January 21, 2015

Student Melissa Watkinson Published in Policy Journal 2014, UWB

Congratulations to IWRI Student Assistant Melissa Watkinson, whose paper, “Vulnerable Populations in Climate Crises: Preparedness and Protection through Local Policies,” was published in the UWB Policy Journal 2014: A Cross-Disciplinary Collection of Student Research & Analysis, published by the University of Washington, Bothell! Melissa (Chickasaw and Choctaw) is a Master of Arts candidate in Policy Studies at UWB, and has been a student assistant at IWRI since Fall 2013. (Read her brief biography in the 2nd Quarter 2014 IWRI Newsletter[https://iwri.org/news/?p=39505].) Here is the paper’s PDF link(http://uwbpolicyjournal.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/vulnerablepopulations.pdf); the abstract of the paper follows below:
Poor and marginalized communities are among the populations most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Washington’s Department of Ecology produced a Climate Response Strategy to report how local governments and communities can prepare for and adapt to the effects of a changing climate. The Multiple-Streams Framework analyzes how Skagit County, a county in Washington State that is susceptible to impacts of climate change, has responded to the report, describing actions it has taken to ensure that vulnerable populations in their community are protected in climate-related crises. The county has partnered with agencies to disseminate information and prepare its community for severe flooding, but has not taken actions to address further climate change impacts or to specifically address the needs of vulnerable people. Because vulnerable populations have limited access to resources that would support them in recovery efforts, Skagit County should expand their preparedness and recovery resources to fulfill the strategies outlined in the Climate Response Strategy.
Again, congratulations Melissa on a very significant accomplishment! We’re proud to have you work with us.