SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND LONG-TERM DISASTER RECOVERY:

A Convening Of Experts to Inform and Support the Deliberations of the

Long-Term Disaster Recovery Working Group

DISCUSSION FRAMEWORK AND TENTATIVE AGENDA– WORKING DRAFT 12-

04-09

Overview
The day will begin with a broad discussion about community empowerment and resilience,
which will seek to identify the methods and tools that communities can use to strengthen
their preparedness and recovery efforts. A second panel on climate change adaptation will
extend the discussion of resilience, but will focus more specifically on how communities can
better plan for climate disruption. The second half of the day will begin with a discussion
about how to best integrate sustainable development principles as a community rebuilds.
Panelists will focus on the kinds of smart planning decisions that communities need to make
as they deal with the immediate and long term needs of repairing damage, restoring the
transportation and communications networks, and rebuilding communities. The fourth and
final panel discussion will deal with economic recovery. The panelists will discuss how the
federal government and communities can restore economic services and support the private
sector expediently, but without compromising the long-term planning that is necessary to
build sustainable local economies and communities. The day will end with a discussion,
involving all participants which will highlight those discussion outcomes that should be
included in the report to the President.

Program Outline

9:00-9:15 Introductions and Overview

9:15-10:30 Discussion 1: Empowering Communities. What are suggested

steps and/or tools in empowering communities to rely on their own
resources to become resilient and sustainable?

10:40-12:00 Discussion 2: Climate Adaptation. How can climate adaption

be incorporated into Community Development Plans to improve
sustainability and resiliency?

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-2:20 Discussion 3: Progressive Rebuilding. How to plan, guide, and

incentivize rebuilding while accounting for sound land use and
conservation of environmental resources.

2:30-3:50 Discussion 4: Restarting the Economic Engine. How do we support

the immediate post-disaster need of recovering the economy without
compromising long-term sustainable community development?

3:50–5:00 Wrap-up discussion. Each panelist provides a 5-minute message

on what s/he considers the most important recommendations for the
Working Group to advance to the White House.