Rebuilding Through the Aftermath: Wildfire Governance, Care, and Climate Futures

The catastrophic wildfires that devastated Lytton, British Columbia in 2021 and Lāhainā, Maui in 2023 were more than climate disasters—they exposed fundamental questions about how communities recover, who makes decisions in the aftermath, and what equitable, community-centred governance can look like in an era of accelerating climate change.

Rebuilding Through the Aftermath is a knowledge synthesis that examines what is known, and where important gaps remain, about wildfire aftermath governance. Drawing on academic research, policy documents, media reporting, and survivor testimonies, the report compares the experiences of Lytton and Lāhainā to explore how recovery is shaped by institutions, relationships, and competing narratives.

Guided by the question, What might collaborative, caring governance look like with respect to wildfire management and emergency response?, the report maps key policy actors, governance responsibilities, and recovery processes while centring the lived experiences of those most affected. It argues that storytelling is a vital form of evidence that can strengthen policy, improve disaster recovery, and support more just and resilient responses to future climate emergencies.

Rather than viewing disasters solely as crises to be managed, this report positions them as opportunities to rethink governance, challenge systems that perpetuate vulnerability, and imagine alternative futures grounded in collaboration, care, and climate justice.

This report was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and is intended to inform policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and communities working to build more equitable approaches to climate disaster recovery.

Authors

Dr. Sarah Marie Wiebe, Dr. Tara Mahoney, Dr. Kawēlau Wright, Sean Holman, Morgan Krakow