How Communities Can Use Risk Assessment Results: Making Ends Meet
A Summary of the June 3, 2010 Workshop of the Disasters Roundtable
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu
NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this summary 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 summary were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This summary was funded under award numbers: HSHQDC-11-P-00027 from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), HSFEHQ-09-P-1727 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), NNX08AZ32G from the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), and W912HQ-10-C-0016 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the DHS, FEMA, NASA, USACE.
The project described in this publication was supported by Grant/Cooperative Agreement Number G09AC00495 from the United States Geological Survey. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USGS.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (CMMI-1060460). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
This summary was funded in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Task Order NA08OAR4590926). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, official policies, either expressed or implied, of NOAA.
This summary is available on the internet from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street NW, Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu.
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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.
FOREWORD
The Disasters Roundtable (DR) facilitates the exchange of ideas among scientists, practitioners, and policymakers to identify urgent and important issues related to the understanding and mitigation of natural, public health, technological, and other disasters. The Disasters Roundtable (DR) is a unit of the Division on Earth and Life Studies in the National Academies National Research Council. For upcoming meetings, please visit http://www.nationalacademies.org/disasters.
The DR steering committee is composed of appointed members, sponsoring ex-officio members, and liaisons. The appointed members at the time this workshop was held were John R. Harrald, chair, George Washington University, Virginia Tech; Arrietta Chakos, Urban Resilience Policy; Reginald DesRoches, Georgia Institute of Technology; Ronald T. Eguchi, ImageCat, Inc; Gerald E. Galloway, Jr., University of Maryland, College Park; Gerard Hoetmer, Public Entity Risk Institute; Juan M. Ortiz, City of Fort Worth, TX Office of Emergency Management; Monica Schoch-Spana, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Darlene Sparks Washington, Independent Consultant; Deborah S. K. Thomas, University of Colorado, Denver; and Mary Lou Zoback, Risk Management Solutions, Inc.. The ex-officio members were Frank Best, PB Americas, Inc.; Andrew J. Bruzewicz, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Lloyd S. Cluff, Pacific Gas & Electric; H. Michael Goodman, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Paula Gori, U.S. Geological Survey; Mary Ellen Hynes, Department of Homeland Security; David J. Kaufman, Federal Emergency Management Agency; Roger V. Pierce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Theodore C. Van Kirk, Dewberry; and Dennis E. Wenger, National Science Foundation. The DR staff included Lauren Alexander Augustine, Director; John Brown, Jr., Program Associate; and Sheena Siddiqui, Research Associate. The liaison members were Claire Lee Reiss, Public Entity Risk Institute; Ellis M. Stanley, Dewberry.
This document does not necessarily reflect the views of the Roundtable members or other participants. For more information on the Roundtable visit our website: http://dels.nas.edu/dr or contact us at the address below.
Disasters Roundtable
The National Academies
500 5th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-334-3812
Fax: 202-334-1393
This workshop summary has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published summary as sound as possible and to ensure that the summary meets institutional standards for 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 individuals for their review of this summary:
Arrietta Chakos, Urban Resilience Policy
Monica Schoch-Spana, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Ellis Stanley, Dewberry
Mary Lou Zoback, Risk Management Solutions
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they did not see the final draft of the summary before its release. Responsibility for the final content of the summary rests entirely with the authors and the institution.
