Recovery is an important but often overlooked phase in the disaster life cycle that begins immediately after the threat to human life has passed. With the theme of “Pathways to Recovery in the Aftermath of Disasters,” the 2025 Preparedness Summit will provide an opportunity to ask questions and develop answers as we consider roles and responsibilities, and resources needed to undertake the crucial step of recovery. Equitable recovery is one of the topics that will be explored during the conference to be held April 29-May 2, 2025, in San Antonio, TX.
FEMA’s Achieving Equitable Recovery: A Post-Disaster Guide for Local Officials and Leaders provides background and a framework for the conversation. The Guide envisions equitable recovery occurring when policies, practices, communications, and distribution of resources are impartial, fair, just, and responsive to the needs of all impacted community members. It helps communities focus their efforts on forming relationships, holding conversations about equity, and prioritizing post-disaster recovery projects and resources that meet the needs of each community member.
The Guide is organized around eight action-oriented goals to provide strategies for implementing-focused and system-wide changes during the disaster recovery process. These goals are not listed in a specific order based on chronology or importance. Rather, they provide overarching key categories to guide the reader on how to incorporate and build equity throughout the recovery management process.
The Guide contains community examples, case studies, checklists, lessons learned, and a list of federal and non-federal resources to help advance an equitable recovery process for the whole community. It provides local officials and leaders with concepts, strategies, examples, and resources to:
- Build Equity into the Recovery Organizational and Coordination Structure;
- Identify Unequal Patterns of Disaster Exposure and Impact;
- Develop a Participatory Planning Process;
- Promote and Protect Equity Throughout Recovery;
- Adapt to the Dynamic Nature of Recovery;
- Monitor Progress;
- Build Capacity; and
- Overcome Barriers and Ensure Fair Recovery Outcomes.
Click here to download the Guide.
Click here to learn more about the 2025 Preparedness Summit. Abstracts for the conference are accepted through September 22, 2024.
