Grantee Research Project Results
2023 Progress Report: 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 Washington , University of Alaska - Fairbanks
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: November 1, 2022 through May 13, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: November 1, 2022 through October 31,2023
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
Objective:
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. 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.
Progress Summary:
We have assembled a diverse Project Team that includes representatives from academia, state Tribal and non-Tribal health and fire organizations, and several urban and rural Alaska communities. We have established processes for team engagement and have conducted several Project Team workshops to discuss and select indicators to include in our online tools. Workshops have been focused on past, present, and future wildfire and smoke data, biomedical health, and health equity. We are currently assembling a preliminary list of datasets to include in the online tools. We are currently running a statewide survey to understand challenges in hosting air quality sensors in rural Alaska communities.
Future Activities:
We will utilize our preliminary list of datasets to develop early versions of the online tools for feedback from our Project Team. The next phase of our project focuses on developing methods for integrating Indigenous Health Indicators into the climate adaptation planning process. We will conclude the low cost air quality sensor evaluation survey and conduct follow-up interviews with a subset of respondents.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 5 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
climate, Alaska, tribal, community-engaged research, human healthProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe 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.