ARCUS 17th Annual Meeting and Arctic Forum 2005

Context & Climate Change: Lessons from Barrow, Alaska

Ronald D. Brunner^1
1Center for Public Policy Research, University of Colorado, Campus Box 333, Boulder, CO, 80309-0333, USA, Phone 303-492-2955, Fax 303-492-0978, brunnerr@spot.colorado.edu

For several years my colleagues and I have worked with people in Barrow, Alaska to expand the range of informed choices for the community in adapting to climate change and variability. Our approach has been intensive: centered on one community; comprehensive in consideration of many factors affecting its vulnerability to coastal erosion and flooding; and integrative in the focus on a series of damaging storms in which these factors interact. The results of this approach suggest reconsideration of the interconnected roles of science, policy, and decision-making structures.

First, profound uncertainties are inherent in unique interactions among the many natural and human factors affecting Barrow’s vulnerability. Science cannot significantly reduce these uncertainties through extensive approaches, but intensive approaches can reconstruct and update local trends, clarify the underlying dynamics, and harvest experience for policy purposes. Second, sound policies to reduce Barrow’s vulnerability must incorporate these profound uncertainties and the multiple values of the community. Minimizing vulnerability to climate change is only one of the community’s interests, and it must compete with other interests for limited time, attention, funds and other resources. Third, the community itself is in the best position to understand its own context, to decide on sound policies, and to take responsibility for those decisions. In short, context matters in adapting to climate change and variability.

In our experience, effective communications with the community and its leaders depend not only on sustained interactions but also on research focused on their local experience and concerns. Motivations to continue are reinforced by partial research results of value to the community and new damaging storms.