Research
Understanding Coastal Climate Risk and Community Needs
Through MACH, a broad range of academic partners, coastal stakeholders, and decision-makers are engaging in collaborative research to better understand community needs and the complex human and environmental interactions that shape climate risk. The team will also work to understand and address disproportionate impacts of coastal climate hazards.
This work will be guided by:
- A Collaborative Stakeholder Advisory Panel (CSAP) that advises the MACH team on its research priorities and work plan, and
- An External Advisory Board (EAB) of experienced research leaders that meets annually to monitor MACH’s progress.
Engaging Academic and Community Stakeholders
MACH will engage community stakeholders across the region, especially from communities and populations that are underrepresented in or historically excluded from planning efforts. In the first year, the MACH team will:
- Host focus groups with residents,
- Conduct interviews with key informants including community leaders, non-governmental organizations, planners and policy-makers, subject matter experts; and
- Conduct online surveys with a diverse audience of practitioners with an interest in coastal climate risks and vulnerabilities.
- climate and sea-level science
- climate communication
- civil engineering
- urban planning
- anthropology
- decision analysis
- economics
- emergency management
- ethics
- public policy
Developing a Climate-Resilient Decision-Making Framework
Collaborators will later use insights from MACH research to develop dynamic adaptation policy pathways (DAPPs) for coastal communities. These flexible planning frameworks allow decision-makers to identify warning signals and change policies quickly to meet their community’s needs as social and environmental conditions change.
The MACH academic-stakeholder partnership and research will provide a model for just, equitable, and inclusive climate action in diverse coastal, urban megaregions around the world.
