case study
Coldwater Indian Band was hit with three consecutive storms in a series of atmospheric rivers, over a four-week time span along with a hectic fire season. As a result of the climate related disasters, community members were displaced from their homes, critical infrastructure was damaged, land was lost, economic stability for farmers vanished, and cultural sites were disturbed.
The organization did not have the necessary capacity to put together a recovery plan that would help the community recover from the disaster. RIC was brought in by the Emergency Operations Center Director and Social Development Coordinator. The Director did not have the time, or resources to provide for strategic planning to support short, medium, and long-term recovery initiatives. RIC worked with Band Administration to provide a concrete way forward, get the community back to normal operations and enhance its resilience to future disasters.
RIC got to work by conducting a post-disaster needs assessment and community consultations to uncover the impact and needs stemming from the community post-disasters. Equipped with new insight, RIC initiated the strategy for the community-led recovery planning. With informed priorities, new funding mechanisms identified, and recovery coordination planned at the local level, the Band Administration has a strategy and direction to build back better.
Over six figures of federal and provincial funding has been secured due to the strategic planning. In addition, RIC disaster recovery planning met the Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) requirements, so Coldwater Indian Band accessed and secured funding for short, medium, and long-term community recovery projects. The Emergency Operations Center Director and Social Development Coordinator as part of the recovery strategy received additional funding to hire an Emergency Management Coordinator to support the implementation of the future disaster planning recommended by RIC.
RIC got to work by conducting a post-disaster needs assessment and community consultations to uncover the impact and needs stemming from the community post-disasters. Equipped with new insight, RIC initiated the strategy for the community-led recovery planning. With informed priorities, new funding mechanisms identified, and recovery coordination planned at the local level, the Band Administration has a strategy and direction to build back better.
Diana Norgaard
Emergency Operations Center Director / Social Development Coordinator, Coldwater Indian Band
Read about how The Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations, educated its member nations on creating a human centered approach for emergency preparedness.
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Read about how a strategy and project plan enhanced resilience and supported local capacity within a community to prepare for and withstand a disaster.
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