Community Resilience. Whether faced with an immediate environmental emergency or the gradual effects of climate change and sea level rise, Gulf Coast communities must now begin implementing practices that will allow them to adapt and grow in the face of new stresses. The COEC, in partnership with the
Galveston Historical Foundation’s Center for Coastal Heritage and Resiliency, organized its first annual three-day conference on coastal resilience in fall 2014. This Living on the Edge conference is a multidisciplinary, solutions-based forum for defining community resources and promoting practices that strengthen a community’s health, environment, and cultural heritage. This important initiative directly relates to disaster preparedness and response as well as resiliency. Conference presenters included scientists, public health practitioners, civil engineers, urban planners, architects, preservationists, NGO officials, policy makers, and Aubrey Miller, MD, MPH who is spearheading the NIEHS’s DR2 initiative. Selection of national and international speakers representing many disciplines contributed to vibrant dialog seeking innovative solutions based on a holistic perspective to problem solving. For 2015, the conference focus shifted to solutions, Living on the Edge: Managing Change through Innovation, and again, featured our innovative scaled conference model—from macro to micro—where we explore the various facets to resilience at coastal, city, neighborhood, and building levels. For 2015, the keynote presentation and discussion was a presentation by Dr. Kim Anderson. For 2016, we have identified early themes and community project-based outcomes as well as developed an expanded survey that will gauge participants’ understanding and learning across disciplines, with particular focus on environmental health. To reserve your seat at this years Living on the Edge conference
click here.