The impacts of disasters on children in rural settings have been studied extensively in international settings, but only limited rigorous research has been conducted within the United States. While it is clear the experiences of rural regions in the United States differ from those in an urban setting, further research is required to assess specific barriers and challenges facing rural children in blue-sky times, and in times of disaster. Aiming to advocate for a more equitable disaster response, the following study aims to begin addressing this knowledge gap through a comprehensive literature review, qualitative research, and culminating in formative recommendations. This study aimed to enhance understanding of the unique barriers and challenges that rural children and communities may face during disasters.
Many communities, systems, and child-serving institutions are not sufficiently prepared to meet the unique needs of children when a crisis strikes. Recognizing the role of external partners during disasters, particularly funders of in-kind or fiscal donations, the notion of strong local community partnerships remains a critical opportunity and ideal standard of practice for response organization engagement after disaster. Therefore, this project included a qualitative formative study on the application of the concept of localization drawn from interviews with rural community organizations about their experiences and what they need to serve the children in their communities throughout the disaster lifecycle.
In collaboration with and funded by a grant from Save the Children US, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at the Columbia Climate School, Columbia University established the following research objectives:
Conduct a literature review of research on the impact of disasters on rural children pertaining to key areas of childcare, child welfare, food security, psychosocial support, and housing security paying specific attention to barriers and challenges.
Explore how differing classifications of rurality can affect data representation, policies, and disaster response aid provided to rural communities and its children.
Apply a localization framework to a domestic context by interviewing representatives of local rural partner organizations serving children and/or families to better understand their needs and expectations of large disaster response organizations during disaster. Summarize these findings into key recommendations for response organizations working in rural communities.
Identify and collate of key rural indicators of child health, well-being, and opportunities to populate a data dashboard.
Beginning with a literature review, the team utilized a systematized approach which included both peer-reviewed and grey literature. Search terms were identified and organized for each area of focus (childcare, child welfare, food security, psychosocial support, housing security) with a specific focus on ‘child’ and ‘rural’. Additional data sources were explored to supplement the review process and support findings. NCDP also completed a comprehensive review of federally used rural definitions to identify one that provides the most accurate rural experience.
In addition to the literature review, the team conducted a formative qualitative study on the application of the concept of localization in a rural context. Sourcing from a list of potential study participants from Save the Children US, the NCDP research team conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with community-based organization representatives serving children and families in education, psychosocial support, and food security in multiple communities across rural America. Interviews were built around localization frameworks and were led, recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for common themes.
In recognition of the lack of comprehensive rural data, the team compiled census data and other secondary data sources to crate national data tables which applying a specific rural definition.
Lastly, the NCDP team summarized the findings of each research component outlined above into reports of key findings and recommendations which seek to inform thought leadership on serving rural children and families during disaster.
Rurality Definitions: Implications for Child-focused Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.
This presentation was presented in partnership with Save the Children US during the Rural Summit: Cradle to Career 2023. The presentation focused on how classifications of rurality affect child focused preparedness, response, and recovery.
“Building Food Security in Disasters: Rural Considerations”
This presentation was presented as part of Reimagining Rural: The Rural Child Hunger Summit 2023. This presentation covered the dimensions of food security in rural contexts and emerging considerations for ensuring rural food security in disasters
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Jonathan has over fifteen years of experience in qualitative and quantitative research with significant emphasis on disaster field research and study design, implementation, management, and data architecture and analysis. He contributes to a broad multi-method disaster research portfolio, including natural hazards mapping, rural preparedness, mental health and psychosocial support, community coalition building, and child-focused community resilience. He also has significant experience in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their use in disaster preparedness and recovery, evaluating the unanticipated consequences of pandemic flu, determining racially and ethnically appropriate emergency messaging, and analyzing the long-term disaster resiliency and recovery issues of Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy, and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. He holds a master’s degree in public health from the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, where he is currently pursuing a doctorate of public health in Leadership in Global Health and Humanitarian Systems.
Sean Hansen is a Staff Associate III at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, where he supports applied research efforts related to disaster preparedness, readiness, response, and recovery. In this capacity, he works closely with various stakeholders using mixed-methods research and providing technical expertise to identify areas of vulnerability and strategies for supporting resilient communities. Particular areas of interest include climate-linked disasters and various aspects of psychosocial support, food security, and social cohesion in affected communities.
Sean earned his Master of Public Administration in Development Practice from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where he focused on humanitarian response, sustainable development, and disaster preparedness. Before joining NCDP, he worked in Washington, D.C., in policy and advocacy for a consortium of international development and humanitarian organizations. He is especially interested in the links between climate change, humanitarian crises, and conflict.
Qëndresa Krasniqi is a Staff Associate at NCDP, where she supports research activities related to resilience building, COVID-19, and climate change. In this capacity, she will work on quantifying different elements of community resilience. Qëndresa earned her Masters in Public Administration in Development Practice from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where she focused on social protection and social safety nets and the role of socio-economic and racial inequities on global food & agriculture systems, food security and access to health care services. Before joining NCDP, she taught Economics and worked in policy analysis and research with the IPCC, Health Care Without Harm and the European Stability Initiative (ESI). She is especially interested in incorporating the understanding of social vulnerabilities related to socio-economic and racial inequities in disaster preparedness and recovery.
Antonia Samur is a Senior Staff Associate I. Her role at NCDP includes conducting research and managing initiatives to support disaster planning and community resilience. Antonia currently manages a three-year capacity-building initiative for the child-care sector in Puerto Rico, aiming to enhance institutional preparedness to meet the needs of children in disasters. Under this initiative, she led the development of a training curriculum and delivered training. She also teaches about community engagement in disaster management in the MA in Climate and Society at the Columbia Climate School.
Before NCDP, Antonia worked for the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), where she led a global sustainable development education program, and for the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), where she conducted research and policy analysis on social and economic development issues, including childhood poverty and sustainable development in Latin America.
She holds a dual Master’s degree in International Affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University and the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Chile.
Antonia is keenly interested in climate change adaptation, community engagement, participatory planning and public policy, applied research, and education.
