Low-income and minority communities are the most socially vulnerable to climate change. This study uses a systems thinking lens to focus on the impacts of recurring urban inland flooding in Milwaukee – specifically the disproportionate impacts on individuals with lesser adaptive capacity than other communities.
After an eight-year battle, Waukesha received approval for their request to divert Great Lakes water to its municipality. However, Waukesha’s gain is not without negative impacts to other communities. This case study focuses on the environmental justice impacts of the Waukesha Diversion Return Flow and recommends steps for the involved municipalities to take.
In January 2018, a team of Cornell University students and faculty conducted a field visit to the Shan State region of Myanmar to investigate the impact that current national agricultural policy has on increased fertilizer use. Based on insights garnered from the visit, research and a comparative analysis with the Shan Highlands of Northern Thailand, recommendations that seek to combat fertilizer misuse and its associated environmental outcomes in Myanmar are proposed.