Weather and Climate Resilience Research Projects
Climate Action Engagement Academy for Minority and Women Owned Small Businesses: Fostering Economic Empowerment in the Midst of the Evolving Environment
Principal Investigator: Scott Curtis, Near Center for Climate Studies, The Citadel
Co-Principal Investigators: Laura Jean (LJ) Palmer-Moloney, Visual Teaching Technologies; Zahia Bird, Trident Technical College; Bob Riggle, The Citadel
Climate stressors impact not only employees, business facilities, and supply chains, but also customers and clients. Of the coastal small businesses particularly vulnerable to climate crises, minority- and women-owned businesses are faced with additional barriers to resilience. Furthermore, they often do not have the financial buffer or information resources to prepare for and recover from episodic events (e.g., hurricanes) and chronic stressors (e.g., more frequent sunny-day flooding and rainstorms of ever-increasing intensity).
Not only do small business owners need to be responsive to climate stressors, they are increasingly expected to contribute to a climate-compatible and future-oriented economy. Sustainable business practices are varied, however, and unlike large corporations, small businesses often lack technical expertise, skills, and resources needed to operationalize green practices.
How can business owners position themselves as reliable leaders of climate preparedness, confronting multiple interacting climate-related stressors? How can community-scale, climate compatible solutions improve resilience for the women- and minority-owned small business community? To help answer these research questions, the project team will measure the impact “theory of change” and “social capital” have on a sample of minority- and women-owned small businesses in Charleston, South Carolina. The team hypothesizes that (1) the six identified hallmarks of the theory of change will resonate with the participants and will be useful in planning for the future and (2) there will be a direct positive relationship between social capital and the uptake of climate resilient practices.
To test the first hypothesis, the team will (1) co-produce a Climate Action Engagement Academy (CAEA) with a working group of small business leaders; (2) assess the value of a “community of practice” with CAEA participants; (3) assess the value of climate action and contingency plans with CAEA participants. A pre- and post-CAEA survey will be administered to participants.
To test the second hypothesis, the team will use surveys and interviews to determine resources at the disposal of the businesses that participate in the CAEA. This data will be related to the development of their climate action plans and level of engagement in the community of practice.
SOS (Solutions on Septic): Identifying Resilient Solutions for Septic Management in Coastal South Carolina
Principle Investigator: Timothy Callahan, College of Charleston
Co-Principal Investigators: C. Guinn Wallover, Mount Pleasant Waterworks; Amy Scaroni, Clemson University; Jestine Deepe, Mount Pleasant Waterworks
Coastal South Carolina and similar low-lying areas are prone to failing septic systems because of shallow water table conditions. The best design standards and current regulations cannot overcome such site conditions, leading to wastewater discharge from the septic leach fields and pollution of groundwater and nearby receiving water bodies.
This research project will seek to understand the role of storm events, seasonal shallow groundwater dynamics, and sea level rise on septic and on-site wastewater treatment systems for representative soil types and landscape position. The research will also develop a geospatial risk assessment model that can characterize septic systems’ potential vulnerability to climate change impacts. Lastly, it will identify septic owners’ motivations for septic maintenance and their willingness to accept solutions that provide for long-term performance and water quality protection.
Products from this research project will include a community-level septic management strategy guide and climate change risk assessment tool, recommendations for updates that should be made for onsite wastewater permitting and design requirements, workforce development (training students in water resource management and hydrologic, geospatial, and social science), publication of educational materials, and journal publications of the work.