Resilience Division Manager Harris County Flood Control District Houston, Texas
As we build resilience, we are responsible for the work of our predecessors – the good, the bad, the inequitable, the segregating – and all of the pieces that have created historic discrepancies that require modern solutions.
As Houston and the surrounding region continue to recover from six federally declared disasters in the past seven years – including Hurricane Harvey – there is an unmistakable reality that has been constant during recovery and resilience planning: we ask some people and communities to be more resilient than others.
The critical examination of historical inequities that have shaped our communities is critical to developing valuable baseline assessments. Fully understanding existing conditions by taking an honest – and at times, uncomfortable – look in the mirror underlies successful, equitable resilience planning. This retrospection is critical to ensuring that “systems” maintain their essential functions before, during, and after any significant shock or stress so that “people” are safe.
NPC Peer Reviewers assigned this presentation a learning level of Foundational. For more on learning-level descriptions, visit our General Information Page.
Learning Objectives:
Recognize how historical inequities need modern solutions and that setting an honest baseline through critical review underlies planning and implanting those solutions.
Understand that communities of color experience greater disruption from shocks and stresses and assume more of the responsibility for building resilience.
Understand the role of government in building equitable resilience that ensures the safety of people and communities.
