border image
search    linkedin    youtube    donate
border image
logo lettering
BOB
Research & Innovation

Southeast Navigator Network

Overview

Map of the area covered by the Southeast Navigator Network, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North CarolinaArea covered by the Southeast Navigator NetworkThe Southeast Navigator Network, led by the Geos Institute, aims to help Community
Disaster Resilience Zones (CDRZ) communities develop and implement community-driven climate resilience projects by pairing communities with trusted partners (Navigators) who connect them to the funding sources, technical support, and capacity-building opportunities to make that possible. In the first year of this pilot project, a network of navigators was created by the Geos Institute for North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and given support through the expertise and tools of federal agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations. The initial cohort of nine Navigators supported forty-two jurisdictions in twenty-six counties with CDRZ-designated census tracts across the four states.
EcoAdapt developed metrics to evaluate the progress and effectiveness of this project, and conducted an analysis of those metrics for the first year of the project. Evaluation of the pilot year focused on assessing progress towards the three primary goals of the project:
  • Increased resilience to climate impacts and natural disasters in climate-vulnerable and under-resourced communities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia
  • Understanding of whether the structure of the Southeast Navigator Network is an effective tool for building community capacity for climate resilience
  • Significant investment from the federal government, philanthropies, and the finance industry to build out the full nationwide Climate Ready America
Initial findings from the pilot year suggest that the Southeast Navigator Network is providing support services that are closely aligned with the needs of CDRZ communities in the region and are largely focused on the climate stressors of greatest concern. However, additional monitoring over a longer timeframe is needed to determine whether Navigator support will result in a higher rate of adaptation implementation and, in turn, reduced community vulnerability to climate change. 

Official Press Release (November 8, 2023)

Partners