2023: A year in review

IAN is reflecting on a successful year in 2023. In the past year, we maintained many valuable collaborations with partners across the globe. We engaged stakeholders through listening sessions and workshops, supporting the creation of robust ecosystem health assessments. We attended numerous conferences and meetings, connecting with experts across multiple fields, and learning new methods to improve our engagement and assessment efforts. We appreciate everyone who has made this year a success, and we look forward to what 2024 has in store!

Peer-Reviewed Publications

We published 10 peer-reviewed papers spanning a variety of environmental topics. Here are a few highlights:

Advancing climate resilience and mitigation in the U.S. water sector

IAN’s ongoing work on adaptation and resilience was highlighted by the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR) in the third issue of their Hydrolink Magazine. The article, titled Net-Zero and Water: Highlighting U.S. Innovation and action in Mitigation, Adaptation and Resiliency, provides a comprehensive overview of the evolving efforts in the United States to address the intersection of net-zero goals and water management. It emphasizes the need for collaborative, multi-level strategies to mitigate GHG emissions, enhance resilience, and achieve climate goals in the water sector.

Teaching Science Communication in 2023

Projects completed supporting EPA Chesapeake Bay Program

COAST Card Project Highlights

The Coastal Ocean Assessment for Sustainability and Transformation (COAST Card) project had an eventful year consisting of both local and international travel.

  • Conference and workshop in Manila, Philippines
  • Conference and workshop in Tokyo, Japan; site visits to Ishigaki Island and Sekisei Lagoon, Japan
  • Stakeholder listening sessions in the Potomac Watershed, USA:
    • Alexandria, VA
    • Leonardtown, MD
    • Woodbridge, VA
    • Cumberland, MD
    • Silver Spring, MD

The international conferences and workshops allowed project partners to meet in person, make progress on goals, and gain a deeper understanding of the different study sites. The five stakeholder listening sessions held across the Potomac Watershed in the summer, facilitated by our second cohort of Global Sustainability Scholars, provided important insights on values, threats, and visions related to the watershed.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Charles County leads the way for local coastal adaptation

On December 13th, we held our first workshop at the Velocity Center in Indian Head, MD to kick off the Charles County Coastal Adaptation project. This project is a partnership between the Resilience Authority of Charles County, the Charles County Government, and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and aims to produce a climate adaptation report card for Charles County, which will inform the county’s Climate Action Plan. More workshops will be planned in the coming months, and we look forward to better understanding Charles County’s preparedness for climate change.