Resilient Communities Taking the Stage

Posted on October 10, 2008 | Filed Under Global Warming, River Community

Kristen_bio-photo_blogKristen Pitts
Anthony A. Lapham River Conservation Fellow

As this is my first blog with American Rivers, I thought I’d take a moment to introduce myself and explain what I am working on.  I joined the corps of river stewards here at American Rivers in July as the first Lapham Tony LaphamFellow.  The Anthony A. Lapham Fellowship tributes our past chairman of the Board of Directors, Anthony Lapham.  While I never had the honor to meet Anthony, I’ve been told stories of his love for rivers, his intelligence and sensibility and the inspiration he brought to our organization.  I take great pride in this opportunity to learn from American Rivers’ vision and staff while seeking to carry on the Lapham legacy through my work here.

Speaking of my work here…I am currently exploring how communities can use healthy rivers to be more resilient to the impending impacts of climate change.  While this sounds like a daunting task for communities to undertake, it turns out communities all over the world are taking action.  We know climate change will shift patterns in temperature and precipitation, resulting in rising sea levels, more intense storms, glacial retreat, record floods and severe drought.  We’ve already witnessed some of these events in our own communities.

These shifting climatic patterns have significant consequences on water resources.  Instead of responding to floods or droughts after they occur, water resource challenges can be curtailed by proactively building resilience through adaptation in our management actions.  Some communities have relocated due to intense flooding, some have used rain gardens and green roofs to reduce stormwater runoff, others have cracked down on water consumption to reduce the demand for such a limited supply and still others have figured out how healthy rivers can have recreational and economic benefits that help build and strengthen their communities.  Adaptation strategies exist, yet communities may not know where to look for assistance.  That’s why we are putting together a publication to help communities understand the challenges and the possibilities for coping with climate change.

In my future blogs, you can look forward to reading about communities across the country and the world that are taking proactive, innovative steps towards a more sustainable future.

If you’d like more information on resilience and adaptation related to climate change, the following are fairly in-depth, but great resources:  Preliminary Review of Adaptation Options for Climate-Sensitive Ecosystems and Resources, Roots of Resilience – Growing the Wealth of the Poor, and Coping with Global Climate Change – The Role of Adaptation in the United States.

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