When: Thursday, September 28 · 12 – 1:30pm EDT
Host: NBCS Arctic CoP
Registration: the registration link is available on LinkedIn and Eventbrite
Abstract: Climate change is threatening coastal communities globally, but the effects are especially acute at northern latitudes where a large number of coastal communities face erosion, flooding, and loss of sea ice or permafrost degradation caused by more intense/frequent storms, higher water levels, and warmer temperatures. Many at-risk northern coastal communities face difficult decisions regarding the need to relocate versus remaining in place with adaptation. The greatest asset communities have is often their own resourcefulness and can-do spirit; however, the remote setting and geologic context often mean there are limited locally available construction materials and resources, and a short seasonal construction window. Another significant asset is the inter-generational knowledge of the region’s First People who established complex cultures and sophisticated approaches to deal with a challenging, variable climate and environment over millenia. Our presentation will provide an overview of many of the unique factors to consider when assessing coastal vulnerability and designing nature-based coastal solutions in remote northern communities including the need to incorporate traditional knowledge, lived experience and perspectives from Indigenous or First Peoples and translate western technical and science perspectives into meaningful and practical actions that support at risk communities with their decision-making. The presentation will consider how long term, recent and future climate change intersect with regional geology, geomorphology and coastal processes to influence a complex coastal dynamic response and explore some of the implications for nature-based and traditional shore protection designs in areas north of 60-degrees. Our presentation draws on a recent case study of berm optimization at Shaktoolik, Alaska and insights gained regarding the lifecycle effectiveness of sediment-based and hybrid nature-based options in an open coast northern context.