Alaskan Climate Affairs

1

Circle of Knowledge Climate, Weather, and
Environmental Change
An exploratory community-based research
project
Shannon McNeeley Environmental and Societal
Impacts Group National Center for Atmospheric
Research 303-497-8122 phone [phone]
fax Shannon_at_atd.ucar.edu
2
Alaskan Climate Affairs
3
Project Goal
To co-develop a research plan for documenting
Native observations of changes in the weather,
climate and related environmental changes
examine impacts, coping mechanisms and
adaptations and exchanging complementary
information and knowledge on climate, weather and
environmental changes between Natives and
scientists.
4
Community Participatory Research
Co-develop with interested communities along the
Koyukuk River (Huslia, Hughes, Koyukuk, Alatna,
Allakaket) and scientists who study Arctic and
global climate change in order to better
understand the changes that are happening, plan
for coping with future changes and create
opportunities for education that combines
elements of Native Knowledge and western science.
5
Community Participatory Research
Researcher is a collaborator who works with local
participants to define research questions,
describe experiences in their own terms, and use
the research results to effect change
6
Principles of Community Participatory Research

• Process of mutual inquiry and problem solving
• Community has control and ownership of
  intellectual property concerning them by asking
  them questions they think are important, speaking
  in their own terms, and deciding for themselves
  how to use the results
• Involve all who are interested in participating
• Build capacity within the community for self
  sufficiency
• Develop local researchers
• Outside researcher gives back to community

7
Weather Day to day conditions of temperature,
precipitation, humidity, winds, etc.
Climate These conditions averaged over time that
characterize a region average weather
8
Climate change Unusual environmental changes in
weather and related to weather that are different
from what is expected based on the past or what
is considered normal for the area
9
Weather is more variable, less predictable, and
there is an increased frequency of extreme events.
Changes are happening so quickly that
understanding and adaptation are more challenging
than in the past
10
Some Observed Environmental Changes Related to
Changes in Climate and Weather
Temperature rise Melting permafrost Sea ice
retreat/thinner ice Changes in weather patterns
and severity Wildlife migration patterns
changes Dried up waterways Changes in access to
hunting grounds Less snow Shifting seasons More
clouds/precipitation during summer Sea level
rise Increased fire and pest infestations
11
(No Transcript)
12
Societal Concerns about Climate Change

• Health Impacts
• Food Security
• Public Safety
• Infrastructure
• Economic Impacts
• Cultural Integrity
• Adaptation/Mitigation strategies and resources

13
Project ActivitiesJanuary August 2004

• Meet with tribal councils (Hughes, Huslia,
  Koyukuk, Alatna,
• Allakaket)
• Identification of and communication with project
  developers
• Meetings with project developers in villages
• Acquire letters of support from tribal councils
• Meet with scientists at UAF and NCAR to discuss
  project
• Literature review
• Develop research design and report for long-term
  project
• Get approval from communities on research design

14
Timeline 2004
15
Possible Research Questions
What unusual changes (anomalies) are being seen
related to weather and climate such as timing of
seasons, extreme weather events, freezing and
thaws, etc.? What are some of the feedbacks or
indirect impacts being seen, for example,
what are hunters seeing in wildlife that seem to
be manifestations of climate change? How are
expectations of how the weather behaves still
tied to the past and how does this result in
negative impacts in terms of subsistence
activities, food availability, health and safety,
etc.? How have tribes along the Koyukuk adapted
to these changes they are experiencing? What
future impacts might require planning for coping
or adapting into the future, for example, if
there is less snow.
16
Possible Research Questions continued
What can traditional knowledge tell us about
changes in the interior that western science
cannot? How can TK help climate modelers think
about their data collection, analysis, and model
structure? What scientific knowledge on climate
and weather is useful to Natives in the
villages? Where are the gaps in knowledge that
neither TK nor western science can explain at
this stage? How far back in time can TK be
useful to provide records of changes in climate
and weather?