Population growth, urbanization and climate change expose increasing numbers of people to natural hazards in urban areas. From New Orleans in 2005 to Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 2010, recent urban disasters in developing and developed countries have drawn attention to challenges in post-disaster reconstruction of urban areas.
On October 6, the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement and Habitat for Humanity International hosted a discussion on the challenges of urban disaster recovery, focusing on shelter and housing, urban planning, long-term reconstruction, and disaster risk reduction as components in disaster- and climate-proofing our cities. Panelists included Jonathan Reckford, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity International; Brookings Senior Fellow Amy Liu, co-director of the Metropolitan Policy Program; Abhas Jha, lead urban specialist and regional coordinator for disaster risk management at the World Bank; Maggie Stephenson, senior technical advisor for Haiti at UN-HABITAT; and Charles Setchell, senior shelter, settlements, and hazard mitigation advisor at USAID. Senior Fellow Elizabeth Ferris, co-director of the Brookings-LSE Project on Internal Displacement, provided introductory remarks and moderated the discussion.
After the program, panelists took audience questions.
Rebuilding a City: The Dos and Don’ts in Post-Disaster Urban Recovery
Agenda
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October 6
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Introduction and Moderator
Elizabeth Ferris Former Brookings Expert, Research Professor, Institute for the Study of International Migration - Georgetown University @Beth_Ferris -
Featured Speakers
Abhas K. Jha Lead Urban Specialist and Practice Leader for Disaster Risk Management, East Asia and Pacific RegionJonathan Reckford Chief Executive OfficerCharles Setchell Senior Shelter, Settlements and Hazard Mitigation Advisor (Office of the U.S. Foreign Disasters Assistance) - U.S. Agency for International DevelopmentMaggie Stephenson Senior Technical Advisor for Haiti, UN-HABITAT
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