Grantee Research Project Results
Filling data gaps: Development of a community-centered tool for assessing health impacts of intersecting climate hazards, wildfire smoke exposure, and social disparities in rural tribal and aging communities in Alaska
EPA Grant Number: R840479Title: Filling data gaps: Development of a community-centered tool for assessing health impacts of intersecting climate hazards, wildfire smoke exposure, and social disparities in rural tribal and aging communities in Alaska
Investigators: Hahn, Micah , Fresco, Nancy , Errett, Nicole , Busch Isaksen, Tania
Institution: University of Alaska - Anchorage , University of Alaska - Fairbanks , University of Washington
Current Institution: University of Alaska - Anchorage , University of Washington , University of Alaska - Fairbanks
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: November 1, 2022 through May 13, 2025
Project Amount: $1,324,131
RFA: Cumulative Health Impacts at the Intersection of Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Vulnerable Populations/Lifestages: Community-Based Research for Solutions (2021) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Endocrine Disruptors , Environmental Justice , Human Health , Watersheds
Description:
Increasing exposure to wildfire smoke is a major issue in Alaska, alongside intersecting climate-related hazards such as the impacts of warming winter weather on transportation safety, ecological changes driving unpredictable fisheries, and coastal erosion affecting community infrastructure. In addition, the lack of roads, major gaps in water and sanitation infrastructure, reliance on wild foods, and high rates of chronic disease impact the sensitivity of Alaskan communities to these cumulative hazards, with disproportionate impacts experienced by the large population of Alaska Native people. Although Alaska is a frontline state for climate change, major data disparities prevent vulnerable Alaskan communities from developing the most effective adaptation plans, particularly in rural tribal communities.
Objective:
Our overall objective is to co-develop community-centered tools for assessing the complex interrelated challenges of increasing exposure to wildfire smoke in the context of additional climate stressors and existing social vulnerabilities that fill existing data gaps.
Approach:
We will use a purposeful, co-development process that engages academic researchers, state, tribal, wildfire management, and public health entities, and community partners to envision, develop, and test locally-relevant and practical tools that will enable access to state-of-the art climate and environmental data and modeled projections and information on health and social vulnerability in a useful and understandable way that allows communities to assess compounding climate hazards and social vulnerabilities, prioritize climate-related health impacts and vulnerable demographic groups, design effective interventions, and apply for climate resilience funding.
Expected Results:
Our expected outcomes include 1) a statewide community-driven, spatially-explicit, web-based tool in Alaska to assess the cumulative health impacts of climate change, 2) an assessment of major contributing factors to vulnerability to wildfire smoke exposure from the perspective of tribal, public health, and wildfire management stakeholders, 3) scenarios to showcase examples of community-driven approaches to use the co-developed tool, including to assess vulnerability and guide responsive interventions, and 4) an understanding of major challenges and facilitators for deployment of low-cost air quality sensors in Alaskan communities.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 5 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
climate, Alaska, tribal, community-engaged research, human healthProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.