Our Planning Process
Climate adaptation planning is an iterative process that allows communities to understand and plan for localized vulnerabilities associated with climate-driven changes.
Through iterations of assessment, planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation, communities develop strategies that are intended to minimize their risks from climate-driven changes. Click on a phase in the diagram below to jump directly to the section below, or simply scroll down.
Setting the Stage for Planning
Our climate planning process is built on the strong relationships that bind our small communities and our fisheries-dependent way of life. We, therefore, initiated this work through community workshops focused on grounding ourselves in experiences of shared environmental and ecological change, integrating local observations and scientific information.
Assessing Climate Vulnerability
Fisheries vulnerability in the Gulf of Alaska stands at the intersection of social, environmental, and ecosystem vulnerability. For example, local harvesting and processing revenues derived from mixed fisheries portfolios are subject to climate-driven changes. Fisheries and community infrastructure in the region is susceptible to a multitude of climate-driven environmental stressors including extreme weather, increasing storm surge, coastal erosion, and flooding. Underlying social and economic characteristics of these communities, like an aging population and declining skilled trades, may impede adaptation.
Following initial grounding conversations in communities, we conducted a multi-faceted vulnerability assessment with our communities. The assessment explores the potential implications of climate change in relation to the capital assets of communities – natural, physical, human, social, financial, and political. This multifaceted framework allows communities to explore the dynamics between climate change and underlying socioeconomic vulnerabilities.
Explore a case study of developing the vulnerability assessment in Cordova:
How do you assess vulnerability?
Vulnerability is a concept that encompasses the nature and degree to which a system is exposed to significant climate variations (exposure), the degree to which a system would be impaired by climate stressors (sensitivity), and any inherent adaptive capacity that may mediate these impacts. Often quantitative data to explore these dimensions of vulnerability is limited in scope and lacks the necessary local specificity. As a result, vulnerability assessments are often qualitative in nature, relying on local expertise. Within qualitative vulnerability assessments, individuals score potential risks to assets and their impacts using a simple scoring system (for example, low-medium-high or 0-3).
Visioning a Resilient Future
The intent of adaptation planning is to take stock of potential vulnerabilities but plan for a more resilient future. In order to do that, communities have to go through a process of visioning. Visioning is the process of imagining a future where a community thrives, and what defines the community. The focus is on creating a compelling, aspirational future by dreaming of possibilities, and embracing rather than resisting change. The vision is the guiding North Star for resilience. The adaptation plan is the blueprint for how to get there.
Through community workshops, our communities explored the following questions to develop their visions.
What do you hope your community looks like in 2050?
What do you want to see preserved?
What do you want to see improved, enhanced or even created if it doesn’t exist now?
What does an economically, socially, culturally thriving community look like?
What defines the community?
Developing Networks to Promote Resilience
Critical to the success of our planning effort is collaboration with local and regional partners. In our small, geographically isolated, and fisheries dependent communities, social networks are strong. We leverage these ties to promote shared resilience focal areas and collaborative adaptation strategies. By tapping into these deep-rooted relationships, we can ensure that our strategies are not only effective but also reflective of the unique needs and values of our communities. In our community workshops, we are co-developing maps of community assets, focusing on local and locally-active organizations, their connections, and the resilience focal areas that their work addresses. Collaboration with a diverse range of partners, including local organizations, government agencies, and community members, is key to ensuring that strategies are realistic, scalable, and adaptable over time.
[Insert community assets map]
Identifying Resilience Strategies
Hosting community workshops to develop resilience strategies involves creating an inclusive and collaborative environment where community members can openly share their experiences, challenges, and ideas. In our planning process, we are employing diverse facilitation tools in generative community workshops that allow participants to learn from each other and brainstorm solutions. We focus these workshops on targeting solutions around critical resilience areas identified in our visioning processes.
Developing an Implementation Strategy
Iterating on Adaptation Outcomes and Future Strategies
Iterating on adaptation outcomes and future strategies is crucial for ensuring the ongoing relevance and effectiveness of resilience initiatives. Adaptation planning is an iterative process that requires continuous monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment. Communities should regularly revisit their plans, assessing the success of their strategies and identifying any gaps or areas for improvement. By evaluating the efficacy of implemented resilience strategies, communities can take stock of realized changes, adjust actions based on new data, and incorporate lessons learned. This adaptive approach allows communities to remain responsive to evolving challenges and ensure that their resilience efforts are dynamic, sustainable, and aligned with emerging needs.