The inaugural South Central Climate Resilience Forum (SCCRF) was held from April 2-4, 2024, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, TX. The Forum focused on fostering meaningful dialogue on climate resilience and adaptation across Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. It brought together over 250 representatives from non-profit organizations, all levels of government, the private sector, and academia from across the region. The goals of the event were to improve understanding of the climate-related challenges facing the region and increase awareness of work being done to enhance the resilience of the region. The program included presentations, symposiums, and workshops about resources, research, tools, knowledge, and experiences relating to climate resilience and provided opportunities for information exchange and networking. This was the first time a regional branch of the National Adaptation Forum has occurred.
SCIPP and partner Adaptation International were the lead organizers of SCCRF, accompanied by other academic institutions, municipalities, federal agencies, and organizations on the Planning Committee.
Over 100 presenters throughout 23 sessions and 7 workshops shaped the Forum through insightful and diverse content. Session topics included: climate science, nature-based solutions, environmental justice, climate-informed planning and action, community and youth engagement, tools and resources for resilience, funding mechanisms for resilience, amongst others. Presenters and attendees shared their research, experiences, and lessons learned and made new connections to broaden their networks. See the full program at https://www.sccrf.org/program.
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe (The Nature Conservancy, Texas Tech University) gave an inspiring keynote address about climate change in our region and finding hope through action. Her address was followed by the Science to Action panel with Dr. Hayhoe, Dr. Earthea Nance (EPA Region 6), T.O. Bowman (City of Oklahoma City), and Arthur Johnson (Lower 9th Ward for Sustainable Engagement and Development), moderated by Alejandra Martinez (Texas Tribune). This panel provided diverse perspectives of the challenges and opportunities they face in educating, encouraging, and implementing climate action efforts.
SCIPP contributed to the program content through the following presentations:
- Assessing Non-Profit Response and Adaptation to Hurricane Harvey
- Xochitl Hidalgo – SCIPP, University of Oklahoma
- Mark Shafer – SCIPP, University of Oklahoma
- Developing Solutions to Climate Planning Challenges Across the Region
- Rachel Riley – SCIPP, University of Oklahoma
- Darrian Bertrand – SCIPP, University of Oklahoma
- The Fifth National Climate Assessment (2023)
- Reid Sherman – U.S. Global Change Research Program
- Renee McPherson – South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center
- Darrian Bertrand – SCIPP, University of Oklahoma
- Janey Camp – Vanderbilt University
- A Geospatial Analysis of the Inland Paths of Gulf of Mexico Hurricanes
- Jordan Fazio – SCIPP, Louisiana State University
- Lengthening Hurricane Seasons with Earlier Storm Formation Dates: Lessons from 2020
- Barry Keim – SCIPP, Louisiana State University (et al.)
- The Simple Planning Tool for Climate Hazards
- Darrian Bertrand – SCIPP, University of Oklahoma
- Tropicalization of the Temperature Zone: Changes in Winter Temperatures
- Derek Thompson – SCIPP, Louisiana State University
- Vincent Brown – SCIPP, Louisiana State University
- Youth Engagement and Climate Justice Workshop
- Cassandra Jean – Adaptation International, SCIPP
- Celine Rendon – Adaptation International, SCIPP
- Alexia Leclercq – Start: Empowerment
- Jasmine Butler – Start: Empowerment
Through engaging presentations, discussions, and workshops at SCCRF, we learned that there are challenges in building resilience, but action and hope are abundant in our region. There is still much to be done, so we encouraged attendees to take what they learned back to their workplaces and communities, keep the conversations going, and take the next step in building a more resilient region together.
To learn more about SCCRF, please visit www.sccrf.org.
