Last month a series of wildfires spread across communities in Los Angeles and left a trail of destruction in their wake. Tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate their neighborhoods. Over 15,000 homes and other structures were burned. And at least two dozen people were killed. It’s well documented that climate change contributes to making fires like these worse. And it also exacerbates other hazards like droughts, floods, and storms. So what can local leaders in LA and in other communities in the US and around the world do in the wake of these extreme events to address systemic risks and proactively reduce catastrophic disasters? Today you’ll hear from Anita van Breda, WWF’s senior director for environment and disaster management. Anita has decades of experience working with communities affected by natural hazards, and she’ll share her insights on disaster risk management and recovery in the wake of this most recent tragedy in LA.

Links for More Info:

Anita van Breda bio

Web Story: What the 2004 tsunami taught us about disaster recovery

Op-Ed: Why there is no such thing as a “natural” disaster

Nature & Nature-Based Flood Management Guide

Green Recovery & Risk Reduction

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Preview

0:21 Intro

2:03 Lessons from the 2004 tsunami

5:09 Factors that contributed to LA wildfires

8:16 Disaster recovery tips for LA and other communities

11:49 Role of nature in disaster prevention and recovery

18:19 Parting advice to community leaders

21:10 Outro