| NSF Org: |
CNS Division Of Computer and Network Systems |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 2, 2021 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 2, 2021 |
| Award Number: | 2126701 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Vishal Sharma
vsharma@nsf.gov (703)292-0000 CNS Division Of Computer and Network Systems CSE Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering |
| Start Date: | October 1, 2021 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $149,922.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $149,922.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
2500 BROADWAY LUBBOCK TX US 79409 (806)742-3884 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
2500 Broadway Lubbock TX US 79409-1035 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | S&CC: Smart & Connected Commun |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.070 |
ABSTRACT
Located along the US-Mexico border in the southeastern corner of the state of Texas, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), has long experienced major flooding due to its low-lying lands and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. The flooding problem is rooted in a number of issues across the built, natural, and social environments, including rapid urbanization and associated increase in impervious cover as well as the prevalence of older developments that do not account for hydrology, and unincorporated communities known as colonias that are without drainage infrastructure. These typically low-lying communities, not ideal for residential development, have been home to thousands of families with deep social attachment to place. Despite multiple mitigation efforts by local authorities, the flooding problem persists. Because of future climate variability, flooding events like these are more likely and will continue to present challenges. A lack of a thorough resilience plan and an integrative decision support system to cope with natural and anthropogenic hazards, coupled with insufficient resources, have made the area more vulnerable, particularly to consecutive disasters. This study holistically approaches the flooding problem through convergence research that brings together community stakeholders and an interdisciplinary research team with the objective to develop a resilience roadmap focused on viable adaptation strategies. The project aims to be as inclusive as possible of the community by providing multiple opportunities for community participation in the project ranging from community forums, focus groups, and surveys.
The goal of this planning grant is to establish a foundation for convergence and inclusive problem-solving across researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders through transdisciplinary research aimed at addressing complex problems from the lens of societal needs. This is to be achieved through various community data collection methods from residents and policymakers to collect data on their needs, challenges, priorities, flooding perceptions, and openness to adaptation strategies. Parallel to community survey, technical data related to flooding including morphology of the subsurface will be collected to facilitate analysis of technical feasibility of potential adaptation strategies tailored to community needs as extracted from stakeholder preference analysis. Results from this planning grant would form the foundation for development of a spatially-explicit decision support systems/community adaptation plan capable of integrating climate, hydrology, land use, and socioeconomic data with quantitative models to help decision-makers evaluate flood risks under various future development scenarios and establish a knowledge base that can be used by other regions experiencing rapid urbanization and climate change threats.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
This project aimed to establish a foundation for convergence and inclusive problem-solving among academia, practitioners, and stakeholders through transdisciplinary research addressing the complex issue of repetitive flooding in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV).
Technical Insights
From a technical standpoint, the results reaffirm findings from previous projects conducted by the PIs, highlighting the importance of using various resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) for precise watershed boundary delineations. In the flat terrain of the LRGV, boundary delineations can vary significantly even with the same watershed outlet (pour point), underscoring the need for high-resolution precision. Implementing detailed watershed boundary delineations at subwatershed level or finer will enable more spatially accurate flood damage analyses. Further studies with increased discretization of both watershed boundaries and floodplains, facilitated by enhanced DEMs, could improve the identification of flood-prone areas and underserved regions in terms of flood damage mitigation investments.
Social Dimensions of Resilience Planning
To explore the social aspects of resilience planning in the LRGV, resilience was approached as adaptation, with efforts aimed at identifying pathways for adaptation within the study area. Stakeholder meetings involving local decision-makers and planners revealed ongoing flood planning efforts led by the Region 15 Regional Flood Planning Group (RFPG), established under Senate Bill 8 by the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019. These groups, in coordination with local stakeholders and technical advisors, are tasked with assessing current flood mitigation strategies, identifying flood-prone areas, and proposing solutions to mitigate flooding impacts.
Findings on Resilience Pathways
Given that Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy Counties fall within Region 15 RFPG boundaries, their flood planning efforts provided a unique lens to explore community-designed resilience pathways. Using natural language processing methods, specifically topic modeling, key themes and keywords were extracted from two data sources: (1) county and regional hazard and flood plans and (2) RFPG meeting transcripts. The findings, published in Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure (2023), revealed several insights:
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Established Pathways for Flood Resilience:
Resilience in the LRGV primarily focuses on emergency management, flood preparedness, and disaster mitigation, emphasizing protection against loss of life and property damage. Quantifying and interpreting flood risk is a dominant theme, with a strong reliance on technical data and measurements. -
Gaps in Risk Quantification and Decision-Making:
A significant gap exists in accounting for future conditions in flood risk assessments. Additionally, it remains unclear how well decision-makers understand flood risk, given that plans are often developed by technical experts and consultants. -
Limited Community Participation:
While formal mechanisms for community participation in RFPG processes exist, data analysis suggests these mechanisms do not fully capture diverse perspectives or address the needs of marginalized communities. This is particularly critical given the high social vulnerability of the LRGV, including unincorporated colonias.
Recommendations
Future resilience initiatives in the LRGV are recommended to more actively involve marginalized groups in flood planning processes. This includes creating opportunities for local knowledge to complement technical expertise and ensuring that planning efforts address the unique needs of vulnerable populations. While formal responses and technical data form the foundation of current pathways, truly adaptive approaches require greater inclusivity and attention to social equity. The institutional mandate for planning has resulted in a prescriptive approach that may not fully reflect the capacities and needs of the region. Moving forward, it is recommended that natural hazard planning and flood adaptation strategies prioritize empowering local communities and incorporating their voices to achieve more equitable and effective outcomes.
Last Modified: 12/04/2024
Modified by: Ali Nejat
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