Title: Infrastructure Adaptation to Climate Change: Institutional Support in Rural Alaska
As climate change impacts intensify, communities in rural Alaska are undergoing and
adapting to changes to infrastructure from increased permafrost thawing, flooding, and
coastal erosion. Climate change adaptation, defined as a process, action, or outcome in a
system to better adjust to actual or expected climate change impacts, is needed to address
significant structural failures and safety concerns. Despite the recognition of the need for
support from stakeholders and adaptation of infrastructure, the level of adaptation activity
remains limited and inconsistent across regions and communities in rural Alaska. We
address this need by identifying drivers and barriers of adaptation based on stakeholder
perspectives (N=25). Stakeholders included people who work for government agencies,
non-profits, engineering firms, or academic institutions in rural Alaska. Results show that
strong community leadership and flexibility of funding conditions were drivers to
adaptation of infrastructure. Further, results show that the high cost of technology and
infrastructure and lack of access to and stipulations on funding were barriers to adaptation
of infrastructure. These drivers and barriers emphasize the importance of adaptation
processes that effectively accommodate the unique contexts of addressing impacts in rural
Alaska. Results demonstrate the need for national adaptation funding and policy that
encourages local decision-making power. Specifically, results outline the need for
adaptation funding and policy that supports the collaboration of Alaska more »
based institutions
and rural Alaska communities in adaptation. « less
Livability, resilience, and justice in cities are challenged by climate change and the historical legacies that together create disproportionate impacts on human communities. Urban green infrastructure has emerged as an important tool for climate change adaptation and resilience given their capacity to provide ecosystem services such as local temperature regulation, stormwater mitigation, and air purification. However, realizing the benefits of ecosystem services for climate adaptation depend on where they are locally supplied. Few studies have examined the potential spatial mismatches in supply and demand of urban ecosystem services, and even fewer have examined supply–demand mismatches as a potential environmental justicemore »issue, such as when supply–demand mismatches disproportionately overlap with certain socio-demographic groups. We spatially analyzed demand for ecosystem services relevant for climate change adaptation and combined results with recent analysis of the supply of ecosystem services in New York City (NYC). By quantifying the relative mismatch between supply and demand of ecosystem services across the city we were able to identify spatial hot- and coldspots of supply–demand mismatch. Hotspots are spatial clusters of census blocks with a higher mismatch and coldspots are clusters with lower mismatch values than their surrounding blocks. The distribution of mismatch hot- and coldspots was then compared to the spatial distribution of socio-demographic groups. Results reveal distributional environmental injustice of access to the climate-regulating benefits of ecosystem services provided by urban green infrastructure in NYC. Analyses show that areas with lower supply–demand mismatch tend to be populated by a larger proportion of white residents with higher median incomes, and areas with high mismatch values have lower incomes and a higher proportion of people of color. We suggest that urban policy and planning should ensure that investments in “nature-based” solutions such as through urban green infrastructure for climate change adaptation do not reinforce or exacerbate potentially existing environmental injustices.« less
Soucy, Alyssa; De Urioste-Stone, Sandra; Fernandez, Ivan J.; Weiskittel, Aaron; Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, Parinaz; Doak, Tom(
, Maine Policy Review)
Socioeconomic pressures require forest management to address the impacts of climate change. However, we must ask, Are current forest policies sufficient to deal with the impacts of climate change? Here, we report on two surveys of forest stakeholders in Maine including woodlot owners and forestry professionals and discuss their perceptions of the barriers to climate change adaptation. We conclude with several policy directions including reevaluating existing policies, expanding incentive-based policies, integrating adaptation efforts into mitigation efforts, and increasing communication and outreach.
Vaziri, S.L.; Paretti, M.C.; Grohs, J.R.; Baum, L.M.; Lester, M.M.; Newbill, P.L.(
, Zone 1 Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education)
Broadening participation in engineering is critical given the gap between the nation’s need for engineering graduates and its production of them. Efforts to spark interest in engineering among PreK-12 students have increased substantially in recent years as a result. However, past research has demonstrated that interest is not always sufficient to help students pursue engineering majors, particularly for rural students. In many rural communities, influential adults (family, friends, teachers) are often the primary influence on career choice, while factors such as community values, lack of social and cultural capital, limited course availability, and inadequate financial resources act as potential barriers.more »To account for these contextual factors, this project shifts the focus from individual students to the communities to understand how key stakeholders and organizations support engineering as a major choice and addresses the following questions: RQ1. What do current undergraduate engineering students who graduated from rural high schools describe as influences on their choice to attend college and pursue engineering as a post-secondary major? RQ2. How does the college choice process differ for rural students who enrolled in a 4-year university immediately after graduating from high school and those who transferred from a 2-year institution? RQ3. How do community members describe the resources that serve as key supports as well as the barriers that hinder support in their community? RQ4. What strategies do community members perceive their community should implement to enhance their ability to support engineering as a potential career choice? RQ5. How are these supports transferable or adaptable by other schools? What community-level factors support or inhibit transfer and adaptation? To answer the research questions, we employed a three-phase qualitative study. Phase 1 focused on understanding the experiences and perceptions of current [University Name] students from higher-producing rural schools. Analysis of focus group and interview data with 52 students highlighted the importance of interest and support from influential adults in students’ decision to major in engineering. One key finding from this phase was the importance of community college for many of our participants. Transfer students who attended community college before enrolling at [University Name] discussed the financial influences on their decision and the benefits of higher education much more frequently than their peers. In Phase 2, we used the findings from Phase 1 to conduct interviews within the participants’ home communities. This phase helped triangulate students’ perceptions with the perceptions and practices of others, and, equally importantly, allowed us to understand the goals, attitudes, and experiences of school personnel and local community members as they work with students. Participants from the students’ home communities indicated that there were few opportunities for students to learn more about engineering careers and provided suggestions for how colleges and universities could be more involved with students from their community. Phase 3, scheduled for Spring 2020, will bring the findings from Phases 1 and 2 back to rural communities via two participatory design workshops. These workshops, designed to share our findings and foster collaborative dialogue among the participants, will enable us to explore factors that support or hinder transfer of findings and to identify policies and strategies that would enhance each community’s ability to support engineering as a potential career choice.« less
Morelli, Toni Lyn; Brown-Lima, Carrie J.; Allen, Jenica M.; Beaury, Evelyn M.; Fusco, Emily J.; Barker-Plotkin, Audrey; Laginhas, Brittany B.; Quirion, Brendan R.; Griffin, Bridget; McLaughlin, Blair; et al(
, Biological Invasions)
Effective natural resource management and policy is contingent on information generated by research. Conversely, the applicability of research depends on whether it is responsive to the needs and constraints of resource managers and policy makers. However, many scientific fields including invasion ecology suffer from a disconnect between research and practice. Despite strong socio-political imperatives, evidenced by extensive funding dedicated to addressing invasive species, the pairing of invasion ecology with stakeholder needs to support effective management and policy is lacking. As a potential solution, we propose translational invasion ecology (TIE). As an extension of translational ecology, as a framework to increasemore »collaboration among scientists, practitioners, and policy makers to reduce negative impacts of invasive species. As an extension of translational ecology, TIE is an approach that embodies an intentional and inclusive process in which researchers, stakeholders, and decision makers collaborate to develop and implement ecological research via joint consideration of the ecological, sociological, economic, and/or political contexts in order to improve invasive species management. TIE ideally results in improved outcomes as well as shared benefits between researchers and managers. We delineate the steps of our proposed TIE approach and describe successful examples of ongoing TIE projects from the US and internationally. We suggest practical ways to begin incorporating TIE into research and management practices, including supporting boundary-spanning organizations and activities, expanding networks, sharing translational experiences, and measuring outcomes. We find that there is a need for strengthened boundary spanning, as well as funding and recognition for advancing translational approaches. As climate change and globalization exacerbate invasive species impacts, TIE provides a promising approach to generate actionable ecological research while improving outcomes of invasive species management and policy decisions.« less
Fernandez-Bou, Angel Santiago; Ortiz-Partida, J. Pablo; Classen-Rodriguez, Leticia M.; Pells, Chantelise; Dobbin, Kristin B.; Espinoza, Vicky; Rodríguez-Flores, José Manuel; Thao, Chia; Hammond Wagner, Courtney R.; Fencl, Amanda; et al(
, Frontiers in Climate)
Frontline communities of California experience disproportionate social, economic, and environmental injustices, and climate change is exacerbating the root causes of inequity in those areas. Yet, climate adaptation and mitigation strategies often fail to meaningfully address the experience of frontline community stakeholders. Here, we present three challenges, three errors, and three solutions to better integrate frontline communities' needs in climate change research and to create more impactful policies. We base our perspective on our collective firsthand experiences and on scholarship to bridge local knowledge with hydroclimatic research and policymaking. Unawareness of local priorities (Challenge 1) is a consequence of Ignoring localmore »knowledge (Error 1) that can be, in part, resolved with Information exchange and expansion of community-based participatory research (Solution 1). Unequal access to natural resources (Challenge 2) is often due to Top-down decision making (Error 2), but Buffer zones for environmental protection, green areas, air quality, and water security can help achieve environmental justice (Solution 2). Unequal access to public services (Challenge 3) is a historical issue that persists because of System abuse and tokenism (Error 3), and it may be partially resolved with Multi-benefit projects to create socioeconomic and environmental opportunities within frontline communities that include positive externalities for other stakeholders and public service improvements (Solution 3). The path forward in climate change policy decision-making must be grounded in collaboration with frontline community members and practitioners trained in working with vulnerable stakeholders. Addressing co-occurring inequities exacerbated by climate change requires transdisciplinary efforts to identify technical, policy, and engineering solutions.« less
Taylor, J, Poleacovschi, C, and Perez, M. Infrastructure Adaptation to Climate Change: Institutional Support in Rural Alaska. Retrieved from https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10208063. Engineering Project Organization Conference .
Taylor, J, Poleacovschi, C, & Perez, M. Infrastructure Adaptation to Climate Change: Institutional Support in Rural Alaska. Engineering Project Organization Conference, (). Retrieved from https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10208063.
Taylor, J, Poleacovschi, C, and Perez, M.
"Infrastructure Adaptation to Climate Change: Institutional Support in Rural Alaska". Engineering Project Organization Conference (). Country unknown/Code not available. https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10208063.
@article{osti_10208063,
place = {Country unknown/Code not available},
title = {Infrastructure Adaptation to Climate Change: Institutional Support in Rural Alaska},
url = {https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10208063},
abstractNote = {As climate change impacts intensify, communities in rural Alaska are undergoing and adapting to changes to infrastructure from increased permafrost thawing, flooding, and coastal erosion. Climate change adaptation, defined as a process, action, or outcome in a system to better adjust to actual or expected climate change impacts, is needed to address significant structural failures and safety concerns. Despite the recognition of the need for support from stakeholders and adaptation of infrastructure, the level of adaptation activity remains limited and inconsistent across regions and communities in rural Alaska. We address this need by identifying drivers and barriers of adaptation based on stakeholder perspectives (N=25). Stakeholders included people who work for government agencies, non-profits, engineering firms, or academic institutions in rural Alaska. Results show that strong community leadership and flexibility of funding conditions were drivers to adaptation of infrastructure. Further, results show that the high cost of technology and infrastructure and lack of access to and stipulations on funding were barriers to adaptation of infrastructure. These drivers and barriers emphasize the importance of adaptation processes that effectively accommodate the unique contexts of addressing impacts in rural Alaska. Results demonstrate the need for national adaptation funding and policy that encourages local decision-making power. Specifically, results outline the need for adaptation funding and policy that supports the collaboration of Alaska based institutions and rural Alaska communities in adaptation.},
journal = {Engineering Project Organization Conference},
author = {Taylor, J and Poleacovschi, C and Perez, M.},
editor = {Faust, K and Kanjanabootra, S}
}
