SCC-PG: Implementing an integrated, wireless monitoring network to enhance decision making in communities impacted by environmental and industrial change

德克萨斯州的沿海社区历来受到来自自然和工业来源的环境威胁。Ingleside on the Bay(IOB)是一个位于科珀斯克里斯蒂湾海岸线的小型农村社区，热带风暴和相对海平面上升的高速度造成了极端和有害的洪水，而工业扩张给社区的生活方式和所依赖的自然资源带来了压力。这类社区缺乏所需的全面数据，无法倡导减轻工业增长和气候变化影响的减少风险战略并作出明智的决定。这项建议与非营利组织Ingleside on the Bay Coastal Watch Association(IOBCWA)、社区成员和政府代表一起评估分布式实时传感器技术在提高IOB应对影响其空气、水和土地资源质量的动态环境条件方面的能力所起的作用。本项目将利用跨学科、社会技术方法来评估IOB中与环境威胁和缓解规划相关的通信和信息共享网络的当前结构；(2)启动学术-民间合作伙伴关系以部署环境监测传感器，以生成用于全面和及时数据收集的试点智能电网；(3)开发一个初步的在线数据可视化仪表板，使传感器数据实时提供给社区；以及(4)评估居民和非营利组织如何利用数据和仪表盘为可持续规划和发展战略提供信息，以应对工业许可挑战并保护社区和环境福祉。为了实现技术目标，该项目将开发和部署一个用于实时环境监测的试点传感网络，设计一个在线仪表板和数据分析框架以实时显示收集的数据，并在不同的居民、社区领导人和当地利益相关者群体中对仪表板进行Beta测试。为了实现社会科学目标，该项目将应用扎根理论来描述社区非营利组织在IOB的网络、公民参与和政策制定工作中不断演变的角色，并确定可以通过利用传感器技术来满足的数据需求，为决策提供科学依据。社区研讨会将提供机会来完善研究需求和目标，获得关于传感器网络和仪表板的反馈，并共同制定未来综合研究工作的愿景。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Texas coastal communities have historically been exposed to environmental threats from natural and industrial sources. In Ingleside on the Bay (IOB), a small, rural community situated along the shoreline of Corpus Christi Bay, tropical storms and high rates of relative sea-level rise cause extreme and nuisance flooding, while industrial expansion is placing stress on the community’s way of life and the natural resources upon which it relies. Such communities lack the comprehensive data needed to advocate for and make informed decisions about risk reduction strategies to mitigate the impacts of industrial growth and climate change. This proposal engages with the nonprofit Ingleside on the Bay Coastal Watch Association (IOBCWA), community members, and governmental representatives to assess the role of distributed, real-time sensor technology in improving IOB’s capacity to respond to dynamic environmental conditions that affect the quality of its air, water, and land resources. It also examines how emerging community-based nonprofits like IOBCWA engage with diverse organizations in response to new threats and how they can utilize environmental sensing data in planning and advocacy efforts.This project will leverage interdisciplinary, sociotechnical methods to (1) assess the current structure of communication and information-sharing networks related to environmental threats and mitigation planning in IOB; (2) activate academic-civic partnerships to deploy environmental monitoring sensors to generate a pilot smart grid for comprehensive and timely data collection; (3) develop a preliminary online data visualization dashboard that makes sensor data available in real-time to the community; and (4) assess how the data and dashboard can be utilized by residents and nonprofit organizations to inform sustainable planning and development strategies that address industrial permitting challenges and safeguard community and environmental well-being. To achieve the technical objectives, this project will develop and deploy a pilot sensing network for real-time environmental monitoring, design an online dashboard and data analysis framework to display the collected data in real-time, and beta test the dashboard among a diverse group of residents, community leaders, and local stakeholders. To achieve the social science objectives, this project will apply grounded theory to characterize the evolving role of community-based nonprofits in networking, civic engagement, and policymaking efforts in IOB and identify data needs that can be addressed by leveraging sensor technology to provide a scientific basis for decision-making. Community workshops will provide opportunities to refine the study needs and objectives, obtain feedback on the sensor network and dashboard, and co-develop a vision for future integrative research efforts.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.