Increasing Disaster Preparedness and Risk Communication Equity Through a Community-Centered Approach

Team: Elliott White Jr., Khalid Osman

Accessible hazard risk information enables individuals and communities to make critical adaptive or mitigative decisions. However, most disaster risk resources are designed for the average person (e.g., white, middle class, with postsecondary education), leaving marginalized communities—who perceive and respond to hazard information differently—underprepared and vulnerable. This project will develop and implement a community needs assessment and an interactive risk information framework to address the preparedness and risk information needs of marginalized communities. Findings will help governments refine strategies and centralize information through an equity-focused GIS platform, offering tailored emergency preparedness resources to communities and officials. The initiative aims to enhance the adaptive capacity of governments and strengthen resilience at the community level for tens of millions of Americans, with the potential for broader impact at a global scale.