Starting the @columbia_ncdp Q&A:
@ChloeDemrovsky: What makes a mega-disaster different from a regular #disaster?
@jeffschlegel: Disasters so large they disrupt the systems designed to respond to them

Where human development/activity also contributes to the threat - #climatechange, underfunding #PublicHealth, etc. "Areas where we're burning the candle at both ends" - but we also have a certain amount of control. @jeffschlegel

"The #hazards are natural, the #disasters are man-made"

Governance is part of the cross-cutting - poor gov't management can lead to threats, and #disasters can leave gov'ts vulnerable ( #BeirutExplosion as an example)

@ChloeDemrovsky: #COVID19 showing our chronic stressors. How can we apply good governance? @jeffschlegel: It does show, in prepping for #pandemics, it's not just one issue - gov't, communications, #supplychain etc all connect - much of which resides in and affects private sector

@ChloeDemrovsky: Re: #ReopeningSchools, what are top concerns?
@jeffschlegel: 1) Epidemiologically, schools are a great place to spread illness; but 2) vital for child development, and schools can be a social service lifeline. Question needs to be how to make it safe as possible

Also practical concerns - esp. in NYC - include basic real estate, how to socially distance kids in a densely packed urban area

Developing frameworks for #ManagingUncertainty is needed across the board. @jeffschlegel @columbia_ncdp

@ChloeDemrovsky: We're always responding to the last disaster, rather than prepping for the next one. How do we balance the conflicting needs?
@jeffschlegel: votors heavily punish elected officials based on amount of #recovery money comes in - but not for #preparedness

@ChloeDemrovsky: Any int'l examples where cooperation is figuring this out?
@jeffschlegel: worth looking at/integrating examples - Taipei mitigating floods with more permeable ground; investing in social infrastructure in Japan; Colombia post-war - but recognize trade-offs

@ChloeDemrovsky: Why do public-private partnerships sometimes fizzle?
@jeffschlegel: We're seeing it play out w/vaccine development, tech investments; but measures of value in the private sector don't appropriately price #risk; need to include well-based projections

#DisasterPrep: People are unequipped to interpret this kind of info without spending a lot of time on communication and nuance; the sociologist argument is "It's fastest to scare them toward the most beneficial behavior and working on moving them toward it"

@jeffschlegel Lightning round:
Which #disaster do we have the best chance of addressing in the U.S.? "Probably #infrastructure"

When are we likely to get back to normal from #COVID19? IF we do, a year/18 months

Best #disaster media: Jericho (2006) (DRI Ed: it's really good)

Q: Any examples where we were adequately #prepared?
@jeffschlegel We see cases of disease coming from overseas that don't spread - you don't hear about them bc they're not newsworthy, but it does happen frequently

Q: What does communicating #preparedness look like?
@jeffschlegel Depends on the audience - a faith-based org might press the value of helping neighbors, while a business wants to hear a qualitative analysis; sending in the right messenger matters

Thanks to @ChloeDemrovsky, @jeffschlegel, @ruthdefries and @columbia_ncdp for a great discussion of #resilience and creating resilient systems