A Climate Change Atlas for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Todd M. La - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

A Climate Change Atlas for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Todd M. La Porte George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government National Adaptation Forum Madison, WI April 25, 2019

Why maps and atlases?

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They are tools for understanding and action

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They tell stories about where we have been, where we want to go

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They help explore relationships and cross-scale perspectives: zoom in and

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They help explore simultaneities, interdependencies

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Display dominant and (less often) alternative values including IEK, EJ, PGIS

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Maps are the intersection of engineering, science, politics, faith and art

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Atlases provide context for maps, data, experiences by exploring themes

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They may assist decision-making and reconcile conflict over intractable or wicked problems

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We find the world in maps

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We find ourselves in maps

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We find God in maps

Why watersheds? Why Chesapeake Bay?

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Watersheds often have pre-existing institutional governance arrangements

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Traditional political boundaries often arbitrary, political compromises …

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… make managing ecosystems administratively and politically more complex

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Chesapeake Bay is largest is United States

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Complex governance arrangements: 6 states and DC, Federal Gov’t, counties, cities, towns, regional entities

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Goldilocks size captures regional scale effectively: not too small, not too big

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Long-standing pollution control problem > institutional and policy responses, but little climate change policy development

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Good case to test concept

What might such an atlas look like?

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Traditional book pushing the boundaries of the medium

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Beautiful and compelling

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Subversive but useful

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Open and participatory: doesn’t lead but enables

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We need to see ourselves in the maps we make and questions we ask of them: histories, identities and cultures matter

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We need to recognize whose interests and needs are reflected and whose aren’t

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We need to recognize inherent contingency, and ask “Did we get it right?”

What might it contain?

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• I. Climate Past

u History, livelihoods u Culture, identity

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• II. Climate Present

u GIS platform and traditional

cartography

u 1st order: Climate change:

temperature, precipitation, SLR

u 2nd order: Biological effects:

flora/fauna, forests, rivers, oceans

u 3rd order: Economic effects:

agriculture, industry, infrastructure, property

u 4th order: Social effects: population

movements, health, justice, disasters

u 5th order: Administrative effects:

risk management, taxation, finance, public health, social welfare

u Incorporate indigenous ecological

knowledge (IEK), novel values: Sacred places? Synthetic values?

u Illustrate interdependence,

simultaneity, complexity

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• III. Climate Future(s)? New ways of seeing and working

u Unconventional conceptions of climate change and responses,

u Climate art u Radical mapping

u Adaptation design, e.g. MOMA, SF BCDC u Atlas as platform for participatory GIS (PGIS) public engagement processes

Could it work? Examples

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Climate atlases: world, nation, regions, cities

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Environmental and biodiversity atlases

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Historical ecology atlases: Napa

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Thematic atlases: Bayer World Geo-graphic Atlas

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Beautiful atlases: Times Atlas of the World; California Field Atlas

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Radical, post-modern, strange, imaginary maps

Could it work? Book, GIS

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Traditional book format

u Useful for collaboration, non-screen and tactile-oriented users u Innovative textual approaches: overlays, cutouts, novel printing techniques

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GIS platform

u Essential to assemble and manage data, produce maps u Useful for research, data analysis, teaching: student use of datasets u Perfect not the enemy of the good: rendering science as useable knowledge

Could it work? Public engagement

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Public engagement

u Distribute atlas widely: beta version, attractive but “draft” u Create a network of conveners around watershed: collaboration entities,

universities, adaptation forum, NGOs

u Convene local ground-truthing feedback sessions: do the researchers get it right?

What do they miss?

u Simultaneously offer to assist stakeholders to articulate or assist with their issues

Who is needed? What is needed?

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Interdisciplinary teams of students and experts

u Environmental history u Rural sociology and anthropology u Climate and ecology sciences u Climate adaptation u Environmental and public policy u Environmental conflict resolution and public engagement u Geography and cartography u Art and design

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Data management, GIS analysis and map creation, web design

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Partners in region

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Funding