Columbia University Students Address Coastal Flooding in UNDRR Foresight Sprint

Introduction

Earlier this month, a dedicated team of postgraduate and current students from the Columbia Climate School and the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) participated in the international U.N. Foresight Sprint. This competition, part of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2025) Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, challenged student teams to envision disaster hazards in 2050 and propose actionable resilience investment plans.

The initiative aligns with the U.N. Global Assessment Report 2025 and supports the transition beyond the Sendai Framework (expiring in 2030), a key global framework for disaster risk reduction.

Focus on Coastal Flooding and Sustainable Development Goals

Hazard Selection and SDG Relevance

The student team selected coastal flooding as their focal hazard due to its increasing threat to U.S. coastal cities and its disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities. This focus directly relates to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – by promoting resilient urban planning and infrastructure.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – through adaptation strategies to mitigate climate-related hazards.
• SDG 1: No Poverty – addressing the disproportionate effects on low-income populations.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – by emphasizing equitable disaster risk reduction.

Team Approach and Methodology

1. Risk Identification: Mapping the disproportionate impact of coastal flooding on low-income urban communities using scenario building and root cause analysis.
2. Resilience Roadmap Development: Applying the 3Rs framework—recovery, resistance, and reorientation—to design equitable adaptation strategies.
3. Disaster Risk Financing: Proposing financial reforms including resilience-linked bonds, risk-informed budgeting via the Climate Finance Vulnerability Index, and pre-arranged risk transfer mechanisms such as parametric insurance and catastrophe bonds.

Student Contributions

• Renge Shirai emphasized the social justice aspect of flooding impacts.
• Ashmi Kuvera led the scenario analysis and resilience roadmap design.
• Amy Campbell developed the disaster risk financing section, outlining short-, medium-, and long-term financial reforms.
• Anyieth Philip Ayuen highlighted the importance of optimism and proactive action in disaster risk reduction.

Disproportionate Flood Impacts: A People-Centered Perspective

Comprehensive Analysis

The team’s poster and video submission detailed a comprehensive plan addressing not only the physical hazard of flooding but also the intertwined social, psychological, political, and economic factors. This multidimensional approach reflects the holistic nature of the SDGs, particularly:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – by considering psychological impacts of disasters.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – through inclusive governance in disaster preparedness.

Deliverables

• A detailed poster illustrating the long-term disaster risk reduction plan (PDF version available here).
• A TikTok-style video created by Kayana Waller, showcasing the team’s foresight submission and emphasizing the urgency of equitable adaptation strategies.

Outcomes and Future Implications

Recognition and Impact

Columbia University was the sole U.S. representative among many international entries. The team’s work was showcased at the GP2025 Summit in Geneva and disseminated by UNDRR to U.S. national authorities responsible for disaster risk reduction and foresight.

Long-Term Vision

Faculty liaison Joshua DeVincenzo highlighted the team’s potential to influence future iterations of the Sendai Framework and disaster risk reduction policies globally. The experience exemplified the integration of interdisciplinary collaboration and SDG-aligned solutions in disaster preparedness.

Team Members

• Renge Shirai (Barnard College)
• Kehbuma Nukuna (Columbia School of Engineering)
• Kayana Waller (Teachers College)
• Ashmi Kuvera (Climate School)
• Amy Campbell (Climate School)
• Anyieth Philip Ayuen (Columbia Climate School)
• Michelle Rozenfeld (NCDP High School Intern)

Contact Information

For further inquiries regarding this initiative, please contact Joshua DeVincenzo at ncdptraining@columbia.edu.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Focus on reducing the impact of coastal flooding in U.S. urban areas, particularly low-income communities.
2. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Addressing disaster risk reduction and resilience in the context of climate-related hazards such as coastal flooding.
3. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • Emphasis on the disproportionate impact of flooding on low-income communities and avoiding debt spirals through disaster risk financing.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • Collaboration among students, academic institutions, and international frameworks like UNDRR and the Sendai Framework.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs

1. SDG 11
   • Target 11.5: Significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected by disasters, including water-related disasters.
   • Target 11.B: Increase the number of cities adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
2. SDG 13
   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
3. SDG 1
   • Target 1.5: Build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.
4. SDG 17
   • Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article

1. Indicators for SDG 11
   • Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population (related to Target 11.5).
   • Number of cities with disaster risk reduction strategies in place (related to Target 11.B).
2. Indicators for SDG 13
   • Number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies (related to Target 13.1 and 13.2).
   • Use of disaster risk financing tools such as parametric insurance and catastrophe bonds as measures of adaptive capacity.
3. Indicators for SDG 1
   • Proportion of population living below the national poverty line affected by disasters (related to Target 1.5).
   • Measures of financial resilience such as risk-informed budgeting and resilience-linked bonds.
4. Indicators for SDG 17
   • Number and effectiveness of multi-stakeholder partnerships for disaster risk reduction and climate resilience.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: news.climate.columbia.edu