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Community-based Drought Preparedness in Arizona: A Model for Climate Change Adaptation

Community-based Drought Preparedness in Arizona: A Model for Climate Change Adaptation. Stefanie Woodward Mentor: Dr. Barron Orr. Thank You. Dr. Barron Orr Dr. Mike Crimmins Graham County Master Watershed Stewards The Climate and Natural Resources Working Group, Cooperative Extension at UA.

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Community-based Drought Preparedness in Arizona: A Model for Climate Change Adaptation

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  1. Community-based Drought Preparedness in Arizona: A Model for Climate Change Adaptation Stefanie Woodward Mentor: Dr. Barron Orr

  2. Thank You • Dr. Barron Orr • Dr. Mike Crimmins • Graham County Master Watershed Stewards • The Climate and Natural Resources Working Group, Cooperative Extension at UA

  3. Problem Statement • We’ve past the point where mitigation alone can deter climate change- adaptation is necessary! • In AZ and many other dryland regions, this means increasing frequency and intensity of drought • Drought: a sustained, natural reduction in precipitation that results in negative impacts to the environment and human activities • So how do we cope? What institutions and tools are needed to support community level adaptation and drought preparedness?

  4. Approach/Methods • Necessary components to adaptation • Map flows of information and decision-making processes • The experiment: test, from a stakeholder’s perspective, the feasibility of using a web-based tool (Arizona DroughtWatch) designed to address local drought impacts, to enhance and encourage community based climate change adaptation

  5. AZ Institutional Model Governor & AZ Department of Water Resources ?

  6. Arizona DroughtWatchhttp://azdroughtwatch.org

  7. User created reports input geographic information about drought impacts

  8. AZ DroughtWatch Usability Study: Test Approach • Most systems testing is about “debugging” • “Usability” is another systems test, but from the perspective of the end-user • Role in community preparedness and responsiveness to drought • Factors impeding adoption • Difficult with Arizona DroughtWatch because the system only works with multiple users across multiple dates where data have been entered • Solution: Generated four independent use cases (i.e. rancher, water manager, agricultural producer) with data from 4 time periods.

  9. What we learned • Explained the system to an informed new user • Discovered what worked and didn’t, but most important, what was most needed by the user. • Surprises were good • Web-site redesign • Potential to transfer the DroughtWatch model to developing nations facing similar challenges in community preparedness and adaptation to drought

  10. The Role of AZ DroughtWatch in Drought Preparedness • Connects stakeholders to each other and to institutions • Community engagement and Citizen Science • Timely information about drought, impacts, and opportunities to respond • Integrates local knowledge Arizona’s Statewide Drought Preparedness Plan

  11. Conclusions • Arizona DroughtWatch links local people to high-level decision makers • Two-way flow of information • It links key institutions, improving both preparedness and our potential to respond to drought • It provides timely and critical insights from a variety of sectors about drought impacts • Could this model be transferred to developing nations? • Satellite radio network as substitute for web-based tool

  12. Thanks Again! Special thanks to Barron Orr, Mike Crimmins, Stewart Marsh, Aaryn Ollson, Yuta Torrey, Alys Thomas, Kristin Wisneski, Lila Burgos and the many others who have helped me with this project!

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