A recently published report titled Rebuilding for a Resilient Recovery reported that many California residents live in the wildlife-urban interface, or the WUI. Here, these residents are constantly threatened by the possibility of destructive wildfires, especially when climate change is exacerbating the situation. As of now, state and local land use policies are primarily working to rebuild in WUI areas that have been damaged by wildfires.

However, the Rebuilding for a Resilient Recovery report suggests that it would be more productive and beneficial to discourage development and/or redevelopment in the WUI, where fires are likely to reoccur. Instead, state and local land use policies should both encourage and incentivize moving out of the WUI in order to minimize wildfire risks.

Still, it is important that precautions are taken for those who cannot or will not move out of the WUI. For instance, the report suggests taking up mitigation strategies such as home-hardening, creating fire breaks, and controlled burns. In addition to proactive measures, the report also emphasizes the need for retroactive recovery measures and how important it is to provide support for those affected by fire disasters.

As wildfires continue to contribute to California’s housing crisis, it becomes clear that changes need to be made to protect residents and wildlife alike.

To read the full story, go here: https://www.ppic.org/blog/after-wildfire-how-do-we-rebuild-for-a-resilient-recovery/