Synopses & Reviews
Policy analysis performed in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005, tends to focus on what went wrong in the post-disaster emergency response. Certainly there are plenty of dispiriting tales to tell about government inaction or perceived incompetence on that front. Such analysis is critically important, of course. This book, however, occupies a different and somewhat more positive niche.
Resilience and Opportunity examines the important ingredients in post-disaster recovery, with an eye toward how to rebuild communities that are more resilient and prosperous in the face of multiple disasters. As the people and communities in the Gulf Coast know all too well, catastrophes can come often and in different forms --whether as a major hurricane, a steep recession, or the worst oil spill in American history. It is important to step back and assess the progress and lessons on restoring communities economically, socially, and environmentally, so they can bounce back stronger.
Katrina and Rita helped produce in their wake significant policy and infrastructure change, largely by providing opportunity for policymakers, planners, public managers, community leaders, and others in civil society to consider and test innovative ideas. The recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill further heightened the need to strengthen the policies, capacities, and partnerships needed to boost the economic and environmental health and resilience in the region. Resilience and Opportunity shines a light on the important post-disaster recovery progress made since 2005 and the lessons learned. It also illuminates the challenges that remain in recreating the opportunity structures and ecosystem destroyed over multiple catastrophes. Further, the authors look at ways to shore up resilience through long-term planning and stronger community capacities that could preserve or even improve opportunity in the future --not only for the Gulf Coast, but for all communities that are vulnerable to natural disasters or must bounce back from major economic shocks.
This book covers the gamut of social and public policies and the roles of different actors needed to remake whole communities --for example, the rise of community engagement and new organizations, redevelopment policy, coastal and wetlands protection, education, criminal justice, the role of philanthropy, and regional leadership.
As devastating as the storms of 2005 were, they also produced a teachable moment. Resilience and Opportunity is an important contribution to that teaching process.
Synopsis
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005. Commentary and analysis typically focused on what went wrong in the post-disaster emergency response. This forward-looking book, however, presents a more cautiously optimistic view about the region's ability to bounce back after multiple disasters.
Catastrophes come in different forms --hurricanes, recessions, and oil spills, to name a few. It is imperative that we learn how best to rebuild in the wake of disasters and what capacities and conditions are needed to improve future resilience. Since the devastating summer of 2005, leaders have made important inroads to restoring communities in more prosperous ways. Resilience and Opportunity is an important contribution to our collective learning from a teachable moment.
Contributors: Ivye Allen, Foundation for the Mid South; Lance Buhl, Duke University; Ann Carpenter, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; Robert A. Collins, Dillard University; Mark S. Davis, Tulane University Law School; Breonne DeDecker, Brandeis University; Karen B. DeSalvo, Tulane University School of Medicine; Kathryn A. Foster, University at Buffalo Regional Institute, SUNY; Linetta Gilbert, The Declaration Initiative; Ambassador James Joseph, Duke University; Mukesh Kumar, Jackson State University; Luceia LeDoux, Baptist Communities Ministries; Silas Lee III, Xavier University of Louisiana; David A. Marcello, Tulane University; Richard McCline, Southern University; Nancy T. Montoya, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; Reilly Morse, Mississippi Center for Justice; Elaine Ortiz, Greater New Orleans Community Data Center; Andre Perry, Loyola University, New Orleans; John L. Renne, University of New Orleans; Kalima Rose, PolicyLink; Michael Schwam-Baird, Tulane University; Jasmine M. Waddell, Brandeis University; Nadiene Van Dyke, New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation; Alandra Washington, W. K. Kellogg Foundation; Frederick Weil, Louisiana State University; Leslie Willams, LeaderShift Consulting; Jon Wool, Vera Institute of Justice.