How we respond to natural (and man made) disasters and manage environmental crises has become a subject of intense political debate during this latest round of “worst ever” fires in the state of California. What can we learn now to help prevent these devastating consequences in the future? Will forest thinning and careful town planning down the road make enough of a difference? Will residents be able to escape more easily when fire strikes again – which it inevitably will – if population density in California’s arid, brushy landscapes is not reduced?
This July 2012 Faculty Insight interview with Arnold Howitt, the executive director of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, an adjunct lecturer in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School, and an instructor at Harvard Extension School, highlights the challenges of disaster management and emergency response.
Howitt teaches Crisis Management and Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief and Recovery at the Extension School, and is also an author and editor of several books, including Managing Crises: Responses to Large-Scale Emergencies. He spoke with Jenny Attiyeh of ThoughtCast about what we’ve learned from large-scale disasters like Hurricane Katrina, and how we can do better next time!
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