Managing the Perfect Storm: How Healthy Ecosystems Increase Resilience

by Warren Edwards

ReliefNet. Why are people in Asia and the Pacific particularly vulnerable to climate change? The answers may lie in a combination of factors that literally creates a “perfect storm”: a high incidence of poverty, reliance on …

Former Charleston Mayor Joe Riley Working to Get Feds to Fund More Flood Infrastructure

by Warren Edwards

The Post and Courier. Over the course of the 40 years he was in office, Charleston Mayor Joe Riley fought vigorously for federal dollars to help pay for the city’s major drainage projects, including the deep-tunnel …

World Cities Day: “Better City, Better Life”

by Warren Edwards

Smart Cities World. The UK city of Liverpool is hosting the main event which brings together mayors, national and local governments and city experts. Read more

Resilience of Supply Chain Networks to Major Disruptions Can Now Be Measured Using a Multi-Factor Test

by Warren Edwards

Phys.Org “By analyzing the structure of a supply chain network and the resilience of its components, A*STAR researchers have developed an analytic measure that will allow a company to determine its vulnerability to major supply chain …

We were young then | November 12, 2018

by John Plodinec

We were young then When we heard the trumpet’s call. We were young then ‘Fore the war to end all wars.   We were young then Embraced by war’s camaraderie. We were young then But saw …

Small Fixes Are Best for Boston Harbor Resilience

by Warren Edwards

Engineering News Record (Wayne Cobleigh) “If you were hoping for a silver-bullet, big-infrastructure solution to save Greater Boston from the impact of rising sea levels, a major study coordinated by University of Massachusetts Boston’s Sustainable Solutions …

Russ Miles: Ignored Architects and Chaos Engineering

by Warren Edwards

InfoQ (Jan Stenberg) “According to Miles, the hardest thing for an architect is to get everyone to understand that you are building resilient systems, and Miles emphasizes that he is not just talking about technology, he …

Learning From H.I.M. (Harvey, Irma, Maria): Preliminary Impressions for Supply Chain Resilience

by Warren Edwards

Homeland and Security Affairs (Phillip J. Palin) “The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season challenged critical infrastructure and key resources across a wide area. Harvey, Irma, and Maria each exposed different aspects of how density, dependencies, and distance …

The Relationship Between the Community Rating System Program and Business Disaster Recovery

by Warren Edwards

Natural Hazards Center (Jenna Tyler) “Scholars argue that businesses benefit from community adoption of mitigation measures. However, there is little information on the extent to which community-level mitigation activities impact business disaster recovery efforts. Using data …

When Everything is Going Well – The Duty of a Leader

by Warren Edwards

Firestorm (Guy Higgins) “..As leaders, we need to stay aware of what’s going on and be prepared to act in the best interest of the organization and our team. There isn’t a recipe for making that …

Risky Waters: Buildling Homes in Flood Zones

by Warren Edwards

Governing (Mike Macaig) “West Ashley, South Carolina offers a cautionary tale of floodplain development. Decades ago, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) misjudged how a certain creek basin functioned, so homes were built where officials now say …

Harris County Voters Pass $2.5 billion Flood Bond

by Warren Edwards

The Houston Chronicle (Zach Despart) “A year to the day after Hurricane Harvey dumped 27 trillion gallons of water on southeast Texas, swamped 204,000 Harris County homes and apartments and killed more than 50 residents in the …

Resilient Development Practical Guide

by Warren Edwards

Oxfam, Resilience Knowledge Hub. Read more

Gathering 1.Oh!: Residents Gather to Envision Downtown Gathering Place

by Warren Edwards

Minot Daily News (Jill Schramm) A largely empty downtown block targeted for a gathering place came to life Thursday evening to give people a sample of what might be. Read more

Ancient Palmyra—a Story of Urban Resilience

by Warren Edwards

Phys.Org (Emanuele E. Intagliata) Read more

The City’s Resilience after Brexit Could be Bad News for the EU

by Warren Edwards

The Spectator (Matthew Lynn). Read more

Hall of Flowers Exhibits Reflect Resilience in Face of Wildfire

by Warren Edwards

The Press Democrat (Meghan Herbst) Read more

Preventing Natural Hazards from Becoming Societal Disasters

by Warren Edwards

EurekAlert (University of Texas, Austin) We may not be able to prevent hurricanes from occurring, but we can improve our ability to predict them, move people out of harm’s way, respond quickly to their aftermath and …

3 Reasons Why the US is Vulnerable to Big Disasters

by Warren Edwards

The  Conversation (Morten Wendelbo). During the 2017 disaster season, three severe hurricanes devastated large parts of the U.S. The quick succession of major disasters made it obvious that such large-scale emergencies can be a strain, even …

The Five Critical Factors of the Local Markets Resiliency Index (LMRI)

by Warren Edwards

Franklin Templeton Advisors (Michael Hasenstab). Templeton Global Macro makes a compelling case that finding attractive opportunities in emerging markets lies in distinguishing the more resilient countries from the rest. Here, CIO Michael Hasenstab provides an update …

Houston and Hurricane Harvey: A Call to Action

by Warren Edwards

ISET International. This study – written by ISET-International, in collaboration with Zurich Insurance Group, the global insurer with its Flood Resilience Alliance, and the American Red Cross Global Disaster Preparedness Center – looks in detail at …

Lessons from Extreme Weather Events: What Disasters Teach Us About Resilience

by Warren Edwards

Homeland Security News Wire. Extreme weather events are among the most likely causes of disasters. Every dollar spent on disaster resilience saves five dollars in future losses. Post-Event Review Capability analysis helps to identify opportunities to …

The Size of The Town You Live in Has a Huge Effect on Happiness Levels

by Warren Edwards

Science Alert/Washington Post (Christopher Ingraham). A team of happiness researchers at the Vancouver School of Economics and McGill University recently published a working paper on the geography of well-being in Canada. Read more

Key Findings and an Action Plan to Reduce Gun Violence

by Warren Edwards

Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). In a new report released by PERF, law enforcement executives propose recommendations regarding principles and actions that would make a difference in reducing the numbers of deaths and injuries from gun …

Rise of the Rest in Appalachia

by Warren Edwards

(Salena Zito, Townhall). Agricultural startup AppHarvest builds and maintains high-tech greenhouses that grow and distribute fresh vegetables across the U.S.., employing local people in Kentucky and providing them with healthy produce. Read more.

Alliance for National and Community Resilience Announces Distinguished Group of Specialists

by Warren Edwards

(Tara Lukasik, Building Safety Journal). Last month, the Alliance for National & Community Resilience (ANCR), a member of the ICC Family of Companies, announced a distinguished group of specialists to help develop the nation’s first community-wide …

We Need Innovative Designs—and Open Minds—to Solve the Housing Shortage

by Warren Edwards

(Katie Swenson, City Limits.org) “We know that well-designed, quality housing that is affordable can help people move up and out of poverty, and it can play an essential role in impacting people’s health, economic empowerment, community …

Communities in Newfoundland and Labrador Participate in National Effort to Build Wildfire Resilience

by Warren Edwards

(Markets Insider) A coalition of non-profits, provincial governments and The Co-operators support Canada-wide action to make communities ‘FireSmart’. Read more here.

The Science of Resilience: What are the Ingredients That Help People Cope?

by Warren Edwards

(Jennifer Couzin-Frankel, Science Magazine). Read more here.

New Coalition Will Develop First Community-Wide Resilience Benchmark

by Warren Edwards

(Kathleen Brown, Builder). Subject matter experts and sponsors join the Alliance for National & Community Resilience to help U.S. communities prepare for disasters. Read more here.

Buildling Resilience Through Basketballs and Berries

by Warren Edwards

(Anne Hillman, Alaska Public Media). What makes a healthy community? What makes young people in a village thrive? The young people in Noatak have some good ideas. Read more here.

How Communities Can Better Support Small Businesses

by Warren Edwards

(Connor Wolf, InsideSources)  The House Small Business Committee hosted the hearing to examine how important community support is to cultivating entrepreneurship and small business success. The hearing also explored how a thriving entrepreneurship culture can, in turn, improve …

Mainland Mayors Partner With Puerto Rico Leaders to Help Rebuild

by Warren Edwards

(J Brian Charles, Governing) More than 40 city leaders have joined a new exchange to share disaster relief expertise with their local counterparts on the island. Read more here.

Speaking Truth to Power: Please Don’t Call Them Natural Disasters

by Warren Edwards

Richard Olson (Director of Extreme Events Institute at Florida International University) argues in this Natural Hazards op-ed that a persistent problem in public discourse is the penchant of public officials and the media to label major damaging events …

Labor 2030: The Collision of Demographics, Automation and Inequality

by Warren Edwards

Bain & Company (Karen Harris, Austin Kimson, Andrew Schwedel) A new report from Bain & Company Demographics shows that the collision of demographics, automation and inequality could trigger economic disruption far greater than we have experienced …

Flood APEX Program

by Warren Edwards

DHS First Responders Group  Rethinking America’s Costliest Disaster…Read More

What went wrong in Irma? Woes ran gamut from passwords to power

by Warren Edwards

As Hurricane Irma’s eastern flank swept across Broward County last September, the storm exposed the weaknesses in the county’s readiness, from crowded shelters to a lack of information on power outages…Read More

Floods Are Getting Worse, and 2,500 Chemical Sites Lie in the Water’s Path

by Warren Edwards

By HIROKO TABUCHI, NADJA POPOVICH, BLACKI MIGLIOZZI and ANDREW W. LEHREN FEB. 6, 2018  Anchored in flood-prone areas in every American state are more than 2,500 sites that handle toxic chemicals, a New York Times analysis of …

StormPeace Joins Statewide Coalition to Promote Hurricane Resilience

by Warren Edwards

From StormPeace  Hurricane Irma proved that the first few days after a major storm can be paralyzing, especially when residents are faced with damage…Read More

Moody’s Investor Service Announcement

by Warren Edwards

Moody’s:  Climate change is forecast to heighten US exposure to economic loss placing short- and long-trm pressure on US states and local governments…Read More

Foothills United Way awards ‘Community Resilience Grants’

by Warren Edwards

By BizWest Staff   LAFAYETTE — Foothills United Way has awarded five Community Resilience Grants to help fund projects in Boulder and Broomfield counties to help create a community that is able to withstand and recover from …

Letter: Build community resilience

by Warren Edwards

By Meridian Green, Vancouver.  With electric vehicles soon to be self-driving, able to transport us from our door to our destination, we’ll need fewer garages. Instead of storing cars, garages can be converted into housing for people…Read …

Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report

by Warren Edwards

National Institute of Building Sciences.  Summary of Findings.  Read More

The Oroville Dam 2017 Spillway Incident – Possible Causes and Solutions

by Warren Edwards

by Telis Koskinas in Climate Etc.  On February 2017, Oroville Dam gained worldwide attention when its main spillway suddenly failed, seemingly without precedent, under natural operating conditions…Read More

U.S. social fabric – torn, frayed, unraveled by 2017’s hurricanes. But how badly?

by Warren Edwards

From “Living on the Real World” blog…Read More

2017 Opportunity Index PDFs

by Warren Edwards

Link to PDFs

Atlanta’s Inclusive Plan to Address Impacts of Changing Climate, Demographics

by Warren Edwards

This article first appeared on ThinkProgress by contributor Sam Fulwood III.  People who live in Atlanta, Georgia, once burned to the ground by Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s march through Dixie, envision themselves as a resilient lot. With good …

Lessons From Hurricane Harvey: Houston’s Struggle Is America’s Tale

by Warren Edwards

By Michael Kimmelman  The mayhem that Hurricane Harvey unleashed on Houston didn’t only come from the sky. On the ground, it came sweeping in from the Katy Prairie some 30 miles west of downtown…Read More

Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria: how natural were these ‘natural disasters’?

by Warren Edwards

By: Emily Shuckburgh, Dann Mitchell & Peter Scott  No meteorological event demonstrates the power of nature to wreak devastation on even the most advanced of our societies more than a hurricane…Read More

Detroit: From Motor City to Housing Incubator

by Warren Edwards

By Matthew Goldstein.  The 2008 financial crisis and 2013 city bankruptcy guttedDetroit’s housing market. Now, Detroit is experimenting withunorthodox ways to get people to buy homes and renovate houses…Read More