Addressing California Communities Doubly Vulnerable to Catastrophic Wildfires

Project Description

Wildfire disasters increasingly put Californians at risk for significant damages, economic losses and fatalities. Scientists have made progress in identifying wildfire risks across the state, but fire professionals and planners still don’t know if resilience planning efforts are reaching doubly vulnerable populations: Californians who are socio-economically disadvantaged and live or work in high wildfire risk areas. To date, little research addresses the risks and reality for this specific population.

By establishing the foundation for the UC-wide California Wildfire Science Institute, a global network of experts seeking to address wildfire vulnerability, this project supports wildfire prevention and recovery efforts in doubly vulnerable communities. Key research questions that guide this work include: what are the characteristics of doubly vulnerable populations, and how can equitable planning efforts increase the resilience of these populations? Through close collaboration with local organizations and tribal groups across California, this project will provide a clearer process and guidance for communities seeking to improve recovery efforts and resilience planning. Additionally, it will collect longitudinal data that can advance future research in the field.

Status
Ongoing

Funding Source
University of California