Improving Disaster Relief | Regulatory Review

There were two major forest fires last week. burnt over 25,000 acres of New Mexico, destroying about 1,400 buildings and forcing the evacuation of about 8,000 residents. Despite the best efforts of forest firefighters, two fires If currently only about 70 percent included. And although recently President Joseph R. Biden directed These fires, which have brought in federal agencies to help respond to the crisis, illustrate the difficulties policymakers face in responding to the worsening effects of climate change.

The human and financial costs of climate disasters have increased over the past decade. adult substantially. Experts attribute This trend is attributed to three main factors. First, increased development resulting from increased per capita wealth It exposes more assets and people to the effects of disasters, especially in high-risk areas such as coastlines. Secondly, the degradation of critical infrastructure tightens the vulnerability of assets to threats when disasters occur and may hamper effective disaster response and recovery.

Finally, climate change increases frequency and severity of natural disasters. Rising global temperatures Lead to more frequent droughts, more water in the atmosphere and higher average wind speeds, making major natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires and floods deadlier and more frequent.

Some scholars to argue that the largely reactive U.S. approach to disaster response, recovery and assistance is insufficient to address the new and complex problems caused by climate change. US disaster policy is largely based on Stafford Act, a federal law that authorizes federal aid and financial support only after the President has declared a disaster. But importantly, state, local and tribal governments If primarily responsible for coordinating disaster relief efforts for disasters that occur within their jurisdiction. Because of the costs involved, officials from states or tribes affected by major disasters almost always application help from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which administers federal disaster relief funds.

Although Congress recently offered increased funding for mitigation and resilience actions, pressures of worsening climate change places additional demands on disaster relief agencies and programs at a time when they are already facing serious challenges. Over the past several years, federal disaster relief agencies face to face current operating budget and staffing shortages, which limits their ability to respond to natural disasters and lead recovery efforts. In addition, the unpredictable nature of disasters makes additional funds needed to effectively respond to major disasters. But for most of the past decade, Congress has it worked slowly, often over several months, to make needed funds available for reconstruction after major natural disasters.

Supporters of increasing the role of the federal government in dealing with the effects of natural disasters suggest that FEMA and other federal agencies need to move from a reactive posture to a disaster and climate resilience paradigm. Similarly, some commentators propose that a more streamlined, less complex approach is needed to ensure equity in federal disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

During the seminar on Saturday, scientists will explain the limitations of the current regulatory framework for disaster preparedness, response and recovery, and discuss possible reforms.

• Congress and executive agencies should streamline distributed federal disaster relief efforts, Government Accountability Office (GAO) writes in a recent issue reportMore than 40 years of developing disaster response and recovery programs without centralized oversight or planning has resulted in the creation of more than 30 agencies to manage federal disaster recovery programs, GAO explain.GAO argues that this lack of centralized management or oversight makes it difficult for state officials, community leaders, and individuals to navigate federal disaster recovery assistance programs and limits progress on climate resilience and equity goals. GAO insists establishing an independent commission to recommend legislative and regulatory reforms and coordinate federal disaster relief efforts.
• Effective disaster response requires FEMA to be a Cabinet agency with sole responsibility for major federal disaster assistance programs, Carlos Martin, Karolina Kousky, Mananna DonoghoeAND Karina French have been arguing lately article Down The Brookings Institution. Martin’s syndrome explain that the patchwork nature of federal disaster management creates coordination and communication problems that limit the effectiveness of the federal disaster response. Responding to the growing number of natural disasters requires a centralized authority to manage all major disaster relief programs and communicate with states and communities, Martín and his co-authors law. They suggest that FEMA, a federal agency with the appropriate knowledge and experience, is the best candidate for the position.
• He writes that using private contractors to administer federal disaster recovery assistance is more effective than relying on states and federal agencies Ike Brannon In article For CATO Institute. Brannon notes that FEMA and other agencies have difficulty incorporating GAO recommendations to improve disaster recovery efforts. He argues that staffing shortages and other inefficiencies identified by GAO are exacerbated by restrictive regulations on federal agencies. Because they operate under fewer regulations, Brannon explaincontractors can respond to natural disasters more quickly and effectively. Brannon also Claims that private contractors help states administer federal disaster relief funds more effectively and can actually increase equity by helping states with less bureaucratic capacity become more competitive for federal grants and support.
• A national shift toward a climate-resilient paradigm in disaster response and recovery is leaving rural communities behind, they say Kevin Manuel With Global trading insights AND Mark Haggerty in the recent article Down Center for American Progress. Authors explain that rural communities are at high risk of natural disasters but often lack the ability to meet FEMA’s complex and costly application requirements Building resilient infrastructure and communities program, the largest source of funding for climate resilience projects. To help the program build climate resilience in rural areas, Manuele and Haggerty propose changing award criteria to appropriately price projects tailored to smaller communities, and aligning application requirements with other federal resiliency grants.
• Moving from a reactive to a proactive framework for dealing with climate-induced natural disasters requires a fundamental change in disaster law, writes Brand Nevittclass professor Emory Law School in the upcoming article For Vanderbilt Law Review. US Disaster Law, Nevitt notesis fundamentally reactive and largely provides for federal intervention only after disasters have occurred. Nevitt he argues that this reactivity is drawing federal government resources into a wasteful cycle of disaster, response, and recovery. Breaking out of this cycle is a prerequisite, Nevitt indicatesto managed adaptation to climate change. Reducing exposure to climate-induced disasters therefore requires reforming disaster law to encompass not only reactive response and relief, but also proactive mitigation, resilience and recovery strategies, Nevitt claims.
• In article For Lewis and Clark Law Review, Nancy J. Knauerprofessor at Temple Law School, writes that the decentralized model of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery in the United States reflects federalist principles and recognizes that local actors are often best able to understand their own needs. Knauer noteshowever, US disaster policy also leads to fragmentation of power and lack of accountability. Knauer recommends Congress is expanding real-time monitoring of disaster relief and encouraging whistleblowers to report fraud. Knauer also requires the establishment of a federal disaster ombudsman to ensure the equity and effectiveness of federal disaster programs. These reforms, Knauer argueswould enable policymakers to address key weaknesses while remaining flexible and responsive to local needs.