Applying the Healthy Development Measurement Tool (HDMT) to Post-Ike Galveston: The utility of mapping social and environmental determinants on post-disaster recovery planning and beyond

Introduction: Geographic information systems, commonly used to guide community planning and development, can also prove useful in informing post-disaster recovery and rebuilding efforts. Following the impact of Hurricane Ike in 2008, nearly three-quarters of Galveston, Texas' residential and commercial buildings were damaged or destroyed. This collaborative effort is working towards adapting the San Francisco Department of Public Health's Healthy Development Management Tool (HDMT) to ensure that recovery and longer-term planning efforts incorporate an assessment on the likely impact on health and health disparities. This presentation outlines the preliminary steps taken to develop this process and discusses preliminary results of the project.

Process: A collaborative was formed between an academic health center, the city planning department, and various community groups with a common goal of bringing health into the recovery and rebuilding dialogue. HDMT indicators were prioritized based on recovery efforts and planning needs. Baseline data were collected for key indicators and mapped to identify how social and environmental determinants of health and quality of life were spatially distributed pre- and immediately post-disaster. This information was then used to guide the recovery effort and inform the development of the city's long-term comprehensive plan.

Discussion: This project illustrates the early results of the potential utility of spatially mapping social and environmental determinants of health and quality of life in informing post-disaster community planning and development efforts. Similar processes may be useful in communities facing or potentially facing recovery from natural and/or man-made disasters.