is passionate about supporting youth through mentoring with Boys to Men of Southern Oregon.
Matthew is a retired high school teacher who was once honored as Oregon High School Social Studies Teacher of the Year. Before his teaching career he was in the restaurant business in Portland. He is also a lawyer who has been a member of the Oregon State Bar Association since 1980.
Andrea is the Resilience Policy Advisor for the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency. She works across state agencies and with local governments to increase the state’s resilience to the impacts of climate change.