Impact of Post-disaster Debris on Coastal Communities of Cascadia Subduction Zone along Coos Bay

Keywords: Community Participation, Disaster Debris Management, Hazard Impact Mitigation, Disaster Management, Geospatial techniques, Disaster Management
Abstract Type: Poster Abstract

Abstract

This study aims to outline key challenges faced by local communities when delayed debris removal is a factor influencing community recovery after a disaster. Post-disaster debris management is a crucial and complex issue, with significant impacts on human health, yet it is often neglected as a pressing matter during emergency response, relief and in policy. The role of community engagement in this process is also a relatively new area of disaster planning and response. For example, the first ever policy on disaster debris removal and community engagement was not put in place until 2007, when the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) launched an incentive-based disaster debris recycling pilot program to inspire communities to prioritize their own needs. Highlighting case studies of past post-disaster debris management, the study will first identify common issues and challenges that arise in this context. The study will then explore the role of community engagement in debris removal processes, community perception, including those inherent in identifying temporary landfill sites, development of guidelines for emergency debris removal, and other issues and challenges that arise in balancing community needs and institutional constraints. Using mixed methods such as geospatial techniques to conduct landfill site suitability analysis, focus group discussions and household surveys, and collaborating with stakeholders from the fields of debris management and solid waste management, the study will contribute to knowledge around community perception of disaster debris removal decision making, as well as produce a set of planning guidelines for post-disaster debris removal planning.