Funding rules that promote equity in climate adaptation outcomes

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 122(2)

Published: Jan. 7, 2025

Many climate policies adopt improving equity as a key objective. A challenge is that often conceive of in terms individuals but introduce strategies focus on spatially coarse administrative areas. For example, the Justice40 Initiative United States requires 518 diverse federal programs to prioritize funds for “disadvantaged” census tracts. This strategy largely untested and contrasts with government’s definition “consistent systematic fair, just impartial treatment all (Executive Office President, Federal Register, 2021).” How well does approach improve adaptation outcomes across ? We analyze this question using case study municipality faces repetitive flooding struggles effectively manage these risks due limited resources public investment. find way Emergency Management Agency implements can be an obstacle promoting household flood-risk outcomes. study, ensuring majority benefits accrue “Justice40 Communities” not reduce risk most burdened households, risk-burden inequality, produces net costs. In contrast, we design simple funding rules based burden cost-effectively target large benefits. Our findings suggest “disadvantaged community” indicators defined at spatial scales face poorly capturing many ineffective meeting promises about climate-related investments.

Language: Английский

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System outage fragility for power systems: A robust data-driven framework for disparity analysis using multiple hurricane events

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 105240 - 105240

Published: Feb. 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Where Did the Money Go? Assessing the Distribution of the Community Development Block Grant - Disasters Recovery Funds

The American Review of Public Administration, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 29, 2025

In recent years, the U.S. federal government has increasingly used Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, administered by Department of Housing and Urban (HUD), as a vehicle for distributing aid to disaster-affected communities. this study, we compile unique dataset CDBG-DR awards across counties between 2001 2017 present first comprehensive assessment distribution from program. We empirically examine factors associated with county's receipt grants, including disaster damage, other aid, socioeconomic demographic characteristics, local capacity, political ideology, geographic risk attributes. utilize double-hurdle approach estimate both likelihood county receiving grants following amount it received. Results show that funding positively correlate assistance, while their relationship damage is more ambiguous. Counties lower housing values are likely receive grants. After controlling income economic factors, higher percentage Black populations less suggesting potential racial bias in fund allocation. also find states legislator serving on CDBG oversight committee significantly after disaster.

Language: Английский

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Innovations in buyouts: lessons from lived and learned experience

Frontiers in Climate, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 7

Published: March 25, 2025

Across the United States, tens of thousands people have sold their homes to government address risk from flooding or another natural hazard. After sale, structure is typically demolished and land preserved as open space. This process, referred a home buyout, nation’s primary mechanism for relocation assistance in aftermath disaster face recurring hazards, number that been purchased past dwarfed by anticipated future. Community members, researchers, practitioners, advocates long observed challenges with government-funded buyout programs States. Often, buyouts do not meet communities’ needs can even create new problems. At same time, demand support growing many areas, while current funding, programming, expertise insufficient scale challenge. We need better work residents local governments alike. To build we draw lived learned experiences both community members practitioners. Between December 2021 October 2022, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), partnership Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), CH Consulting, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Climigration Network, convened conversations practitioners participants/residents communities affected buyouts. participants spanned 14 states, coastal inland locations across contiguous policy practice review summarizes recommendations generated through these workshop series, well methods used design facilitate sessions subsequent done implement develop

Language: Английский

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Community responses to flooding in risk mitigation actions: Evidence from the community rating system

Journal of Risk & Insurance, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 17, 2025

Abstract This paper studies the impact of disaster experiences on communities' engagement in risk mitigation actions, focusing flooding United States. We measure actions using scores Community Rating System, an incentive program that flood preparedness and activities rewards communities with insurance premium discounts. Leveraging a panel from 1998 to 2019, we find significant increase following events, both participation rates intensity actions. The effects continue up 10 years. Communities greater capacity, particularly those urban areas, exhibit much stronger response. findings highlight adaptive capacity but also raise several concerns regarding inefficiency disaster‐driven responses inequitable outcomes across communities.

Language: Английский

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Statistical learning to identify salient factors influencing FEMA public assistance outlays

Natural Hazards, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 120(12), P. 10559 - 10582

Published: April 24, 2024

Abstract Both the number of disasters in U.S. and federal outlays following are rising. FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) is a key program for rebuilding damaged public infrastructure aiding local state governments recovery. It primary post-disaster source recovery funds. Between 2000 2019, more than $125B (adjusted, 2020 dollars) was awarded through PA. While all who qualify PA should have equal opportunity to receive aid, not do, factors influencing how has been administered complex multifaceted. Lacking an understanding positively associated with historical receipt there little way objectively evaluate efficacy program. In this work, we salient features that contribute county-level applicants projects disasters. We use statistical learning theory applied repetitive flooding events upper Midwest between 2003 2018 as case study. The results suggest many non-disaster related indicators predictors outlays, including which disaster occurred, county’s prior experience disasters, median income, length time end date when declared. Our work suggests aid tied exposure, bureaucratic attributes, human behavior. For equitable distribution policymakers explore disaster-relevant distribution.

Language: Английский

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The Unequal Impact of Disasters: Assessing the Interplay Between Social Vulnerability, Public Assistance, Flood Insurance, and Migration in the U.S

Urban Informatics, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 3(1)

Published: Nov. 1, 2024

Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes with intense rainfall and storm surges, are posing increasing challenges to local communities worldwide. These hazards not only result in substantial property damage but also lead significant population displacement. Federal disaster assistance programs crucial for providing financial support response recovery, the allocation of these resources often unequal due complex interplay environmental, social, institutional factors. Relying on datasets collected from diverse sources, this study employs a structural equation model explore relationships between (DD), social vulnerability (SV), public (PDA), national flood insurance (NFI), migration (PM) across counties contiguous US. Our findings reveal that lower SV tend experience higher levels DD US counties. is negatively associated PM, PDA, NFI, both directly indirectly. Furthermore, PDA positively linked whereas has direct negative effect PM an indirect positive through PDA.

Language: Английский

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