Coastal  Community Resilience

Coastal resilience in Alaska

Temperatures in the Arctic are warming at four times the global average. Many residents of Alaska, a geographically and culturally diverse state, are experiencing thawing permafrost, significant erosion, coastal inundation, ocean acidification, invasive species,  and other impacts to their way of life. This is impacting traditional activities such as subsistence activities and commercial fishing, which provide food security and economic well-being to coastal communities. Although there are significant impacts to the coasts and resources Alaskans rely on and are connected to, coastal residents are resilient and are learning to adapt.

 

Social, Economic, and Environmental Stressors (red) and Resilience and Adaptation Strategies (green) in Gulf of Alaska Communities. Gulf of Alaska Ocean Acidification Regional Vulnerability Assessment, Alaska Sea Grant and NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center. Figure by Abigail Sweetman, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.Click on the image to enlarge it in a new tab.

The Alaska Sea Grant Coastal Resilience Program provides expertise, research, and extension services to communities across Alaska. Our team facilitates workshops and other activities by building trusted collaborations. We provide data and decision support tools to Alaskans to adapt to rapidly changing environmental conditions, build resilience, and enhance community well-being. Our team facilitates workshops and other activities to empower the communities we serve to enhance their community well-being, including but not limited to community and environmental health, economic development, workforce development, and other aspects that make communities more resilient.

Climate adaptation StoryMap

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Adapt Alaska

Developed by Alaska Sea Grant and partners, Adapt Alaska provides a guide for resilience and adaptation planning.  The website provides an overview of changes that are impacting coastal communities across Alaska.  The core function of the website is to guide users through the resilience and adaptation process, from initiating a community conversation to monitoring and mitigation activities, and ultimately to resilience and adaptation planning. Each step of the process includes case studies from resilience and adaptation efforts statewide, along with useful resources.