Category: Policy

Displacement From Sea-Level Rise

Displacement From Sea-Level Rise

Displacement From Sea-Level Rise

03/08/20

“How can sea-level rise displace people from their homes?”

 

Since the dawn of civilization, humans have built their cities near the oceans and seas. However, with the advent of climate change, the sea levels are going to rise, destroying structures in their path and forcing people to flee. To prepare for this, governments and communities around the world will need to build their towns in accordance with Displacement From Sea-Level Rise.

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Slow Onset Climate Migration

Slow Onset Climate Migration

Slow Onset Climate Migration

03/06/20

“How can climate migration have a slow onset?”

 

When we think of climate refugees or internally displaced people, we often think of a massive flood of people moving out such as what happened in Hurricane Katrina. However, this is not always the case. Slow Onset Environmental Migration happens when people leave an area at a trickle. For example, if a village is slowly sliding into the ocean over the span of decades then there may be no rush to evacuate the area.

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Village Relocation

Village Relocation

Village Relocation

03/03/20

“Why are entire villages relocating because of climate change?”

 

Villages and towns have been built throughout the world. However, with climate change already on its way, more and more towns are going to become vulnerable to climate impacts. In fact, the land that many villages rely upon is going to disappear. To preserve their traditional ways of life, many of these communities are talking about entire Village Relocation to safer grounds. Usually this involves finding a suitable piece of land nearby, obtaining the funding mechanisms for construction, and then building the new village in its entirety. One real-world example is that of Newtok, Alaska, where its eroding permafrost ground has prompted its citizens to move to a new location around 19 kilometers (12 miles) away.

 

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How Infill Development Can Build Climate Resilience

How Infill Development Can Build Climate Resilience

How Infill Development Can Build Climate Resilience

03/02/20

“How can infill development lead to increased climate resilience?”

 

Infill development is a wonderful solution to densify the urban core without (at least directly) causing any displacement. This increased density also has the added effect of protecting from sprawl and branching out into unsafe zones that could be subject to wildfires and floods. This is How Infill Development Can Build Climate Resilience.

Why Natural Disasters Are Not Natural

Why Natural Disasters Are Not Natural

Why Natural Disasters Are Not Natural

02/29/20

“Why are natural disasters never really natural?”

 

When a massive hurricane, flood, or wildfire hits an area, it often gets described as a natural disaster. However, the factors that make these disasters such as economic devastation, infrastructure loss, and community displacement, are not from natural factors. Rather, these are from the results of years, decades, and in some cases centuries of bad planning, corrupt leadership, and systematic discrimination. 

 

Take New Orleans during Katrina as an example. While the city was built in an area that was safe from flooding, it was surrounded by floodplain wetlands. When it expanded under U.S control, the Army Corp of Engineers made sure to build levees to protect it. In the 20th century, the government built a wide variety of levees and dams to protect coastal cities, which ended up devastating the sediment carrying process and destroying many natural flood barriers. This was further compounded by the U.S Army Corp of Engineers miscalculating sea-level rise and rate of subsidence for the new levee which caused it to sink 5 ft further into the ground. Combine this with the fact that more vulnerable populations were placed closer to harm’s way and the impact of global warming gon making hurricanes stronger, and you get a very unnatural Hurricane Katrina Disaster. This is just one illustration of Why Natural Disasters Are Not Natural.

Federal Climate Adaptation Funding

Federal Climate Adaptation Funding

Federal Climate Adaptation Funding

02/26/20

“How can a federal government help its citizens with climate adaptation?”

 

Like every type of project, climate adaptation work will need some form of funding. Much of this can come from the federal government, where grand projects can be commenced and decision-makers organized. This is why Federal Climate Adaptation Funding is so important for building the capacity to withstand climate change.

Climate Migration Analysis

Climate Migration Analysis

Climate Migration Analysis

02/25/20

“How can researchers analyze how a population migrates because of climate change?”

 

Climate migration will be one of the most important humanitarian issues of the 21st century. And to get a better understanding of it, researchers will need to analyze the effects going on. This can be done using Climate Migration Analysis, which studies the factors that cause populations to move from one location to another and how it might shift climate vulnerabilities.

 

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How Urban Sprawl Can Lead to Flooding Vulnerabilities

How Urban Sprawl Can Lead to Flooding Vulnerabilities

How Urban Sprawl Can Lead to Flooding Vulnerabilities

02/23/20

“How can urban sprawl lead to flooding vulnerabilities?”

 

Urban sprawl is infamous for causing an untold amount of problems in cities. When cement is poured over floodplains, the local area loses its water absorption capacity and becomes more prone to runoffs and flash floods. An example of this was the massive damage inflicted upon the city of Houston in late 2017 from Hurricane Maria, much of it exacerbated from its urban sprawl. This is How Urban Sprawl Can Lead to Flooding Vulnerabilities.

Sea-Level Rise and Urban Planning

Sea-Level Rise and Urban Planning

Sea-Level Rise and Urban Planning

02/22/20

“Why does sea-level rise need to be included in urban planning?”

 

Sea-level rise from climate change is becoming an increasing concern for urban planners and officials. Because of this, all new urban designs must factor in how their plans will adapt to sea-level rise, whether it be using seawalls or sponge cities. This is how Sea-Level Rise and Urban Planning are connected.

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