All Hazards Great and Small: Applying Disaster Risk Reduction to Environmental Justice Communities in South Carolina

Community-managed disaster risk reduction (CMDRR) puts communities at the center of disaster readiness by assessing hazards, vulnerabilities and capacities, conducting risk analyses, and implementing comprehensive disaster risk reduction (DRR) plans. The EJ Strong pilot program was established to increase the resilience of participating environmental justice (EJ) communities in South Carolina (SC). This was accomplished through a CMDRR training program focused on EJ communities in SC. The curriculum was based on training manuals developed for use in low- and middle-income countries. We modified the curriculum to make it culturally relevant, cope with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and emphasize the application of training during field exercises within communities. In total, ∼110 community participants representing EJ communities across SC attended one or more of the workshops, virtual mini-workshops, and/or field practicums. Invited speakers and program team members raised the overall total to ∼150, and 46 received certificates in CMDRR training after the final workshop. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of CMDRR training in the U.S. as well as the first focused on EJ communities. Other outcomes from EJ Strong included a state-wide emergency food access map, a mobile-enabled disaster risk assessment app, an internet-based course that includes the CMDRR curriculum, incorporation of DRR materials for use in public school classrooms, air quality and flood monitoring systems for communities, and acquisition of follow-on funding for communities and the program. Participant evaluations revealed high levels of satisfaction with and appreciation of the program's content.