What factors allow people to prepare for and recover from natural disasters? Chenyi Ma, a research assistant professor at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2), conducts interdisciplinary research that investigates the role of inequality in disasters’ impact and points to policy solutions. Having first come to SP2 as a Ph.D. in Social Welfare student, he now teaches SP2 students while conducting research on disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.
As a research assistant professor at SP2, Ma focuses on the social determinants of health and behavioral outcomes in disaster contexts, including public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Sustainable development is about meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs,” Ma says. “This approach encompasses social, economic, and political dimensions. My current research delves into the social dimension, recognizing that addressing environmental challenges requires collaboration and co-learning among natural and social scientists, professionals, and stakeholders to find solutions.”
Ma outlines the impact he hopes his research will have on policy in the face of climate inequality. “I hope policymakers might consider public-private partnerships like the National Flood Insurance Program to address private insurance affordability for low-income households who are most vulnerable to housing damage,” he says. “One of my recent research studies examined how income inequality could influence household consumption behaviors related to disaster preparedness, with a specific focus on private homeowners’ insurance. Observing Hurricane Maria survivors in Puerto Rico, the study found that private homeowners’ insurance—the most important financial tool to mitigate property losses—was unaffordable for low-income households, and income inequality further exacerbated this unaffordability.”
This story is by Carson Easterly. Read more at SP2 News.
