A Community-Centered Approach to Climate Resilience

The Duwamish Valley, home to vibrant communities and deep cultural roots, faces increasing risks from flooding due to climate change, sea-level rise, and aging infrastructure. Residents—many of whom are from historically marginalized communities—are on the front lines of these environmental changes. The Living with Water project is working to ensure that solutions reflect the needs and knowledge of the people who live here.

Why This Matters

For years, flooding in the Duwamish Valley has impacted homes, businesses, schools, and daily life, yet many existing flood management strategies have failed to center community voices. Living with Water takes a different approach: rather than simply imposing solutions, it partners with local residents to shape strategies that work for them.

What We’re Doing

Through interviews, workshops, and engagement with local leaders, our project is asking:

How do residents experience and respond to flooding?

What solutions feel most effective and equitable to the community?

How can policies ensure that those most affected by climate change have a say in the solutions?

We’re using an equity-focused evaluation framework to assess whether current and proposed flood adaptation strategies truly benefit the community in fair and just ways. This means looking at who is included in decision-making, who benefits, and whether solutions reinforce or disrupt existing inequities.

What’s Next

The insights gathered will help shape policies that:

✅ Improve community-driven flood adaptation strategies

✅ Ensure local voices guide decision-making, not just outside experts

✅ Address environmental justice concerns while planning for a changing climate

Climate adaptation isn’t just about infrastructure—it’s about people. The Living with Water project aims to ensure that resilience planning in the Duwamish Valley is just, inclusive, and community-led.

• Recent news: For the most recent updates, please visit this page. 

• Duwamish Valley residents are invited to participate in interviews, listening sessions, focus groups, workshops and design charettes. Please contact Bethany Gordon via email at bmg1@uw.edu for more information.