PhD Independent Study in Climate Change and Governance

Independent Study
Decision-Makers’ Use of Climate Science in Flood Governance
Instructors: Patrick Roberts and Kris Wernstedt
Contact: patrickroberts@vt.edu or
krisw@vt.edu

Course description: Seasonal climate information such as forecasts of El Niño conditions months ahead of time can be used to improve planning and management of weatherrelated extreme events such as floods. Unfortunately, even when seasonal forecast information appears clear, putting knowledge about likely climate conditions into practice to improve planning for extreme events before they happen poses difficulties.  Flood and other emergency managers typically work in situations with tight budgets, and they must make decisions quickly. In addition, managers may find it difficult to clearly communicate to the public and policymakers the range of possible outcomes from events that are highly uncertain. This may be particularly the case in rural areas, where geographic distances complicate communication and technical expertise disperses more widely than in concentrated urban areas. This course examines whether the way in which forecast information is presented and the way in which those involved in emergency management governance in rural areas interact with each other influence the ability to use seasonal climate information to improve planning and management to reduce flood losses.

Rasion d’être: This course stems from a three year National Science Foundation funded research project led by the course instructors. While there is not presently funding for a graduate assistant devoted to the project, this line of research would be an appropriate dissertation topic, and it promises to generate interest among scholars and practitioners and is a candidate for dissertation research funding support in the future.

Format: The course will be conducted through independent reading and research, scheduled meetings with the instructors (in person or polycom), possible in-person or telephone interviews of stakeholders, and a public presentation.

Timeline: This course could have formal registration for spring 2012, summer 2012, and/or fall 2012. (Fall 2011 may be possible). You may arrange a timeline for you to complete the work in consultation with the instructors (such as conducting some of the work over the winter break or summer or other period not aligned with the formal semester). You must settle on a research topic in consultation with the instructors before registering for this course.

Possible research foci include: rural emergency management governance (comparing rural emergency management governance structures and capacities); communication of scientific information (how do different ways of presenting climate information shape decision outcomes); group decision-processes and social media platforms (how do different dissemination tools shape attention and decision-making); uncertainty and decision heuristics in public decision making; case study methodology; network analysis (mapping a network of rural emergency management influence). The research will require a literature review in your chosen area, data collection, and analysis leading to a course paper. You will also give a public presentation on your research and write a funding proposal (such as an NSF dissertation improvement grant or a PERI grant).

Requirements: must be a SPIA Ph.D. student in either Blacksburg or Alexandria. Your research focus for the course must be part of your dissertation. (It doesn’t make sense for your to spend this much time on an independent study that is not central to your dissertation).

Instructors: Roberts is an assistant professor in the Center for Public Administration and Policy in SPIA, and his interests are in governance and emergency management; Wernstedt is an associate professor in Urban Affairs and Planning, and his interests are in flood and water resource planning and management. Both are based in Alexandria.

Reasons to take this independent study

• You will gain expertise in a hot topic
• Funders may be interested in your dissertation research once you have reached a certain level of competence
• You will work closely with faculty
• You will learn about funded research
• Reasons not to take this independent study
• The research topics do not relate to your dissertation, or you don’t want to make this project your dissertation
• You have trouble doing independent research
• You aren’t intellectually curious or analytically rigorous
• You don’t want to work with quirky, demanding professors