1. Crafting a Resilience Program
Davin Holen
Assistant Professor
Coastal Community Resilience Specialist
Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program
School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Alaska Sea Grant Advisory Council Meeting
Anchorage
November 7-8, 2016

2. Coastal Community Resilience Specialist
Position began on January 21, 2016.
Davin is an anthropologist with a background in subsistence research in rural communities across Alaska.
Position seeded with 20 months of funding

3. Coastal Community Resilience Specialist: Position Description
ASSESS AND PRIORITIZE FACTORS AFFECTING RESILIENCE OF COASTAL ALASKA COMMUNITIES
Assess potential and future impacts to coastal communities and economies
Work with coastal communities affected by climate and coastal hazards
Assist communities to create and implement resilience and adaptation plans

4. Restructure program based on statewide needs
Assess program based on position description, funders, & ASG strategic plan
Participate in projects with a diversity of researchers, agencies, and Tribes
Assess needs statewide based on participation in a diversity of projects
Restructure program based on statewide needs

5. Collaborative Learning
Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea LCC
Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association
Western Alaska LCC
Agnew::Beck
Nome Eskimo Community
Kawarek
Mitigation
&
Adaptation
Planning
Research
&
Monitoring
Qawalangin Tribe
Bristol Bay Native Association
State of Alaska DNR
UAF Department of Geosciences
Bureau of Oceans and Energy Management
State of Alaska ADF&G
Collaborative Learning
Central Council Tlingit & Haida
Sitka Tribe of Alaska
US Forest Service
University of Alaska Southeast
The Nature Conservancy
Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition

6. Nome Eskimo Community Climate Adaptation Plan
Models: VCAPS – Vulnerability, Consequences, and Adaptation Planning Scenarios (VCAPS) process.
Integrate local knowledge and scientific data into understandings of climate impacts on the local system.
Improve understandings of potential impacts, sensitivities, and management options among local decisions makers.
Help identify options for action.
Source: Kettle, et al. 2014:19; Webler, et al. 2014

7. Arctic Frost Paper
Climate Change Adaptation in Alaska: “I have a great anxiety for the future of my children.”

8. Sea level rise of 216 feet (melt of all land based ice) Source: National Geographic

9. Potential Inundation in Alaska due to climate change – Snapshot from a global model Source: Weiss & Overpeck 2011

10. Data: Changing Climate – Air temperature change, Alaska
Source: Alaska Climate Research Center

11. Approach: Think in terms of generations

12. Approach: Use Narrative

13. Southeast Alaska Environmental Conference
The Changing Climate of Southeast Alaska: Tribal led Monitoring, Mitigation and Adaptation Activities
Approach:
USE DOWNSCALED DATA
MAKE IT LOCAL
Southeast Alaska Environmental Conference

14. Approach: Activities related to climate change
Monitoring - The systematic process of observing, tracking, and recording data to set a baseline and monitor change.
Mitigation – An effort to reduce risk from the causes of climate change.
Adaptation – Beneficial adjustments to deal with the impacts of climate change.

15. Southeast Alaska Climate Adaptation Workshop:
A Component of the Southeast Environmental Conference
Goals: 1. Review current status of 5 resources identified as culturally important. Also include human health. 2. Initiate monitoring and mitigation strategies.
Salmon
Shellfish
Berries
Yellow cedar
Cultural sites
Human health
Forest Environment
September 22-23, 2016 in Ketchikan, Cape Fox Lodge
50 Tribal members from Southeast Alaska
30 presenters and other participants

16. Workshop Process
Collaboratively led with the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes and Sitka Tribe of Alaska.
Review latest ongoing research on key cultural species in Southeast Alaska.
Collaboratively discuss potential mitigation and monitoring activities.
Review current ongoing and proposed mitigation and monitoring activities.
Initiate or join current mitigation and monitoring activities as partnerships involving nonprofits, Tribes, land managers, and agencies.

17. Next Steps
Write EPA IGAP work plans for coming year incorporating mitigation and monitoring activities.
Upcoming: BIA funded climate adaptation plan led by the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indians of Alaska.
Regional adaptation plan.
Provides communities in the region a template to design their own plan.
Potential model for other regions of Alaska.

18. Summary: Lessons Learned
Program: Services Provided
Communities are adaptive
Provide projections that are 1-3 generations;
Use downscaled data where possible
Use data projections that are graphic and easy to understand
Collaboratively develop narratives
Collaboratively develop local solutions
Collaborative Learning
Research and Monitoring
Mitigation and Adaptation