WEBINAR RECORDINGS
Elaina Sutley co-leads webinar on incorporating human dimensions and impact in community resilience and decision-making
Engineers are increasingly seeking to better understand how they can design buildings and lifeline infrastructure systems to be more resilient to the effects of natural hazards. This work has focused, in part, on how to design systems to be functional in pre-established time horizons after the initial shocks caused by the hazards. A growing body of research has been done on this topic, and various engineering groups have been working on developing ways to incorporate findings to better integrate social and economic dimensions into building and lifeline infrastructure guidelines, standards, and national model codes.
This webinar will describe observations by the presenters about the impacts and needs of communities after disasters. The webinar will emphasize the important role of social science in community disaster resilience while providing a summary of methodologies, key findings, and how to integrate them into engineering. Each presenter will provide an overview of the key community resilience metrics and frameworks they consider in their research and practice. The webinar will include an example application using the publicly available Interdependent Networked Community Resilience Modeling Environment (IN-CORE) to demonstrate the relationship between community resilience analysis and codes and standards, as well as a discussion about future research and development needs to advance community resilience in engineering design.
May 21, 2026 | Applied Technology Council
AR Siders discusses how local land use planning is a critical frontline tool in advancing flood resilience
As responding to natural disasters places an increasing burden on states and local communities, innovative planning strategies and other evidence-based tools can be important resources to help mitigate risks.
A panel of experts – including A.R. Siders (Associate Professor, University of Delaware & Director, Gerard J. Mangone Climate Change Science and Policy Hub), Kayode Atoba (Associate Research Scientist, Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas, Texas A&M University), and Amanda W. LeFevre (Deputy Commissioner, Department for Environmental Protection, Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet) – discussed strategic land use planning and preparedness approaches to mitigating risks.These experts shared information, tools and practical experience working with communities to mitigate risks from flooding.
Please watch the recording from June 18, 2025 to hear examples, case studies and practical approaches to what is working for communities around the country. There was time for questions from the audience and discussion.
June 18, 2025 | Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues
Brent Doberstein, Shaieree Cottar, and Sharmalene Mendis-Millard discuss managed retreat and climate resilience
Managed retreat and its accompanying household-level tool, home buyouts, are increasingly being considered as communities face growing flood risks. There are many existing buildings within Canada that are currently located in harm's way, yet a small fraction of those buildings represent an enormous fraction of the nation's flood risk. The question remains: how do we address risk in a changing climate? Retreat is one option that can be explored within the disaster recovery and climate resilience toolkit.
This Friday Forum session hosted by the Institute of Catastrophic Loss Reduction will outline how managed retreat is being applied across Canada, and highlight jurisdictional differences, innovative funding approaches, and emerging sources of guidance.
April 11, 2025 | Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction
Jason Thistlethwaite shares research findings and recommendations for strategic relocation programs in Canada
Together with diverse stakeholders from across Canada, Partners for Action led an applied research project, entitled "Effective Property Buyouts for Flood Risk Reduction" and funded by the Max Bell Foundation, on managed retreat from high-risk flood areas through property buyouts that move people out of harm’s way. To implement buyouts effectively, decision-makers require evidence-based policy advice about how to design programs that maximize economic efficiency, political viability and social acceptability. With grant funding from the Max Bell Foundation, this project explores lessons from current and past buyout programs and highlights the trade-offs that governments must consider when designing new programs.
Jason Thistlethwaite, was joined by Graham Watt, Manager of Strategic Initiatives/Flood Recovery at the City of Grand Forks, British Columbia, to discuss main findings of the research and recommendations for future relocation programs.
April 12, 2023 | Partners for Action
Tyrone McNeil shares insights on the development of the Disaster Resilience Regional Action Plan, Hílekw Sq'eq'o
Join Preparing Our Home for this sharing circle to learn about Indigenous-led Build Back Better, Together initiative led by Emergency Planning Secretariat (EPS). The Initiative was formed following the devastating atmospheric flood events in 2021. Through the Disaster Resilience Regional Action Plan, Hílekw Sq’eq’o, EPS seeks to create a Mainland Coast Salish emergency plan for all hazards and climate change based on the Sendai Framework and rooted in UNDRIP and jurisprudence such as Tselhqot’in SCC that encompasses the values, world view and priorities of Mainland Coast Salish communities.
January 12, 2023 | Preparing Our Home
PODCASTS
Nature Quest: Rebuild or Relocate Post-Disaster?
with Dr. Elaina Sutley
In the face of floods, wildfires and other natural disasters, when should a community relocate to avoid potential harm? Listener Molly Magid asks that very question. Molly wanted to know how other communities have chosen the path of “managed retreat.” That’s the purposeful and coordinated movement of people and assets out of harm’s way. In today’s episode, Short Wave's and explore cases from New York to Illinois and Alaska to see how successful relocation happens — and what stops it.
October 28, 2025 | Short Wave
Paperwork Storm | C4E Presents #028
with Dr. Sara Hamideh
Sara Hamideh looks at the challenges faced by residents in the wake of climate disasters. Host Heather Lynch and Hamideh, associate professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, discuss the unique vulnerabilities of public housing, the legal and social complexities involved, and how these factors intersect to heighten residents' risk during disasters. Hamideh provides insights into how pre-disaster planning can expedite recovery and reduce long-term vulnerabilities, emphasizing the importance of leveraging social capital and understanding federal assistance programs.
June 10, 2025 | C4E Presents
Decision-making for Managed Retreat
with Ben Cross
In this weeks episode of the Living with Water podcast, we’re joined by Ben Cross, a PhD student at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on using cost-benefit analysis to support decisions about when to relocate communities from flood-prone areas versus investing in protective infrastructure. A unique aspect of his research is incorporating social and psychological impacts into these assessments, accounting for non-monetary factors like mental health and community values.
August 12, 2025 | Living With Water Podcast
Retreat and Recovery in High-Risk Communities
with Dr. Shaieree Cottar
In this episode of the Living with Water podcast, we explore the complex and sometimes controversial topic of managed retreat. Co-host Kara Crabb sits down with Shaieree Cottar to discuss her research which examines how local governments are considering retreat as a response to climate risks. Moreover, exploring what support options exist for homeowners to make these difficult decisions.
June 23, 2025 | Living With Water Podcast
The Post-Disaster Window
with Felicia Watterodt
In November 2021, the southern mainland of British Columbia experienced its most destructive flooding event in recent history, with a declared state of emergency and the evacuation of over a thousand homes. Felicia Watterodt has been researching social and political movement surrounding this event in an effort to understand actionable and implementable change. In Episode 2, "The Post Disaster Window" Felicia shares what she has learned.
October 10, 2024 | Living With Water Podcast