University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) PhD Students Olivia David (MS ‘22) and Amy Van Zanen (MS ‘23) have been interested in flood resilience and its related policy tools and implications since they were SEAS master’s students together. Both studied environmental policy and planning, though David also specialized in environmental justice. They both also worked with SEAS Adjunct Professor Sara Hughes, and after transitioning into the PhD program, David and Van Zanen continue to work with Hughes on research relating to flood management and policies in the Great Lakes region. 

David and Van Zanen’s work is an extension of the research that Hughes had completed with two former SEAS master’s students. This work was funded by GLISA, NOAA’s Great Lakes CAP team. Hughes and her former students identified four major categories they used to assess state policy frameworks for supporting local flood resilience and identifying innovative strategies that support it. These categories (regulations and standards, planning guidance, information, and funding and financing) were published as a journal article and a public policy brief. These categories and analysis results were adopted by the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus (GLLC) Task Force on Climate Resiliency as guidelines for organizing their policy recommendations. The GLLC is a bipartisan group of legislators with the common interest of protecting and restoring the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin. When Hughes presented this research to the Task Force, the support and interest from legislators encouraged her to continue her work on flood resilience policy in the Great Lakes region. 

The initial research assessed where each Great Lakes state fell in these categories and focused on equity components in these assessments. The initial analysis aimed to identify if states were using standard practices for flood resilience or if they were engaging in more innovative strategies. 

With additional funding from GLISA, David and Van Zanen built on this analysis to develop a guidebook with information on how each Great Lakes state can further support local flood resilience initiatives. Based on these results, David and Van Zanen were able to provide actionable recommendations to each of the Great Lakes states in relation to their flood resilience policies.

Although this work will not comprise either of their thesis work, “it’s useful to participate in projects like this to see what water policy looks like in different areas,” explains Van Zanen. 

“This experience of being able to influence policy through the research we’re doing is very transferable, and it’s a good experience to see how that can actually happen,” adds David. 

Last summer, David and Van Zanen were able to present their work twice to state and provincial legislators on the GLLC Task Force. The first presentation, done virtually, served as a test run for the recommendations. Instead of proposing these actions to legislators, David and Van Zanen were trying to provide information and answer questions about the work they were doing, as well as determine what parts of their research would be useful to policymakers and what parts they needed to expand upon. 

The second presentation was at the in-person meeting of the GLLC in Duluth, Minnesota, later in the summer. David and Van Zanen presented their research taking into account initial feedback about framing and the best ways to position their research to effectively reach legislators. The students presented their recommendations state by state, then encouraged legislators to engage with the recommendations by discussing them with each other and asking questions either to them or to other state and provincial representatives in the room.

“This was just such a unique and cool opportunity to see research reach legislators,” explains Van Zanen. “There’s all of this rhetoric around engaging with policy, and I think SEAS in particular is really interested in being able to actually influence action through research. This project was an incredible confluence of policymakers that are interested in engaging, a funding agency that is committed to making it work, and experienced researchers like Sara Hughes who can pull together students like Olivia and me to work together on something that is so action oriented. That’s a really special experience.” 

Both students emphasize that while they worked to develop actionable recommendations that legislators could bring back to their home states, it’s hard to predict how legislators will use these tools they’ve provided. The recommendations were written with the intent of being a tool that a legislator could use as an action item for themselves, pass on to an agency counterpart, or pass on to a governor’s office. David also emphasized the value of network building when this project and the SEAS alumni network converged. 

“We connected with our local Ann Arbor state senator and SEAS alum Sue Shink (BA ’89, MS/JD ’95) at the caucus. That was really great because she is very interested in remaining connected with SEAS programs and current students, so we are hoping to continue to build that relationship with her and other legislators we had the opportunity to meet.”

David and Van Zanen are currently working to integrate the feedback and comments from the caucus into a final report. It will be primarily used for policymakers in the Great Lakes region, but it will be published on GLISA’s website for the public as well. The report will likely be wrapped up by the end of the Fall 2024 semester. Going forward, GLISA and the GLLC will continue to explore opportunities to collaborate with and support flood resilience in the Great Lakes. Bringing technical support, policy analysis and practitioners together in collaborative ways will provide new and valuable opportunities to forward equitable and effective climate change adaptation in our region.