The Community Engagement effort of the Center will be scaffolded on the development and implementation of a novel “LandslideReady” program to certify target vulnerable communities as both prepared and resilient in the face of landslide geohazards. The program is inspired by the existing TsunamiReady and StormReady programs that involve training and workshops for local emergency managers and community leaders. Integrating key partners, agencies, and organizations, this endeavor builds upon an existing working relationship with the University of Colorado Natural Hazards Center and will lead to the development of materials guided by principles for collaborative risk communication in the field of landslide hazards, including ethical engagement, nested mentoring, adaptability, and reciprocity.
The Community engagement group will work through an open and iterative process in project Year 1 to define the criteria for communities to become certified as LandslideReady. County-equivalent municipalities in Puerto Rico are the target communities that would be certified in a pilot version of the program and existing relationships with local municipal and regional offices of emergency management in Puerto Rico will be vitally important in kick-starting this endeavor. In Year 2 of the project, we will advertise and deploy the pilot version Landslide Ready program.