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…We really work hard to anchor our sustainable development practices and projects to a profit motive … A regulatory approach tends to fall apart inside various legal bodies. And if you do achieve some sort of regulatory regime, it’s constantly under attack.
Representative Colin Wellenkamp, Executive Director of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative
It’s a scary proposition, quite frankly. If there is not an opportunity for FEMA to respond to that, there is no way a city like Gretna could ever prepare financially for such a catastrophic event as a saltwater intrusion.
Mayor Belinda Constant, City of Gretna, LA
Recent Ten Across Conversations episodes have considered how current changes in staffing, research, and responsibilities within federal agencies like FEMA and NOAA may affect disaster readiness and response at the local level. Many cities find themselves pressed to rethink how their own limited resources might secure the information and support necessary to address the growing risks they face.
Collaborative regional networks are proving to be one way to achieve much greater returns on investments of local time and funds. The Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI) has become an outstanding example of this type of work. Formed in 2012, this innovative coalition of 105 mayors from cities along the main stem of the Mississippi has spearheaded programs in vital policy areas including clean water, sustainable economies, and climate resilience.
Among their most interesting efforts from a Ten Across perspective is the pilot parametric insurance policy MRCTI is developing with global reinsurer Munich Re. When realized, this program would allow member cities to opt in to a customized, shared insurance pool that could rapidly fund local emergency response based on predefined environmental trigger events.
Listen in as City of Gretna Mayor and MRCTI Louisiana Chair Belinda Constant joins MRCTI’s executive director, Colin Wellenkamp, and Ten Across founder Duke Reiter to discuss how collaboration can help defend against more frequent and costly risks.
Relevant articles and resources:
“Trump moves to end NASA missions measuring carbon dioxide and planet health” (PBS, August 2025)
“Trump, who called FEMA ‘slow,’ is making people wait months for help” (E&E News by Politico, May 2025)
“As Mississippi River towns experience whiplash between drought and flood, mayors look to new insurance model” (The Lens, November 2024)
Relevant Ten Across Conversations podcasts
Why the Ten Across Geography Needs FEMA with Dr. Samantha Montano
Beyond the Forecast: TV Meteorologists Weight in on Climate Challenges
Past and Future Resilience Along the Mississippi with Boyce Upholt
Want to Understand the Future of Climate Resilience? Look to the Gulf Coast
Credits:
Host: Duke Reiter
Producer and editor: Taylor Griffith
Music by: Jakob Ahlbom and Lennon Hutton
Research and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler
Guest Speakers
Rep. Colin Wellenkamp is the executive director of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative and an elected member of the Missouri House of Representatives. His extensive career in the legal and policy fields has been focused on advocating and advancing public interests through improving local government functions and the activity of the business world. Colin has a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Saint Louis University, a J.D. from Creighton University School of Law, and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Sustainable Development Law from George Washington University Law School.
Mayor Belinda Constant is the mayor of the City of Gretna, Louisiana and the first woman elected to the city council or mayorship. Elected as mayor in 2013, she has led a variety of resilience initiatives for the city, including the Gretna 2030 plan and Stormwater Master Plan. She became a member of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative shortly after it was formed in 2012 and has served as co-chair and current Louisiana Chair of the organization.
