Climigration from the Ground Up: Helping Communities Determine their Own Future Carri Hulet Senior Mediator Consensus Building Institute Climigration Network Sustainable Quarterly Climate Adaptation Forum | March 1, 2019 Solutions Lab
Climigration from the Ground Up Helping communities determine their own futures Carri Hulet, Senior Mediator Consensus Building Institute chulet@cbi.org 617-844-1114 Photo credit: Forsaken Fotos, City Dock King Tide (cropped), CC BY 2.0
My Assumptions 1. Question we are tackling: How do you know if managed retreat is the best option for a community? Where is it right? And when? 2. My job: Talk about how to bring people into that conversation. 3 Photo credit: Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Deering Community, CCBY2.0 (modified)
Presentation Overview 1. Two-minute thought exercise 2. Advice for engaging communities on this topic 3. Examples of community-led managed retreat efforts 4 Photo credit: Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Deering Community, CCBY2.0 (modified)
Imagine you are a coastal homeowner … Thought Exercise 1. Modest home previously owned by a relative, low mortgage payment. 2. Two children in the middle school, which is walking distance from your home. One child with special needs. 3. Friends and close relatives live nearby. 4. Commute to work is 30 minutes each way (driving). 5. Flooded five times in the last three years. 6. Three houses on your street are for sale. 6 Photo credit: Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Deering_Community, CCBY2.0 (modified)
Thought Exercise When you think about moving … 1. What are you worried about? 2. What resources or information do you want? 7 Photo credit: Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Deering_Community, CCBY2.0 (modified)
Change your paradigm: Don’t “engage” the community. Follow their lead. Advice 1. Private Property (!) 2. Not about why managed retreat makes sense for someone else. 3. You can’t know what would make someone want to move unless you ask them. 8 Photo credit: Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Deering_Community, CCBY2.0 (modified)
Why the paradigm shift is important Advice 1. Better plan 2. Address questions of equity 3. Buy-in and political support 4. Build trust that you will need for next steps 9 Photo credit: Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Deering_Community, CCBY2.0 (modified)
Neighbor to Neighbor Surveys in Marginalized Communities in FL, TX, NY, LA, VA, CT Flood Forum, USA Examples Model: Leaders from Flood Forum, USA designed and administered a questionnaire to their neighbors. Unique circumstances : Marginalized communities with no formal adaptation planning to date. Goal : Establish a baseline for education and engagement so Flood Forum community leaders know where to start. Build trust among neighbors. 10 Photo credit: "Shishmaref- Erin (53) edit" , Bering Land Bridge National Preserve , CC BY 2.0
Applied Theater in New Hampshire PowerPlay Interactive Development Examples Model: Applied Theater (research-based characters and scenarios designed to engage the audience in critical thinking and discussion). Unique circumstances : Deployable in various communities – not tied to a specific place. Goal : Use the research-based monologues to catalyze tough conversations. 11 Photo credit: "Shishmaref- Erin (53) edit" , Bering Land Bridge National Preserve , CC BY 2.0
Neighborhood Conversations in Piermont, New York Consensus Building Institute Examples Model: Neighborhood conversations led by local liaisons Unique circumstances : Very informed community. History of engaging on adaptation planning. Goal : Empower residents to design neighborhood-scale action plans for retreat. 12 Photo credit: "Shishmaref- Erin (53) edit" , Bering Land Bridge National Preserve , CC BY 2.0
Stakeholder-led Managed Retreat Planning Seabrook-Hamptons Estuary Alliance Examples Model: Consensus-based, stakeholder-led planning effort to determine when and where to plan for managed retreat in Hampton, NH. Unique circumstances : Significant support from local municipal leaders. Goal : Produce a municipal managed retreat plan that is fully supported by representative stakeholders. 13 Photo credit: "Shishmaref- Erin (53) edit" , Bering Land Bridge National Preserve , CC BY 2.0
Relocation Guide for Alaska Native Communities Alaska Institute for Justice Examples Model: Knowledge-sharing among Alaska Native communities. Unique circumstances : People who have relocated are working on a guide to share what they learned with other communities. Goal : Provide guidance on relocation efforts that prioritize the community members’ human rights. 14 Photo credit: "Shishmaref- Erin (53) edit" , Bering Land Bridge National Preserve , CC BY 2.0
Connecting Sending and Receiving Communities in Louisiana The Lowlander Center Examples Model: Facilitated dialogue workshops with community members from lowland (sending) and upland (receiving) communities in LA. Unique circumstances : Federal funding for complete retreat from Isle de Jean Charles. Goal : Identify the issues that both communities are worried about as they undergo this transformation. 15 Photo credit: "Shishmaref- Erin (53) edit" , Bering Land Bridge National Preserve , CC BY 2.0
Summary Advice and Cautions Examples • Embrace empathy and courtesy . No surprise solutions. • Establish and hold to values of equity and transparency . • Joint challenge: Treat managed retreat as a possibility everyone needs to explore together . • Design to the needs . Let the data/info gathering approach be shaped by stakeholder questions and ideas. • Dedicate adequate resources to partnership with the community. Get professional, neutral assistance if you can. 16 Photo credit: "Shishmaref- Erin (53) edit" , Bering Land Bridge National Preserve , CC BY 2.0
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