Building Equitable Community Partnership

Disaster management is a continuum that is affected by decisions, investments and dynamics that occur before, during and after disasters. The issue of equity in disaster management is emerging from an abundance of evidence that shows that societal inequities often translate into inequitable outcomes and disproportionate impacts from disasters. Community engagement strategies are often touted as a solution to the inequities, but many aspects of community participation are complex, with additional
effort and investments required for working with vulnerable and marginalized communities. Further, power dynamics between disaster experts and vulnerable communities may bias approaches to disaster management as well as representation within relevant power structures. This seminar is designed to provide an introduction to some of the variables that impact vulnerability and inequity in disaster management, ultimately leading to inequitable outcomes. It also provides an overview of current and emerging strategies in community engagement designed to foster a “whole of community” approach to disaster management.

The purpose of this course is to prepare those entering the climate policy and practice workforce for addressing these challenges by providing an overview of issues of equity and building community partnerships in disaster management. At the end of this course learners will be able to:

1. Describe social determinants of disaster vulnerability and resilience
2. Describe how governance and financial structures can drive inequity in the disaster cycle
3. Identify whole community approaches for disaster management
4. Identify mechanisms to develop partnerships with underserved communities and emergent partners in disaster management
5. Demonstrate the ability to develop strategies for disaster management based on best practices for community engagement and addressing equity concerns.