NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

This activity was supported by a contract between the National Academy of Sciences and the Billion Minds Institute (unnumbered), the Environmental Protection Agency (Award No. 68HERC19D0011/68HERC23F0022), and the National Science Foundation (Award No. BCS-2235390). Support for the work of the Board on Environmental Change and Society is also provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation (Award No. BCS-2055602). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-70582-0
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-70582-7
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/27129

This publication is available from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.

Copyright 2023 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and National Academies Press and the graphical logos for each are all trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Integrating the Human Sciences to Scale Societal Responses to Environmental Change: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/27129.

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president.

The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.

The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.

Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.

Proceedings published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine chronicle the presentations and discussions at a workshop, symposium, or other event convened by the National Academies. The statements and opinions contained in proceedings are those of the participants and are not endorsed by other participants, the planning committee, or the National Academies.

Rapid Expert Consultations published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are authored by subject-matter experts on narrowly focused topics that can be supported by a body of evidence. The discussions contained in rapid expert consultations are considered those of the authors and do not contain policy recommendations. Rapid expert consultations are reviewed by the institution before release.

For information about other products and activities of the National Academies, please visit www.nationalacademies.org/about/whatwedo.

PLANNING COMMITTEE ON INTEGRATING THE HUMAN SCIENCES TO SCALE SOCIETAL RESPONSES TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: A WORKSHOP

ROBYN S. WILSON (Chair), Professor of Risk Analysis and Decision Science, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University

DAVID L. ALBRIGHT, University Distinguished Research Professor and the Hill Crest Foundation Endowed Chair in Mental Health Research, The University of Alabama

GUANGQING CHI, Professor of Rural Sociology and Demography and Director of the Computational and Spatial Analysis Core, Pennsylvania State University

SUSAN DEBORAH CLAYTON, Professor of Psychology, College of Wooster

JACK RICHARD DEWAARD, Scientific Director of Social and Behavioral Science Research, Population Council

KRISTINA MARIA GUILD DOUGLASS, Associate Professor of Climate, Columbia University, and Research Associate, Smithsonian Institution

JODY HOFFER GITTELL, Professor, Heller School, Brandeis University, Faculty Director, Relational Coordination Collaborative, and Co-Founder and Board Member of Relational Coordination Analytics

STEPHEN H. LINDER, Professor, Department of Management, Policy and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

RAJUL PANDYA, Vice President of Community Science, American Geophysical Union

ALAÍ REYES-SANTOS, Founding Member and Associate Director, Just Futures Institute for Racial and Climate Justice, Pacific Northwest, and Professor of Practice, School of Law, University of Oregon

FERNANDO SANCHEZ-TRIGUEROS, Director, Elouise Cobell Land and Culture Institute, and Assistant Professor, Native American Studies and Environmental Studies, University of Montana

LINDA SILKA, Senior Fellow, Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, University of Maine

ARIANNE TEHERANI, Professor of Medicine and Education Scientist, Director for Program Evaluation and Education Continuous Quality Improvement, and Founding Co-Director of the Center for Climate Health and Equity, University of California

Staff

DANIEL TALMAGE, Workshop Director

THOMAS F. THORNTON, Board Director

HANNAH STEWART, Associate Program Officer

SITARA RAHIAB, Senior Program Assistant

JOSHUA LANG, Program Coordinator

LISA BROWN, Program Officer, Health and Medicine Division

Consultant

HEATHER KREIDLER, Fact or Fiction, LLC

BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND SOCIETY

KRISTIE L. EBI (Chair), University of Washington, Seattle

BILAL M. AYYUB, University of Maryland

LISA DILLING, University of Colorado Boulder

KENNETH GILLINGHAM, University of Colorado Boulder

KATHARINE L. JACOBS, University of Arizona

STEPHEN H. LINDER, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

GARY E. MACHLIS, Clemson University

MICHAEL ANTHONY MÉNDEZ, University of California, Irvine

ASEEM PRAKASH, University of Washington, Seattle

BENJAMIN KENNETH SOVACOOL, Boston University

MICHAEL P. VANDENBERGH, Vanderbilt University Law School

CATHY L. WHITLOCK,¹ Montana State University

Staff

THOMAS F. THORNTON, Board Director

Reviewers

This Proceedings of a Workshop was reviewed in draft form by an individual chosen for his unique perspective and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published proceedings as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.

We thank the following individual for his review of this proceedings:

We also thank staff member CATHERINE WISE for reading and providing helpful comments on this manuscript.

Although the reviewer listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, he was not asked to endorse the content of the proceedings, nor did he see the final draft before its release. The review of this proceedings was overseen by JEREMY SABLOFF (NAS), The Santa Fe Institute. He was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this proceedings was carried out in accordance with standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the rapporteurs and the National Academies.

Preface

The workshop that is the subject of this proceedings was designed to bring together community-engaged practitioners and human sciences researchers to identify the insights that can best facilitate societal responses to environmental change. While the conversation was meant to highlight best practices for building resilience among individuals and communities and identify critical gaps, it also addressed how partnerships between communities and academic institutions can be built for more effective science and application. The committee hopes that the proceedings will highlight what is being done well in the intersection between resilience building and human sciences research, and what can be done better to promote a more equitable and just future. There is opportunity to consider additional workshops or consensus studies to build on this initial conversation, perhaps focusing on the idea of transformational resilience, identifying key questions not yet addressed in human sciences about how to best facilitate and sustain adaptation, and how to translate the lessons learned across various organizational scales.

We wish to express our deep appreciation to the members of the planning committee for their diligent and dedicated contributions to developing and participating in the workshop in an expedited time frame. The diverse expertise and experience offered by the members of the committee were indispensable to the formulation of the individual sessions. We also wish to thank, on behalf of the entire committee, the staff of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, whose expertise and skill were essential to our meeting the charge from our sponsor. We would also like to thank all the speakers and attendees who participated in the workshop and contributed to its success. Your engagement and enthusiasm made the event informative and engaging for all involved. Finally, we want to thank the Billion Minds Institute, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Science Foundation for their generous support and sponsorship of this workshop.

Robyn S. Wilson (Chair)

Contents

1 Workshop Background

WORKSHOP INTRODUCTION

BILLION MINDS INSTITUTE

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

PLANNING COMMITTEE GOALS AND INSIGHTS

STRUCTURE OF THE PROCEEDINGS

2 Overview of Success: Bodies of Knowledge and Existing Toolkits

INTRODUCING THE CHALLENGES AND IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATING HUMAN SCIENCES WITH COLLECTIVE RESPONSE

DISASTER RESPONSE PREPAREDNESS AND COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

PANEL DISCUSSION

3 Overview of Challenges: Identifying Gaps and Needs That Prevent Real and Sustained Change

INTRODUCTION

MOBILIZING HUMAN SCIENCES DISCIPLINES TO BETTER MEET COMMUNITY NEEDS

INTEGRATING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS

CONSIDERING WAYS TO AUGMENT THE HUMAN SCIENCES DISCIPLINES TO MEET COMMUNITY NEEDS

PANEL DISCUSSION

4 Best Practices Across Domains of Need from the Human Sciences

BUILDING ENVIRONMENTAL DATA COMMONS: THE ROLE OF DATA ACCESS, COLLECTION METHODS, AND APPROACHES DRAWN FROM THE HUMAN SCIENCES

MOBILIZING COMMUNITIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

UTILIZING BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE TO DRIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL DISTRESS

MAKING THE NEXT WAVE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH MORE USEFUL ON THE GROUND

PANEL DISCUSSION

5 Reflections from Day One

RESILIENCE LESSONS LEARNED

IMPROVING COMMUNITY-SCIENCE PARTNERSHIPS

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT

RECOGNITION AND SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY INNOVATION

6 Achieving Climate Action Through Community-Level Partnerships

COMMUNITY-ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS TO ADVANCE EQUITY-FOCUSED CLIMATE ACTION

COLLECTIVE ACTION FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

ESSENTIAL STEPS TO ENSURE THE WELL-BEING OF COMMUNITIES IS FRONT AND CENTER IN CLIMATE POLICIES

PANEL DISCUSSION

7 Strengthening Community Resilience Through Environmental Justice

JUSTICE AND THE BALANCING OF POWER AS A CORNERSTONE TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS

USEFUL TOOLS FOR BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AMONG DIVERSE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, SECTORS, AND COMMUNITIES

PANEL DISCUSSION

8 Achieving More Durable Solutions Through New Collaborations

BUILDING RESILIENCE IN YOUNG PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES

THE QUEST FOR COOPERATION IN REGIONAL ADAPTATION TO RISING SEA LEVELS

PANEL DISCUSSION

9 Moving Forward: Improving Community Resilience

HIGHLIGHTS OF PREVIOUS PANEL’S DISCUSSION ON HUMAN SCIENCES

DURABLE SOLUTIONS FOR ADVANCING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND IMPROVING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE AND THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH DECARBONIZATION PATHWAYS

PANEL DISCUSSION

10 Workshop Wrap-Up

SCALING SOCIETAL RESPONSE

RESPONSES TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

IMPLEMENTING COMMUNITY COLLABORATION FOR SUSTAINED CHANGE

BEST PRACTICES FOR INTEGRATING THE HUMAN SCIENCES

SUSTAINING EFFECTIVE CHANGE

PARTICIPANT REMARKS

Appendix A Workshop Agenda

Appendix B Committee Members and Workshop Speakers

Acronyms and Abbreviations