On July 19, 2013 the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) and the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Research Foundation hosted a webinar that focused on how regions and communities can prepare their public sectors to be more financially resilient to future disasters.
Regions across the United States are faced with preparing for and responding to an increasing number of natural, man-made, and technological disasters. Given recent natural disasters, localities are taking steps to become more physically resilient; however, many are unprepared for how these financial costs will impact long-run sustainability and quality of life.
In particular, this webinar helped participants consider their local governments’ financial vulnerability as well as their capacity to respond to future natural disasters based on research and lessons learned responding to tropical natural disasters along the Gulf Coast of the United States. Further, joint financial vulnerabilities between local governments in a region were identified and strategies provided for how individual local governments can increase financial capacity that improves financial resiliency for the overall region.
Presenter: Dr. Matthew Fannin, Associate Director, RUPRI Analytic and Academic Programs
Click here to download the Powerpoint slides (PDF)
[UPDATE]: In December 2013, a follow-up publication, “Financial Planning for Disasters: A Workbook for Local Governments and Regions” was released. This workbook is designed to help local governments and regions understand their financial vulnerabilities to natural disasters, evaluate their financial capacity to cover the costs of those disasters, identify strategies to close the gap between financial vulnerability and capacity, and identify and address the spillover effects of neighboring local governments’ financial vulnerabilities to disasters. Click here to download the workbook (PDF).
[UPDATE]: In April 2015, a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet was released to supplement “Financial Planning for Natural Disasters: A Workbook for Local Government and Regions.” This spreadsheet replicates the Appendix on pages 36-47 in the workbook. It provides formulas to assist with some of the calculations in each of the module worksheets; however, it does require the collection of some external data. You can download the spreadsheet here (Microsoft Excel).
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This workbook, spreadsheet tool, and webinar were developed by the NADO Research Foundation and the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) with support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
