Out of Katrina’s Devastation: A Model for Disaster Recovery

In January, community leaders and officials from around the world gathered at Harvard to share experiences and best practices in “Accelerating Disaster Recovery: Strategies, Tensions, and Obstacles.” The conference was organized by Harvard Kennedy School’s Program on Crisis Leadership (PCL), which is jointly affiliated with the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, the Taubman Center for State and Local Government, and the Belfer Center’s Broadmoor Project: New Orleans Recovery.

A defining force behind the conference and the link connecting a number of participants is Doug Ahlers, PCL senior fellow and former Belfer Center senior fellow. Ahlers founded The Broadmoor Project: New Orleans Recovery in 2006 to work with residents of New Orleans’ hard-hit Broadmoor neigh­borhood to design and implement a strategy for post-Katrina neighborhood recovery. Led by Ahlers and hosted by the Belfer Center’s Environment and Natural Resources Program, the Broadmoor Project enabled students from the Kennedy School and other Harvard graduate schools not only to put their governance skills into action to help rebuild one of America’s great cities but also to develop a community-based recovery model that documented the process for others in similar situations. (See more about the Broadmoor Projecthere. )

With the hugely successful rebuilding and recovery of the Broadmoor com­munity, the Broadmoor Project officially ended in 2011. It has lived on, however, as a best practices model for disaster recovery and pre-disaster planning.

Chile’s disastrous 2010 earthquake and tsunami provided the first test case for applying the Broadmoor model in another setting. The result was Recupera Chile, a Harvard University initiative led by Ahlers that assisted with the recovery of three Chilean villages. Then, in 2011, he advised New Zealand on post-disaster efforts following the destructive earthquake in Christchurch.

In collaboration with PCL’s Arnold Howett and Dutch Leonard, Ahlers has also worked with San Francisco and Los Angeles on recovery planning for a future earthquake. Recognizing the benefits of preparing in advance, Ahlers launched “Advance Recovery” as a new area of study at the Kennedy School.

At the conclusion of January’s recovery conference, Ahlers was honored with a special recognition dinner. Following are a few of many comments and accolades from recipients of his work across the globe.

Acknowledging Doug Ahlers

“When Doug first approached Broadmoor….he laid out a plan of hard work, no frills and a lot of sacrifice. The result is one of the most compelling stories of neighborhood restoration in U.S. urban history. Over the next five years, Doug brought over 80 Kennedy students to New Orleans. When they returned to Harvard, the dean asked them what this experience meant to them personally. They universally said that it changed their professional lives.” (Henry Lee, director, Environment and Natural Resources Program)

“Doug recognized and valued in us what we most esteemed and quietly took strength in from one another: personal toughness. For understanding us and respecting us deeply—and for all he has done with us and for us—we shall always think of Doug Ahlers as one of us!” (Hal Roark and LaToya Cantrell, Broadmoor community, New Orleans)

“Recupera Chile empowered an entire village here in Cobquecura. You have changed our lives. All we have for you in return is our deepest thanks.” (Tatiana Apablaza, resident of Cobquecura, Chile)

“The Broadmoor Project was very special, and wouldn’t have existed with­out…Doug’s vision and leadership. Doug taught us that…nothing would be sustainable in the community if we…did the work for the community. Instead, we had to do the work with the community. Since then, I have used that approach at the community level…in places ranging from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Nigeria and Kazakhstan.” (Rebecca Hummel, former Harvard Kennedy School student)