ABSTRACT
Chapters in this section highlight the need for deeper collaboration with and input from local stakeholder communities. These chapters reveal the barrier often created between “experts” and the local communities, where academic knowledge and pedigree or governmental status become elevated over lived experience and traditional observations. Cultural sensitivity necessitates incorporation of a broader array of voices, such as marginalized and indigenous people, into all planning, mitigation, and response discussion. This ensures the building of effective and collaborative communication structures and provides opportunities for creative programming and thinking outside the “expert” box.
