Building Community Disaster Resilience Through Private–Public Collaboration
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under Award No. HSHQDC-08-C-00176. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations contained in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agencies that provided support for the project. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not constitute their endorsement by the sponsoring agencies.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
COMMITTEE ON PRIVATE–PUBLIC SECTOR COLLABORATION TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY DISASTER RESILIENCE
WILLIAM H. HOOKE, Chair,
American Meteorological Society, Washington, DC
ARRIETTA CHAKOS,
Urban Resilience Policy, Berkeley, California
ANN-MARGARET ESNARD,
Florida Atlantic University, Fort Lauderdale
JOHN R. HARRALD,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Alexandria
LYNNE KIDDER,
Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, Washington, DC
MICHAEL T. LESNICK,
Meridian Institute, Washington, DC
INÉS PEARCE,
Pearce Global Partners, Inc., Los Angeles, California
RANDOLPH H. ROWEL,
Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland
KATHLEEN J. TIERNEY,
University of Colorado, Boulder
BRENT H. WOODWORTH,
Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation, California
National Research Council Staff
SAMMANTHA L. MAGSINO, Study Director (from July 2009)
CAETLIN M. OFIESH, Study Director (until July 2009)
COURTNEY R. GIBBS, Program Associate
JASON R. ORTEGO, Research Associate (from November 2009)
NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Research Associate (until November 2009)
TONYA E. FONG YEE, Senior Program Assistant (until September 2010)
GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES COMMITTEE
WILLIAM L. GRAF, Chair,
University of South Carolina, Columbia
WILLIAM E. EASTERLING III,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park
CAROL P. HARDEN,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
JOHN A. KELMELIS,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park
AMY L. LUERS,
Google, Inc., Mountain View, California
GLEN M. MACDONALD,
University of California at Los Angeles
PATRICIA MCDOWELL,
University of Oregon, Eugene
SUSANNE C. MOSER,
Susanne Moser Research & Consulting, Santa Cruz, California
THOMAS M. PARRIS,
ISciences, LLC, Burlington, Vermont
DAVID R. RAIN,
George Washington University, Washington, DC
KAREN C. SETO,
Yale University, New Haven
National Research Council Staff
MARK D. LANGE, Associate Program Officer
JASON R. ORTEGO, Research Associate
CHANDA IJAMES, Program Assistant
BOARD ON EARTH SCIENCES AND RESOURCES
CORALE L. BRIERLEY, Chair,
Brierley Consultancy, LLC, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
KEITH C. CLARKE,
University of California, Santa Barbara
DAVID J. COWEN,
University of South Carolina, Columbia
WILLIAM E. DIETRICH,
University of California, Berkeley
ROGER M. DOWNS,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park
JEFF DOZIER,
University of California, Santa Barbara
KATHERINE H. FREEMAN,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park
WILLIAM L. GRAF,
University of South Carolina, Columbia
RUSSELL J. HEMLEY,
Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC
MURRAY W. HITZMAN,
Colorado School of Mines, Golden
EDWARD KAVAZANJIAN, JR.,
Arizona State University, Tempe
LOUISE H. KELLOGG,
University of California, Davis
ROBERT B. MCMASTER,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
CLAUDIA INÉS MORA,
Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico
BRIJ M. MOUDGIL,
University of Florida, Gainesville
CLAYTON R. NICHOLS,
Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (Retired), Ocean Park, Washington
JOAQUIN RUIZ,
University of Arizona, Tucson
PETER M. SHEARER,
University of California, San Diego
REGINAL SPILLER,
Frontera Resources Corporation (Retired), Houston, Texas
RUSSELL E. STANDS-OVER-BULL,
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Denver, Colorado
TERRY C. WALLACE, JR.,
Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico
HERMAN B. ZIMMERMAN,
National Science Foundation (Retired), Portland, Oregon
National Research Council Staff
ANTHONY R. DE SOUZA, Director
ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Senior Program Officer
DAVID A. FEARY, Senior Program Officer
ANNE M. LINN, Senior Program Officer
SAMMANTHA L. MAGSINO, Program Officer
MARK D. LANGE, Associate Program Officer
This report is dedicated to the memory of Frank Reddish, a long-time leader in natural disaster and recovery. Through years of committed and focused effort, Mr. Reddish made Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida a safer and more resilient place to live. His work drew attention and had impact both locally and nationwide. He contributed powerfully to this committee’s information-gathering workshop, held September 9–10, 2009, and his work will continue to have a positive impact for years to come.
Preface
Recent national and international experience with natural and human-caused disasters highlights several realities. First, the planet on which we live—the planet on which we aspire to forge careers, establish marriages and families, grow economies, and seek peace and security—provides frequent and often unpredictable extreme events. Severe heat waves, cold snaps, and cycles of flood and drought determine what we call climate. Movement in the Earth’s crust is manifested by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Environmental degradation, habitat loss, and reduction in biodiversity can occur incrementally but also through sudden devastation, such as through wildfire or an oil spill.
Second, extremes often trigger disruptions of communities that persist after the event that exceed a community’s ability to recover on its own. These disasters are as much the result of human decisions as of nature. Land use, building codes, the engineering of critical infrastructure, distribution of wealth and poverty, and many other social decisions and actions shape the impacts of extremes and subsequent recovery.
Third, resilience to disasters is built at the community level. No community is immune to disasters, and no community is an island unto itself. The emerging role of critical infrastructure, just-in-time manufacturing, and the globalization of the economy means that all individuals and communities are interdependent.
Fourth, responsibility for building community resilience cannot rest with the public sector alone. In the United States, the public sector represents just ten percent of the workforce. The other ninety percent resides in the private sector—ranging from small, individually owned businesses to national and global enterprises—and in a range of nongovernmental bodies and faith-based organizations. Operation and maintenance of many community assets, including critical infrastructure, remain in private hands. All sectors must collaborate to build community-level disaster resilience.
This report addresses these realities. It surveys what we know about effective private–public collaboration and how it may enhance community disaster resilience. It delineates areas where resilience-focused collaboration could benefit with more knowledge, and it lays out a comprehensive research agenda. However, the members of this committee note that in the face of rapid social change and technological advancement, our understanding of resilience–focused private-public sector collaboration is nascent. This report should be considered an initial exploration of a developing subject—not the final, definitive word.
William Hooke, Chair
August 2010
Acknowledgments
In response to a request by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Research Council formed an ad hoc committee to assess the current state of the art in private–public sector collaboration dedicated to strengthening community disaster resilience, to identify gaps in knowledge and practice, and to recommend research areas that could be targeted for research investment by the Human Factors Division of the Department of Homeland Security. The committee’s charge included organizing a two-day workshop to explore relevant issues and inform the study committee’s final recommendations. The workshop was held September 9-10, 2009, in Arlington, Virginia, and engaged a group of approximately 60 participants representing, from different regions of the country, individuals from the private and public sectors and from the research community. The committee thanks those individuals for their contributions.
This report has been reviewed in draft form by persons chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purposes of this review are to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards of objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following for their participation in the review of this report:
Ann Patton, Ann Patton Company, LLC, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Carl Maida, University of California at Los Angeles
Daniel Fagbuyi, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
Peter C. Hitt, U.S. Trust Bank of America Private Wealth Management, Baltimore, Maryland
Robert Kates, Independent Scholar, Trenton, Maine
Ron Carlee, International City/County Management Association, Washington, DC Claudia Albano, City of Oakland, California
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse, nor did they see, the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Ellis Stanley, Dewberry, LLC. Appointed by the Division on Earth and Life Studies, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Research Council.