America Adapts - The Climate Change Podcast

In episode 228 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons speaks with Victoria Salinas, Senior Fellow at the Climate Resilience Institute at the University of Miami and former Deputy Administrator for Resilience at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the Biden administration. Victoria shares her journey into federal service, including her decision to join FEMA at a critical juncture for the agency. She reflects on FEMA’s traditionally reactive role and her efforts to reshape it into a more proactive force for community resilience—breaking down silos, emphasizing equity, and building a culture focused on climate risk reduction. The conversation explores key programs from her portfolio, including the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program, with a focus on supporting underserved communities and using data to target resources where they are needed most. She addresses the current political climate and discusses the dismantling of climate adaptation programs at FEMA.