Author archives

Debolina Banerjee is an interdisciplinary researcher trained in geography and environmental planning who integrates spatial and policy perspectives of urban sustainability in her work. Her primary research interest is at the intersection of complex human-nature interaction in the built environment, and she has investigated issues surrounding water quality, air pollution, vehicular emissions, urban greening, racial segregation, climate justice, and homelessness through her past and current research projects. Debolina’s doctoral work examined the social and behavioral drivers behind the adoption of climate mitigation strategies, particularly sustainable stormwater technologies. Her research philosophy is guided by three core concepts: participatory planning that integrates local knowledge, human-nature interactions, and socio-psychological theories that explain the perceptual drivers of pro-environmental behaviors.

FEMA buyouts vs. risky real estate: New maps reveal post-flood migration patterns across the US

Prof. James R. Elliott and Research Analyst Debolina Banerjee study flood resilience and have been mapping the results of government buyout programs across the U.S. that purchase damaged homes after disasters to turn them into open space. Their new national maps of who relocates and where they go after a flood shows that most Americans who move from buyout areas stay local. However, they also found that the majority of them give up their home to someone else, either selling it or leaving a rental home, rather than taking a government buyout offer. That transfers the risk to a new resident, leaving the community still facing future costly risks.

Subjects: Climate Change, Economy, Environmental Law, Financial System, Legal Research