Presentation Title
Hazard Mitigation Planning in the Lake Champlain Basin
Abstract
Flooding is one of the costliest natural hazards frequently faced by New York and Vermont, and the frequency of such events will likely increase as the climate in the northeastern US changes, increasing the rate of factors that lead to flooding in the Lake Champlain Basin. The high costs incurred by flooding in the US lead to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requiring that governments at various levels demonstrate a focus on hazard mitigation through the adoption of Hazard Mitigation Plans (HMP). The HMPs are intended to demonstrate that the governing body is proactively managing natural hazards to protect social, natural, and built systems within their jurisdiction. However, these plans vary wildly due to the capacity of the various levels of governance within the Lake Champlain Basin. In New York, there are three hierarchical levels of government (state, county, local), while in Vermont, there are only the state and the local municipal governments. This mismatch in the governance structure is reflected in the HMPs that govern the various lakeside communities of the basin. An examination of the HMPs as source documents reveals the varying levels of capacity that exist, the various approaches to flood hazard mitigation, as well as revealing areas of potential concern and opportunities to strengthen coordination. Through this, we can address whether flood mitigation is best addressed within the current governance structure, or whether a new structure needs to be considered.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Chris Koliba
Faculty/Staff Collaborators
Koliba, C (Collaborating Mentor)
Status
Graduate
Student College
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Program/Major
Public Administration
Primary Research Category
Social Sciences
Secondary Research Category
Food & Environment Studies
Hazard Mitigation Planning in the Lake Champlain Basin
Flooding is one of the costliest natural hazards frequently faced by New York and Vermont, and the frequency of such events will likely increase as the climate in the northeastern US changes, increasing the rate of factors that lead to flooding in the Lake Champlain Basin. The high costs incurred by flooding in the US lead to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requiring that governments at various levels demonstrate a focus on hazard mitigation through the adoption of Hazard Mitigation Plans (HMP). The HMPs are intended to demonstrate that the governing body is proactively managing natural hazards to protect social, natural, and built systems within their jurisdiction. However, these plans vary wildly due to the capacity of the various levels of governance within the Lake Champlain Basin. In New York, there are three hierarchical levels of government (state, county, local), while in Vermont, there are only the state and the local municipal governments. This mismatch in the governance structure is reflected in the HMPs that govern the various lakeside communities of the basin. An examination of the HMPs as source documents reveals the varying levels of capacity that exist, the various approaches to flood hazard mitigation, as well as revealing areas of potential concern and opportunities to strengthen coordination. Through this, we can address whether flood mitigation is best addressed within the current governance structure, or whether a new structure needs to be considered.