Beginning next year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will require states to evaluate the risks that climate change poses to their communities in order to gain access to millions of dollars of disaster preparedness funding.
The aim is for states to do a better job planning for natural disasters they are likely to face in a warming world. The new requirement won’t affect the post-disaster relief that communities receive after being damaged by natural disasters.
The rule change is part of FEMA’s revision to its State Hazard Mitigation Plan guidelines. FEMA distributes disaster preparedness funds to states that submit documents outlining the risks they face and how they plan to address them.
These efforts can include purchasing flood-prone properties to prevent future losses, building air-conditioned refuges for major heat waves, or creating procedures for shutting down or moving equipment in a floodplain.
Though the new policy has irked some on the right, even some fiscal conservatives say that if states did more for climate preparedness and adaptation, billions of dollars could be saved.
Bolstering that notion, a 2007 Congressional Budget Office analysis showed that for every dollar spent on disaster preparedness and mitigation, three dollars are saved in disaster recover.
Related Stories
Cultural Facilities | Jun 5, 2015
Chicago’s 606 elevated park opens
The 2.7-mile stretch repurposes an abandoned elevated train track that snakes through Humboldt Park and Bucktown.
Smart Buildings | Jun 4, 2015
Evidence suggests wider lanes make city streets more dangerous
Lanes that are 10.5 feet wide have lower side impact crashes than standard 12-foot lanes, suggests new research.
BIM and Information Technology | Jun 3, 2015
More accurate GPS ready to change the way we shop, interact, and explore
New technology reduces location errors from the size of a car to the size of a nickel—a 100 times increase in accuracy. This is a major technological breakthrough that will affect how we interact with environments, the places we shop, and entertainment venues.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 1, 2015
Sacramento moves forward on multifamily project with new modular supplier
Guerdon Modular Buildings will provide modules for 118 apartments.
| May 29, 2015
Austin, Salt Lake City, Davis, Calif., and Boston creating first protected intersections in U.S.
Protected intersections arrange traffic so that everyone—bicyclists included—can see all moving traffic simply by looking forward instead of forcing people in cars and on bikes to look constantly over their shoulders.
Smart Buildings | May 28, 2015
4 ways cold-climate cities can make the most of their waterfronts
Though cold-climate cities pose a unique challenge for waterfront development, with effective planning waterfront cities with freezing winter months can still take advantage of the spaces year-round.
Multifamily Housing | May 28, 2015
Census Bureau: 10 U.S. cities now have one million people or more
California and Texas each have three of the one-million-plus cities.
Smart Buildings | May 27, 2015
Tactical urbanism: Why bigger isn’t always better in urban revitalization
A budding urban planning movement that is sprouting in cities across the globe proves that low-cost, small-scale, community-driven projects have the power to effect positive change.
Healthcare Facilities | May 27, 2015
Roadmap for creating an effective sustainability program in healthcare environments
With a constant drive for operational efficiencies and reduction of costs under an outcome-based healthcare environment, there are increasing pressures to ensure that sustainability initiatives are not only cost effective, but socially and environmentally responsible. CBRE's Dyann Hamilton offers tips on establishing a strong program.
Healthcare Facilities | May 27, 2015
Rochester, Minn., looks to escape Twin Cities’ shadow with $6.5 billion biotech development
The 20-year plan would also be a boon to Mayo Clinic, this city’s best-known address.
