By Alex Fischler
Pace University
“After a disaster event, when the law enforcement and emergency workers depart, the third stage, rebuilding, tends to be a kind of a black hole.”
That description, followed by a call for improvements, came on Jan. 11 from Stephen J. Friedman, president of Pace University, as he convened a day-long conference of experts and practitioners on preparations for disaster recovery. Held at the university’s downtown Manhattan campus, the conference focused on public-private partnerships.
Friedman called for the conference after reflecting on the steps to it took to get rebuilding started after the events of 9/11, which occurred just five blocks from Pace’s campus.
He also brought up issues in the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and in Japan after the Fukushima nuclear incidents. Despite the passage of time, in these tragedies the relationship between the public and private sectors is still a heated topic.
The goals of the conference were simple. One: Identify the important questions that needed to be asked. Two: Outline structures for improved coordination and collaboration between the public and private sectors. Said Friedman, “The roles of the two need to be defined, accepted and understood in advance.”
‘Progress has been made’
Margareta Wahlström, the United Nations’ Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, then took the podium. “Your presence today is a strong message that progress has been made,” she told the audience. “Can we now accelerate progress and achieve a significant drop in losses within the coming 10 years?”
Wahlström displayed a realist’s point of view throughout her speech. Despite progress, she said, “The public and private sectors have not shown much interest in getting together.”
She started with a few facts. World population has increased by 87 percent in 30 years. During that same period, however, the population in flood-prone river delta regions has increased by 114 percent, and in cyclone or hurricane-prone coastal regions by 195 percent.
In 2011 disasters occurred at an unprecedented rate. Between $350 billion and $380 billion in economic losses from disasters easily made it the most expensive year in history for catastrophes, according to the insurance industry.
“The message is clear,” Wahlström said. “We are putting our economic, social, cultural and business assets in the most high-risk areas, because this is where wealth and our future are generated.”
After these sobering statistics, Wahlström introduced the Kobe framework, a voluntary framework negotiated by many U.N. members for building and strengthening communities for resisting and dealing with future disasters.
NYC is ‘exception to rule’
The second keynote address came from the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, now CEO and president of Ridge Global Inc.
He noted that New York City is the exception to the rule when it comes to readiness for recovering after a major disaster. “New York City is different than any other place around the country and has demonstrated many positive ways to reconstruct,” he said, adding, “It is the most well-protected city in the country and perhaps the most prepared for any disaster.”
Nationwide, Ridge stated, “We are pretty resilient; we have shown that we can take a hit. We are better off than we were before Sept. 11.”
Bringing attention to the private sector’s role, Ridge said, “Corporations must take a seat at the table and be involved in all stages of planning.” During a catastrophe “isn’t the time to be introducing yourself.”
People should have worked out in advance ways to collaborate, he said, but he added that as times have changed, so has the scale of approaches to disasters. “It used to be gather your neighbors,” Ridge said. “Now people gather their lawyers, Congress and policies.”
Noting instances where secrecy has impeded public-private collaboration, Ridge said, “At some point in time we have got to trust each other.”
Ridge stressed the importance of this meeting, noting that “conferences like this go a long way towards promoting the cause of a comprehensive approach”.
Other speakers at the event included:
- Nira Herrmann, dean of the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences at Pace;
- Andrew Revkin, Fellow of the Pace Academy for Applied Environmental Studies and author of the “Dot Earth” blog for the New York Times;
- Glen L. Woodbury, director of the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School;
- William C. Rudin, CEO and vice-chairman of Rudin Management Inc.;
- Ivan Seidenberg, chairman of Verizon Communications;
- David J. Shulkin, president of Morristown (N.J.) Medical Center and vice president of Atlantic Health System; and
- Joseph F. Bruno, commissioner of the New York City Office of Emergency Management.
To wrap up the day, Friedman thanked the participants and added that the university is not even close to finished with creating awareness on this issue. “Pace intends to be a player; next we will organize a number of smaller industry-specific discussions to generate options for further improvements.”
The university plans to publish summaries of the ideas in late spring. More information can be obtained from resiliencesummit@pace.edu.
Alex Fischler is an intern in the public information department of Pace University.