Abstract
Numerical modeling efforts in support of restoration and protection activities in coastal Louisiana have traditionally been conducted externally to any stakeholder engagement processes. This separation has resulted in planning- and project-level models built solely on technical observation and analysis of natural processes. Despite its scientific rigor, this process often fails to account for the knowledge, values, and experiences of local stakeholders that often contextualizes a modeled system. To bridge this gap, a team of natural and social scientists worked directly with local residents and resource users to develop a participatory modeling approach to collect and utilize local knowledge about the Breton Sound Estuary in southeast Louisiana, USA. Knowledge capture was facilitated through application of a local knowledge mapping methodology designed to catalog local understanding of current and historical conditions within the estuary and identify desired ecological and hydrologic end states. The results of the mapping endeavor informed modeling activities designed to assess the applicability of the identified restoration solutions. This effort was aimed at increasing stakeholder buy-in surrounding the utility of numerical models for planning and designing coastal protection and restoration projects and included an ancillary outcome aimed at elevating stakeholder empowerment regarding the design of nature-based restoration solutions and modeling scenarios. This intersection of traditional science and modeling activities with the collection and analysis of traditional ecological knowledge proved useful in elevating the confidence that community members had in modeled restoration outcomes.
Highlights
Coastal Louisiana has experienced a globally high rate of wetland loss due in part to a combination of sea level rise, subsidence, saltwater intrusion, and reduced sediment inflow (Barras et al 2003; Blum and Roberts 2009; Day et al 2000, 2011; Scavia et al 2002; Turner 1997)
Data were gathered through facilitated small group discussions and local knowledge mapping (LKM) exercises
Facilitation of the Local knowledge mapping (LKM) exercise began by dividing the competency group members into five competency mapping groups containing between four and five participants each, including both scientific and local knowledge experts
Summary
Coastal Louisiana has experienced a globally high rate of wetland loss due in part to a combination of sea level rise, subsidence, saltwater intrusion, and reduced sediment inflow (Barras et al 2003; Blum and Roberts 2009; Day et al 2000, 2011; Scavia et al 2002; Turner 1997). Between 1932 and 2016, coastal Louisiana lost approximately 4833 square kilometers of wetlands and is predicted to lose an additional 5827 square kilometers over the 50 years (Couvillion et al 2017; Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority 2017) The loss of these coastal wetlands represents a deterioration of ecological and economic viability, but a loss of the vital shoreline protection zone that insulates coastal communities from the impacts of coastal hazards such as storms and the effects of climate change (Laska et al 2005). A number of these ethnic and social groups, including Native American, Acadian, Isleño, African American, and Vietnamese, which reside in the coastal parishes are often supported by livelihoods based on the abundant renewable and nonrenewable natural resources of the region Residents residing in this changing environment will be forced to either adapt or relocate away from the coast. Those who choose to remain, or who lack the means to relocate, may face increasing economic threats in addition to environmental threats, as rising insurance rates may make living in coastal areas unaffordable (Dalbom et al 2014)
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