SCC-CIVIC-PG Track B: Innovation for Economic Rejuvenation of Louisiana Coastal Communities

The long-term vision of this project is a sustainable, generative and adaptive regional economy for coastal Louisiana, a “working coast” that is both economically and environmentally susceptible to negative impacts from climate change and human-induced disasters. The focus is to develop economic activity that will support resiliency in areas experiencing disasters.

Communities in coastal Louisiana have suffered crippling and repeated damage from hurricanes, coastal sea-level rise, offshore oil spills, and channelization of marshes for oil and gas exploration, production and distribution, and are increasingly vulnerable to Atlantic hurricanes with Gulf water warming. Within this complex context of risks, COVID-19 has also threatened the health of coastal community residents and forced layoffs of hundreds of coastal and support industry workers employed by the offshore oil and gas industry.

A key element in the transition to new, greener industries and occupations is building on and adapting existing skills and infrastructure, and transferring these skills to the next generation. This project engages twelve diverse communities along the Louisiana coast in a community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) process to generate and select ideas for economic activities, products and services that can be produced by the existing workforce while preserving the environmental integrity of the coast and its cultures.

The proposed project advances fundamental understanding of how to align skills and knowledge development for personnel trained in the offshore oil and gas exploration/production industry using a partnered approach to generating and assimilating knowledge from diverse stakeholders to create sustainable economic choices and a diverse economic income structure for more resilient livelihoods, community stability and disaster resiliency. The primary objectives of this planning grant are: (1) to create two inventories, one of existing skills and interests of coastal personnel and one of available infrastructure and equipment that may have value in a green economy; (2) to perform a gap analysis of regional economic opportunities and green industries and their inland markets; (3) to innovate an economic rejuvenation plan for Louisiana coastal communities through a community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) workshop that applies data collected with the communities; (4) to establish federally-funded work study partnerships with coastal universities to include in the project the communities’ college-aged students who will be the future managers and employees of the economic innovations; and (5) to prepare for Stage 2 launch and implementation, with the goal of employing coastal residents in the design, planning and production of beneficial products and services.

This project is in response to Track B - CIVIC Innovation Challenge - Resilience to Natural Disasters a collaboration with NSF and the Department of Homeland Security.

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.