[20211112]IN11696_气候变化、慢发灾害和联邦应急管理局.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Climate Change, Slow-Onset Disasters, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Updated November 12, 2021 FEMA and Climate Change The United States is already experiencing certain effects of climate change, including high temperature extremes and heavy precipitation events. The U.S. Global Change Research Program, among many other bodies, expects these trends to continue and intensify, likely resulting in more severe and frequent “slow-onset” events (e.g., drought; sea level rise), compound disasters (e.g., extreme rainfall combined with coastal flooding), and cascading events (e.g., landslides following wildfires). Such events may not have clearly defined start or end dates, and cumulative damage may not be immediately apparent. Congress may consider how these events affect the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which administers federal disaster relief authorized under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act, P.L. 93-288, as amended). Although FEMA does not have an explicit mission to address climate change, the agency is increasing its activities rel