ND-GAIN collaborates with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Georgia on a working paper to examine community resilience, vulnerability, and flood risk with specific reference to cumulative exposure and climate justice characteristics at the county-level within the U.S. Mississippi River.

ABSTRACT 

In this study, we explore community resilience, vulnerability, and flood risk with specific reference to cumulative exposure and climate justice characteristics at the county-level within the U.S. Mississippi River basin from 1990 to 2009. Using a basic conceptual model of spatial resilience to climate risks, temporal lag effect of community capacity, urban and rural spatial classification, and integrative cumulative exposure and spatial clustering of risk, we examine spatial climate risk outcome and the role of community resilience (comprising socio-economic components, environmental and geographical components, and policy regulation and planning mitigation components) in disaster risk reduction. Results suggest that flood losses are inversely related to community social and ecological structures and that engaged social capital and climate justice characteristics combined with local proactive planning and policy measures bring about lower disaster losses and enhancements to community resilience.