Browsing by Author "Clark, Jordan"

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Open Access
A Game Plan for Heat Stress: Policy Recommendations for High School Sports
(2023-07-26) Clark, Jordan
High school athletic associations (HSAAs) bear the responsibility of ensuring the health and safety of student-athletes. Exertional heat illness poses a significant risk, making this a task of increasing urgency in light of climate change and rising temperatures. This policy brief, from Duke University's Heat Policy Innovation Hub, builds on prior research to offer recommendations to HSAAs as part of an ongoing commitment to safeguard student-athletes from heat-related illnesses: 1. Implement environmental heat monitoring using a scientific device for onsite measurement of a heat stress index appropriate for the local climate, with staff training to ensure measurement precision. 2. Develop activity modification guidelines contingent on heat stress levels. 3. Incorporate specific heat action protocols into existing venue-specific emergency action plans. 4. Institute universal application of heat policies across all sports and activities. 5. Support full implementation by pursuing funding opportunities for measurement equipment and establishing incentives for compliance among member schools.
Open Access
Confronting Heat Challenges—Cross-Sector Strategies for National Resilience: A Report from the 2024 HeatWise Policy Partnership Summit
(2024-11-04) Ward, Ashley; Clark, Jordan; Watson, Lillian; Snyder, Julee
The HeatWise Policy Partnership Summit is a key component of a cyclical two-year program that encompasses stakeholder engagement, event planning, biannual convening, reporting key findings, and outreach to policymakers. During the 2023 engagement phase, Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at the Nicholas Institute, held regular meetings with legislators and agency leaders at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as with leaders from the philanthropic, finance, and insurance sectors, and community and faith-based organizations. These discussions informed the three core themes for the inaugural HeatWise Summit: Rural Heat Vulnerability: Developing tailored strategies for rural contexts, considering unique characteristics and needs of rural populations Data for Risk, Exposure, and Impact: Addressing data gaps in heat mitigation and resilience for informed decision-making Blended Finance and the Future Role of Insurance: Exploring financial tools for mitigating heat impacts through public-private partnerships The Summit convened 106 participants, including participants from civil society (10), the private (23) and public sectors (19), community organizations (23), academia (27), and philanthropy (4), marking a significant step toward building a coalition to confront the escalating threat of extreme heat. Participants were asked to summarize a key takeaway from the event in a post-event survey. These takeaways reflect a broad consensus on the need for immediate action, collaboration, and targeted approaches to address the challenges posed by extreme heat, particularly for the most disadvantaged populations. As written and adopted, this report seeks to capture the essence of participant conversations, but individual participants may not agree with every aspect of the report. Rather, in affixing their name as a signatory, a participant is signaling support for the overarching concept of the series and the broad outcomes discussed herein. The participants took part in their individual capacity and their affiliations and titles are included here for identification purposes only. Their organizations are not responsible for the findings, principles, recommendations, or other content of this report.
Open Access
Defining Extreme Heat as a Hazard: A Review of Current State Hazard Mitigation Plans
(2023-04-20) Ward, Ashley; Clark, Jordan
Heat is the leading cause of weather-related death in the United States. Each US state must have a FEMA-approved state hazard mitigation plan (SHMP) to be eligible for certain non-emergency disaster funds and funding for mitigation projects. Many US states are in the process of updating their plans; however, a review of each SHMP as it exists now reveals the challenge states face in adequately incorporating heat as a hazard. This report assesses the treatment and definition of heat as a hazard in each state’s plan. Furthermore, it offers supplemental information for states in parallel with the latest FEMA guidance for SHMPs that went into effect April 19, 2023. This analysis found that the importance of extreme heat is often understated in plans. Only 25 states had a dedicated section for extreme heat, with 18 having heat combined with cold or drought. Current FEMA guidelines for SHMPs would be strengthened by further modernization of existing risk identification processes. This is critical for extreme heat since it is rarely defined by discrete events and is instead chronic and subtle. The latest FEMA guidance is more specific in requiring climate change to be factored into hazard identification. However, current state plans do not adequately incorporate climate change when addressing extreme heat. This report offers four specific recommendations that provide a roadmap for states to adequately assess the effects of extreme heat: ⋅ Defining heat as a hazard by combining climate and health outcome data ⋅ Accounting for the hazard-specific vulnerabilities of their population ⋅ Incorporating climate change ⋅ Developing appropriate and feasible mitigation strategies
Open Access
Development and Deployment of a Lead Service Line Inventory Application for North Carolina Water Utilities
Clark, Jordan
This white paper introduces an application designed to help North Carolina water utilities complete federally required lead service line inventories, developed through a partnership between the Water Policy Program at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability and the North Carolina Rural Water Association. The application simplifies the inventory process, overcoming barriers related to the cost and complexity of geographic information system software, which is especially beneficial for water utilities with limited resources. It improves the accuracy of lead service line identification by integrating various data sources to estimate construction years where traditional records fall short, providing a robust basis upon which utilities can proceed with their inventories. The white paper outlines the application development process and methodology and suggests future enhancements for broader use beyond North Carolina. Suggestions include integrating private well data, conducting ground validations in rural areas, and refining the user interface. These proposed improvements aim to make the tool more effective and user-friendly, supporting utilities nationwide in their efforts to address lead contamination and comply with regulatory mandates.