Building resilience: Helping communities survive and thrive in hazardous environments
Natural hazards, from earthquakes to fires and hurricanes and floods, are a fundamental and reoccurring aspect of natural environments. For communities that experience these hazards, the impact can be disastrous. Loss of life, destroyed property, disrupted services, and delayed dreams. Policies and plans at many scales can prepare communities for these hazards and reduce or even eliminate the negative impacts. In this talk I will share examples of how my current research is helping communities understand their natural hazard risk and develop strategies for reducing that risk. These include new research on the building deterioration in coastal communities, evacuation planning for small islands, and an assessment of school safety policies in 67 countries. In each, I will highlight how students have participated in this research.
About the Speaker
Dr. Paci-Green is Associate Professor and Chair of Environmental at Western Washington University. Dr. Paci-Green has academic training in structural engineering and cultural anthropology. Her research and community engagement focuses on what creates vulnerability to natural hazards and how communities can reduce that vulnerability. She advocates for and supports participatory and community-based approaches to risk reduction.
Environmental Speaker Series
The Environmental Speaker Series is hosted by the College of the Environment at Western Washington University.
The Series is free and open to the public. Talks are held each Thursday at 4:30 pm in Academic Instructional Center West room 204 - AW-204. Parking is available in lot C.