Just Recovery From Natural Disasters: Climate Change, Best Practices And Innovative Financing For Rural Recovery

COVID-19 has underscored the lessons learned by many affected by natural disasters: communities and organizations remain unprepared and their response and recovery systems are in need of reform. As climate change continues to create more frequent and more devastating disasters, rural communities face unique challenges that require innovative solutions. Most often communities of color are hit the hardest and are taking the longest to rebuild. Federal disaster funding, which has traditionally been the main source of financial support following a disaster, is slow to obtain and insufficient. This session will cover effective disaster responses and best practices for community development organizations. Attendees will walk away with concrete examples of climate change and learn how best to plan a response to natural disasters in low-income and communities of color, learn how to access financing in a timely and comprehensive way, and receive resources for planning and responding to disasters.