Toward Enhancing the Resilience of Indigenous, Rural, & Vulnerable Communities
Across the south-central U.S., Tribes, rural communities, and vulnerable populations are increasingly threatened by climate-related stressors to their cultural resources, water resources, and biodiversity. Other areas are losing land to eustatic sea-level rise, subsidence, urbanization, or water diversion structures. For this theme, we will team with colleagues at the NOAA Regional Integrated Sciences & Assessments Programs and USDA Climate Hubs in the region, allowing each to focus on the populations they serve best.
Our Team
Established in October 2018, the Enhancing the Resilience of Indigenous, Rural, and Vulnerable Communities team has 14 members:
Caitlin Rottler (co-chair), Southern Plains Climate Hub
Doug Kluck, NOAA’s Regional Climate Services – Central Region
Barney Austin, Aqua Strategies
Sharon Hausam, University of New Mexico
Curtis Dell, Southern Plains Climate Hub
April Taylor (co-chair), Chickasaw Nation
Renia Ehrenfeucht, University of New Mexico
Travis Gliedt, University of Oklahoma
Ethan Schuth, Choctaw Nation
Azmal Hossan, Colorado State University
Justin Baker, Aqua Strategies
Stephanie Paladino, MeroLek Research
Randy Peppler, University of Oklahoma
Our Projects
Our group proposes to develop a set of guidelines to help water providers in the above-mentioned communities better prepare for future droughts. Improving the reliability of supply and resilience to drought will help these communities grow physically and economically. Building on the results of climate change studies across the region, the guidelines will focus on the vulnerability of water supplies and help these communities identify the best options for enhancing water supply resilience.
2020 Goals:
- Design survey & find contact databases
- Pilot test the survey, complete IRB, & send the survey to water managers
- Analyze the data & review survey results at next year’s Fall Science Workshop