Living with Water: Community-Driven Research for Adapting to Flood Risk
This project contributes to building capacity of a local governance system to create more equitable adaptation strategies. It will provide Duwamish Valley residents with more tools to advocate for community-led and -supported strategies to adapt to climate change and manage flood risk as the City of Seattle begins planning for equitable long-term solutions.
Understanding the community:
In December 2022, the Duwamish River valley experienced an unprecedented flooding event, resulting from a combination of climate change-induced sea-level rise, heavy rainfall, and lack of historic government investment in infrastructure. The flood impacted more than 80 homes and businesses in the South Park neighborhood, whose residents regularly experience environmental injustices and health disparities. After this event, the city implemented several short-term solutions to reduce the risk of flooding (e.g., sandbagging), yet no long-term climate adaptation and mitigation/risk management plan has been developed. Given the accelerated need for adaptation solutions exposed by the flood, we partnered with Duwamish River Community Coalition (DRCC) to center the voices of Duwamish Valley residents in advocating for climate justice by identifying shared priorities and strategies for climate adaptation using participatory approaches.
Research Goals:
Co-designing solutions for community long-term safety, health, and well-being
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