Abstract
A team of Florida Extension faculty engaged in a community resiliency project centered around the 2022 Community Disaster Resilience Zones (CDRZ) Act intended to reduce the impacts of climate change and natural hazards. Across Florida, Extension faculty are embedded in all 67 counties, serve as neutral brokers of research-based information, and are well-known by grassroots and grasstop organizations. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) initially designated a total of 32 CDRZ sites in Florida, and Extension faculty across five Extension districts worked with national, regional, and state partners to act as Climate Navigators. Led by the Geos Institute, the Navigators connected with CDRZ communities, provided resources, assessed resiliency efforts using national tools and frameworks, and identified ongoing and complementary community efforts. Navigators collected intake data, connected with technical service providers, participated in cohort trainings with other states, and contributed to measurement frameworks. The CDRZ project offered community leaders an opportunity to address challenges associated with natural hazards relating to economic loss, increased infrastructure costs, at-risk, and in-need communities. The under-resourced CDRZ tracts may experience lack of capacity (i.e., staff, finances), lack of community proactivity and readiness, and changes in political will. The CDRZ Act supports a range of engagement across public and private sector partners, as well as philanthropic organizations, to enable communities to strengthen resiliency outlooks at a local level. Insights gained from this work will be invaluable in other communities and offers important lessons for addressing and supporting under-resourced communities in building resiliency at a local level.
Presenters
Ramona Madhosingh-HectorRegional Specialized Agent, Urban Sustainability, University of Florida/IFAS Extension, Florida, United States Monica Wilson
Coastal Debris Project Coordinator, University of Florida, Florida, United States Carrie Stevenson
Coastal Sustainability Agent, Escambia County, UF IFAS Extension, Florida, United States Holly Abeels
Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent, University of Florida IFAS Extension Brevard County, Florida, United States Alicia Betancourt
Extension Director, Institute of Food and Agriculture- Monroe County, University of Florida, Florida, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Education, Assessment and Policy
KEYWORDS
Under-resourced, Resiliency, Community, Education, Policy, Climate Hazards
