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Advancing Awareness, Transparency & Education for Greater Resilience in the Built Environment
For a Stronger and Safer Built Environment

Who We Are

Resilience Action Fund (RAF) is a US 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2015.

Resilience Action Fund (International) (RAF-I) is a UK charitable non-profit organization founded in 2016.

Our purpose is to empower people with the knowledge and tools for long-lasting homes and communities. This aligns with the goals of the UN Sendai Framework for Disaster Reduction: 2015-2030, signed by 187 countries in 2015. The COP21 Paris Agreement echoes the need for adaptation to hazards. RAF believes that resilient development practices are a critical and an often missing piece of green building programs.

RAF and RAF-I coordinate with a network of government institutions, universities, public-interest entities, insurance organizations, corporations, and grassroots advocacy groups to promote more resilient building policies and practices through public awareness, research and education.

What We Do

RAF and RAF-I work synergistically on programs along four main axes: Publications, Education, Research, Action.

A network of leading universities, public-interest entities, insurance-related organizations, grassroots action groups and product/service providers collaborative to execute various segments of the program. RAF-I focuses on international programs.

The organization aims to communicate its concepts, issues and programs in a language that can be understood by non-technical and non-policy people, and thus made useful at personal, business and community levels.

It also acts as a public-interest watchdog with regards to building policies, codes and practices, highlighting both commendable and not-commendable actions.

Our Mission Focus

RAF and RAF-I both focus on resilience in the built environment (all private, commercial, institutional and public buildings and structures) for the following reasons:
The built environment is the ‘front line of defense’ against n hazards. When it fails, people, contents and encompassed activities are all exposed
Buildings are humanity’s largest asset class in terms of value and represent a significant resource investment
Over the next half century, significant investment is forecast in the built environments of both developing and developed economies
Built have experienced an escalating rate of failure in recent decades
A resilient built environment is an essential foundation for a sustainable future

Aris

Papadopoulos

Founding Chair

Aris Papadopoulos is the founder and chair of Resilience Action Fund and Resilience Action Fund (International). He authored the 2015 book Resilience-The Ultimate Sustainability, which inspired the 2018 PBS documentary BUILT TO LAST?, the 2025 book ResilieNomics – Value in an Age of Disasters and produced the 2025 documentary BUILT TO LAST – BUYER BEWARE.

Aris has decades of resilient construction experience in multiple sectors and countries. Upon retiring, he was named Distinguished Expert in Resilience at Florida International University’s Extreme Events Institute and chairs its Advisory Board. For 10 years he served the global board of the UN Office of Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) private sector initiative (ARISE) and was its founding chair. He contributed to the 2015 Sendai Framework for Disaster Reduction, signed by 187 nations.

Aris has been the lead technical advisor to the World Bank/IFC for developing the Building Resilience Index. He created the first Buyer’s Guide to Resilient Homes and helped found the Resilience Youth Network. He has appeared in the New York Times, Weather Channel, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, The Hill and other media.

Aris earned engineering degrees from MIT and an MBA from Harvard. He is a World Trade Center 9-11 survivor.

He enjoys speaking at relevant business, association or non-profit events on disaster risk reduction and resilience. In lieu of an honorarium, he will speak for a book order to RAF, plus travel expenses. Please contact for details and availability.

Margareta

Wahlstrom

Founding Advisor

Margareta Wahlstrom, a founding advisor of Resilience Action Fund (International), has over 30 years of extensive national and international experience in humanitarian relief operations in disaster areas, and institution-building to strengthen national capacity for disaster preparedness, response and risk reduction.
In late 2015 she retired as UN Special Representative to the Secretary-General for Disaster Reduction, having led the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) since 2008. In that capacity she served as global ambassador for the cause of disaster prevention and risk reduction.

Margareta played an instrumental role in the development and adoption of the UN Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction: 2015-2030, signed in March 2015 by 187 countries. This milestone agreement is referenced in the COP21 Paris Agreement, which contained the strongest ever call for climate adaptation.

Her prior contributions include serving as Assistant-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2004-2008), UN Special Coordinator for the Assistance to the Tsunami-Affected Communities (2004-2005), Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Relief, Recovery and Rehabilitation, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (2003-2004) and Under-Secretary-General for Disaster Response and Operations and Deputy Director Operations, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (1995-2000).

Margareta has an academic background in economic history, political science, social anthropology, archaeology and philosophy of science. She speaks English, Swedish, French and Spanish.
She enjoys speaking at relevant business, association and non-profit events on disaster risk reduction and resilience. Please contact for rates and availability.
Resilience Action Fund - Margareta Wahlstrom - Director

Directors

Florian

Barth

Director, RAF

Russell

Fink

Director, RAF

Elizabeth

Papadopoulos

Eliza 2
Founding Director, RAF

Howard

Prince-Wright

Founding Director RAF-I, Director, RAF

Yogeshwar

Sharma

Founding Director RAF-I

Cesar

Constantino

Director RAF
For a Stronger and Safer Built Environment
RAF is a US 501(c)3 Nonprofit
RAF (International) is a UK Charitable Company
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