Forward-Looking Policies Lead to More Resilient Communities, Infrastructure, and Ecosystems

Collected resources explore strategies to address extreme disaster risks

 A narrow line of low flames burns through a dry grassy field. Two people wearing fire suits and holding long poles stand to the right of the fire, while in the distance on the left of the fire line are a red pickup truck and a third person. Smoke fills the top of the image.
Forest rangers tend a fire during a prescribed grassland burn near the intersection of state routes 25 and 25A in Calverton, New York, on May 5, 2022.
Steve Pfost Newsday RM via Getty Images

Ambitious, proactive state and federal policies can help infrastructure and communities become more resilient to increasingly frequent and severe floods, wildfires, droughts, and extreme heat events. These policies can include comprehensive federal, state, and local plans that address the full range of severe weather threats in their regions; establishment of resilience offices and chief resilience officer positions to coordinate efforts across government agencies; building design and infrastructure standards that account for future conditions; and funding and advisory support for communities. These actions can also maximize nature’s ability to reduce disaster impacts.

The resources collected here reflect the nationwide efforts of The Pew Charitable Trusts, which works closely with policymakers and stakeholders to craft solutions that can lessen the long-term impacts of extreme disasters.

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