ORONO — The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine plans to host a talk on how community planning and partnerships can help reduce humanity’s vulnerability to natural disasters.

The talk is scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday, March 7, at 107 Norman Smith Hall on the UMaine campus in Orono, and via Zoom.

The U.S. sustains more than $51 billion in losses and 361 deaths per year, on average, from weather and climate hazards, according to a news release from the university. In Maine, these hazards have been on the rise for decades and include flooding, coastal storm surge, tropical storms and severe winter weather.

A strong commitment to community and multi-agency partnerships is crucial for successful efforts to reduce vulnerability to these natural hazards. In this talk, Samuel Roy will discuss the practices and benefits of hazard-mitigation planning and funding, the partnerships that make it happen, the skills and capacities that support these efforts, and success stories from Maine.

Roy is the natural hazards planner for the Maine Emergency Management Agency. In this role he oversees the development of Maine’s natural hazards risk analysis and assessment for the State Emergency Operations Plan, and he provides technical and collaborative assistance for local hazard mitigation planning. He also serves as the agency liaison to natural science and academic communities and coordinates natural hazards educational and internship programs.

Roy is a faculty fellow with the Mitchell Center and received his doctorate in earth and climate sciences from the UMaine in 2015.

All talks in the Mitchell Center’s Sustainability Talks series are free and will be offered both remotely via Zoom and in person. To register and receive connection information, visit umaine.edu.

Face coverings are required for everyone when indoors at a University of Maine System facility. For the latest health and safety guidance, visit umaine.edu/return.

Updates for this event will be posted to the event webpage. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Ruth Hallsworth at 207-581-3196 or [email protected].