LESReady! hosts visiting disaster management and resiliency professionals
What can someone living in an informal settlement in Mumbai learn from an Occupy Sandy volunteer? How does the state of Kerala monitor and assist its handicapped and disabled residents during a disaster – and what can New York City learn from that system?
These were just some of the topics of conversation between LESReady! members and the Crisis Management and Resilience in Coastal India project, a group of five resiliency professionals visiting the U.S. at the invitation of the State Department.
From April 1 until April 19, the group is visiting Washington, D.C., New York City, North Carolina, New Orleans, and Seattle, learning about efforts to adapt to rising sea levels and other coastal risks. During their time in NYC, they reached out to LESReady! to learn about the role that community-based and non-governmental groups play before, during, and after disasters.
LESReady! was thrilled to host the group and participate in this discussion. As coastal cities around the world adapt to climate change and rising seas, knowledge-sharing and dialogue like this is increasingly important. We hope the lessons learned in the LES are taken back and applied in Chennai, Mumbai, and Kerala!
Thanks to the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program for suggesting the meeting and the New York Community Trust for making LESReady’s work possible.