A wildfire exposure study on Maui created a new blueprint for public health research and support after disasters—but funding was drying up. Could the organizers keep it afloat?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/73664449

Maunakea knew the next disaster was just around the corner. He believed Maui could adapt and offer a model to the rest of the world for building resilience to the steep challenges climate change brings.

Maybe, he thought, that would be the ultimate lesson from the study: that documenting and addressing health inequities in the wake of a disaster helps communities withstand what they cannot escape.

Toward the end of the day, more survivors arrived without appointments after hearing about the study from family and friends. By closing, he estimated the team had turned away more than a dozen new people, taking down their names in case funding came through. Maunakea met people that weekend who said they’d known about the study for several years but hadn’t felt ready to participate until now. It hammered home to him how crucial it was for their work to go on.

also see https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08112026/maui-family-wildfire-recovery/