CGIA Conversation Webinar: Nomenclature and Geography of Communities in Need

Please join us for the the second session of CGIA's Conversation Series on GIS & Equity. Register here:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kde6hrDojE9TZfQ10etNPrTvb8osLMKwd#/registration

"Disadvantaged," "Underserved," "Vulnerable." What do these terms mean for inclusivity and equitable distribution of government grants and services? Join CGIA ‘s upcoming Conversation about the Nomenclature and Geography of Communities in Need on Thursday, February 15, at 12-1 p.m. to be held via Zoom, to learn and join the discussion.

The administration of countless state and federal programs in California includes distributing funds and services to communities of people that experience economic disadvantage and exposure to environmental harm in their daily lives. But there are notable inconsistencies on how these communities are defined, named, and delineated, causing confusion and sometimes consternation for the people in these communities as well as agency leaders and staff. Our special guest speakers are Maria Lorenzo-Lee, Senior Water Resources Engineer with the Financial Assistance Branch of the California Department of Water Resources, and Dr. Sheila Lakshmi Steinberg, Professor of GIS, Social and Environmental Sciences at the UMass Global Institute for Geospatial Education. Join us as we learn about these issues, possible solutions, available data tools, and links to resources of interest to the GIS community of practice. The session will be hosted by CGIA board member Jane Schafer-Kramer.

This conversation topic was inspired by a report included in the California Water Plan Update 2023. The report, Disadvantaged Communities Nomenclature Within the State of California: Findings and Conclusions was authored by Oceana Haaland and Pablo Ortiz when they served as CivicSpark Fellows 2021–2022 with the California Department of Water Resources with oversight provided by Maria Lorenzo-Lee.

This event will be recorded and posted on the CGIA website afterwards. To join this conversation, please use this link to register and receive the Zoom connection information. Questions about this event may be directed to chair@cgia.org.

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