The government in Biden is considering authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to allocate COVID-19 funds for climate change projects, The New York Times reported Monday.
The plan will re-allocate part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) overall disaster budget to projects designed to address climate disaster damage for the time being, reports The Times. The agency wants to build seawalls and elevate or relocate homes in flood planes with the reallocated funds.
FEMA plans to include funding for COVID-19 response in the restructuring of the budget, according to The Times. FEMA acting deputy administrator for disaster relief, Michael M. Grimm, said an initial estimate found $ 3.7 billion that could go to the program to address climate change with the possibility of getting more later.
We are currently facing four concurrent crises – COVID-19, the resulting economic crisis, climate change and racial inequality. President Biden took action today to address these challenges. pic.twitter.com/091jmvCukk
– The White House (@WhiteHouse) 21 January 2021
The total amount of funding could reach $ 10 million if COVID-19 resources are targeted at the Hazard Mitigation Grant program, although Grimm said the decision to include pandemic aid funds has not yet been taken, reports The Times. The proposal would allow FEMA to withdraw from the government’s dedicated disaster fund and does not necessarily mean reducing the funding available for COVID-19 response.
According to The Times, the plan needs to get approval from the White House budget office. The proposal focuses less on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and is more focused on protecting homes and people from severe storms, floods and fires. (RELATED: Biden: We Can’t Change the Trajectory of the Pandemic in the Next Few Months)
President Joe Biden has signed an order requiring higher construction standards for federal buildings in flood-prone areas during his first days in office, reports The Times. If the proposal is approved by the White House, it is likely to receive dual support after a previous report found that the government was saving money by providing money for disaster preparedness.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA has received $ 19.4 billion for the disaster relief fund and $ 2.3 billion for subsidy for 2020.
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