Proposal to Expand the Applied Research Capacities of the Engineering with Nature Regional Engagement Network for Military Installations and Surrounding Communities
U.S. Department of Army
and
Proposal to Establish an Engineering with Nature Regional Engagement Network in the Southeastern U.S. for Military Installations and Surrounding Communities
U.S. Department of Army
Collaborators: Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems; U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Tribal Nations Technical Center of Expertise, USACE, Network for Engineering with Nature
Natural infrastructure is an emerging worldwide practice that uses natural features and processes, integrated with conventional infrastructure, to increase resilience to climatological and environmental stress and change, while providing environmental, economic, and social benefits. NBS encompass conservation and rehabilitation of natural ecosystems, and the enhancement or creation of natural processes in modified or artificial ecosystems. Solutions span a range of scales, from small local features to entire landscapes, and work with conventional infrastructure to meet a range of objectives, such as reducing flood damages and securing safe and ample water supplies. Examples of NI include construction of dunes, marshes, islands, and reefs that protect coastal communities against storms, and forest management to reduce riverine flooding and purify water for downstream communities.
The introduction of natural dynamics into our conceptualization of infrastructure requires profound changes in the way we conceive, design, and implement projects to be effective at meaningful scales. The system-based complexities of NBS require broad integration, including conceptual, functional, methodological and disciplinary. This entails developing legal and governance structures that can account for dynamic change, ensuring effective citizen participation, and supporting social learning to promote the definition and pursuit of collective goals. Because sustainability and equity are interlinked and interdependent, sustainable NBS must work to address social and systemic inequities.
Our lab is involved in several activities with these projects. These include:
Engineering with Empathy - We partner with Tribal communities in the development of methodologies for the co-production of natural infrastructure in water resource planning programs and projects in Indian Country. In collaboration with our Tribal partners we are seeking guidance on weaving Indigenous and engineering ontologies, knowledge, and ways of managing resources into Federal decision making.
Enhanced consideration of NI - NI projects continue to gain ground, with support at multiple administrative levels. However, there remain barriers to effective uptake. These include unfamiliarity and skepticism of policy makers and the public, and uneven policy implementation at the local level. We are working to identify leverage points in policy that can work to enhance NI uptake, develop guidelines for effective public engagement, and increase understanding of the role of procedural equity in EWN uptake.
Equitable Knowledge Exchange - There is broad recognition of the value of equity in EWN project planning. But the steps from appreciation of equity to effectively cultivating equity are not fully developed. We analyze the different ways in which stakeholder groups understand risk and approach the planning arena, analyze how equitable participation in planning at different stages influences equitable outcomes, and explore potential USACE practices to better engage publics.
Institutional Alignment - Whether it be a few hundred linear feet of streambank restoration or a coordinated set of property buyouts, levee setbacks, and ecosystem restoration actions, EWN projects involve partnerships among governmental, private sector, and civil society institutions. We examine these partnerships and partnership opportunities from multiple disciplinary perspectives, considering sociological, administrative, legal, and political (not partisan) factors.
The introduction of natural dynamics into our conceptualization of infrastructure requires profound changes in the way we conceive, design, and implement projects to be effective at meaningful scales. The system-based complexities of NBS require broad integration, including conceptual, functional, methodological and disciplinary. This entails developing legal and governance structures that can account for dynamic change, ensuring effective citizen participation, and supporting social learning to promote the definition and pursuit of collective goals. Because sustainability and equity are interlinked and interdependent, sustainable NBS must work to address social and systemic inequities.
Our lab is involved in several activities with these projects. These include:
Engineering with Empathy - We partner with Tribal communities in the development of methodologies for the co-production of natural infrastructure in water resource planning programs and projects in Indian Country. In collaboration with our Tribal partners we are seeking guidance on weaving Indigenous and engineering ontologies, knowledge, and ways of managing resources into Federal decision making.
Enhanced consideration of NI - NI projects continue to gain ground, with support at multiple administrative levels. However, there remain barriers to effective uptake. These include unfamiliarity and skepticism of policy makers and the public, and uneven policy implementation at the local level. We are working to identify leverage points in policy that can work to enhance NI uptake, develop guidelines for effective public engagement, and increase understanding of the role of procedural equity in EWN uptake.
Equitable Knowledge Exchange - There is broad recognition of the value of equity in EWN project planning. But the steps from appreciation of equity to effectively cultivating equity are not fully developed. We analyze the different ways in which stakeholder groups understand risk and approach the planning arena, analyze how equitable participation in planning at different stages influences equitable outcomes, and explore potential USACE practices to better engage publics.
Institutional Alignment - Whether it be a few hundred linear feet of streambank restoration or a coordinated set of property buyouts, levee setbacks, and ecosystem restoration actions, EWN projects involve partnerships among governmental, private sector, and civil society institutions. We examine these partnerships and partnership opportunities from multiple disciplinary perspectives, considering sociological, administrative, legal, and political (not partisan) factors.
Publications:
Seigerman, C.K., S.K. McKay, R. Basilio, S.A. Biesel, J. Hallemeier, A.V. Mansur, C. Piercy, S. Rowan, B. Ubiali, E. Yeates, and D.R. Nelson, 2022. Operationalizing equity for integrated water resources management. JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association. doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.13086
Feagin, R.A., T.S. Bridges, …. D.R. Nelson,… 2021. Infrastructure investment must incorporate Nature’s lessons in a rapidly changing world, One Earth. doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2021.10.003.
Nelson, D.R., Bledsoe, B., and M Shepherd. 2020. From hubris to humility: Transcending original sin in managing hydroclimate risk management. Anthropocene. doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2020.100239.
Nelson, D.R., B. Bledsoe, S. Ferreira, and N. Nibbelink. 2020. The Potential of Nature-based Solutions for water sustainability. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability.45:49-55. doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2020.09.001
Feagin, R.A., T.S. Bridges, …. D.R. Nelson,… 2021. Infrastructure investment must incorporate Nature’s lessons in a rapidly changing world, One Earth. doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2021.10.003.
Nelson, D.R., Bledsoe, B., and M Shepherd. 2020. From hubris to humility: Transcending original sin in managing hydroclimate risk management. Anthropocene. doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2020.100239.
Nelson, D.R., B. Bledsoe, S. Ferreira, and N. Nibbelink. 2020. The Potential of Nature-based Solutions for water sustainability. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability.45:49-55. doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2020.09.001