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Journal of Science Policy & Governance | Volume 17, Issue 01 | September 30, 2020

Policy Memo: ​Establishing Climate Change Resilience in the Great Lakes in Response to Flooding

Gwendolyn E Gallagher (1), Ryan K Duncombe (2), Timothy M Steeves (3)​
  1. University of Chicago, Department of the Geophysical Sciences, Chicago, IL
  2. University of Chicago, Committee on Immunology, Chicago, IL
  3. University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, Chicago, IL
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https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG170105
Keywords:  Great Lakes; climate change resilience; EPA; green infrastructure; flooding
Executive Summary: Over the past decade, both the average rainfall and the frequency of high precipitation storm events in the Great Lakes Basin have been steadily increasing as a consequence of climate change. In this same period, cities and communities along the coasts are experiencing record high water levels and severe flooding events (ECC Canada et al. 2018). When cities are unprepared for these floods, the safety of communities and the water quality of the Great Lakes are jeopardized. For example, coastal flooding increases runoff pollution and contaminates the freshwater resource that 40 million people rely on for drinking water (Lyandres  and Welch 2012, Roth 2016). Since the Great Lakes are shared between two nations, the United States and Canada, the region is protected by several international treaties and national compacts, including the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). In order to increase climate change resiliency against flooding in the region, we recommend the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) work with Environment and Climate Change Canada to relocate the GLRI under the GLWQA in order to guarantee consistent funding and protection efforts. We additionally recommend expansion of both agreements in their scope and long-term commitments to engender cooperative efforts to protect the Great Lakes against climate change.

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Gwendolyn Gallagher is a PhD candidate in Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago studying marine microbes in the context of the global carbon cycle. She is interested in the intersection of environmental research, climate justice, and public policy.

Ryan Duncombe is a PhD candidate in Immunology at the University of Chicago. He studies the biochemical mechanisms of anti-inflammatory immune responses. He is interested in environmental biochemistry and public policy.

Timothy Steeves recently received his PhD from University of Chicago’s molecular engineering program, where he studied catalysts for solar fuel conversion. His interest in environmental policy and sustainable energy production led him to science policy as a career interest and to found the UChicago Science Policy Group.

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