Year of Award

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Sociology (Rural and Environmental Change Option)

Department or School/College

Sociology

Committee Chair

Teresa Sobieszczyk

Commitee Members

Rayna Sage, Sarah Halvorson

Keywords

Vulnerability, Grand Isle, Climate change, Structural, Non-structural, Flooding

Subject Categories

Civic and Community Engagement | Civil Engineering | Demography, Population, and Ecology | Environmental Engineering | Environmental Studies | Geography | Nature and Society Relations | Other Civil and Environmental Engineering | Other Geography | Other Social and Behavioral Sciences | Other Sociology | Place and Environment | Rural Sociology | Sociology | Structural Engineering | Tourism

Abstract

This study used in-depth interviews of permanent residents on Grand Isle, Louisiana, a remote barrier island, to better understand their perceptions of structural flood measures, non-structural responses to flooding and hurricanes, and perceptions of vulnerability to flooding, hurricanes, and climate change on a remote barrier island-Grand Isle, Louisiana. Residents' perceptions regarding the various structural measures implemented by the federal, state, and local government appeared mixed. Non-structural responses to flooding risks implemented at the household, community, state, and federal level continue to strengthen resiliency on Grand Isle. According to interviewees, aspects of environmental, rural, and economic vulnerability on Grand Isle impact islanders daily, yet residents continue to fight the environmental adversities as well as the flood management conflicts with government agencies. Findings from this study may be relevant to people and rural coastal communities in other parts of the United States and the world facing climate change-related storms and flooding.

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