Call for Panelists – SfAA 2026: Community-Based Approaches to Coastal Environmental Hazards
Cindy Grace
Good afternoon all!
Please see the call below for a panel session at the 2026 Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meeting in Albuquerque, NM in March 2026. This session is being chaired by my PhD student, Alexandra Stevenson. Rather than formal presentations, this will be an interactive panel discussion among scholars, practitioners, and community partners. We aim to exchange ideas, experiences, and lessons learned about community-driven and interdisciplinary approaches to resilience, restoration, and adaptation.
We are still looking for a couple of folks to join us. If your work involves community engagement, applied research, or practice in coastal or island settings, we invite you to join this conversation.
The submission deadline is tomorrow, Oct. 15th, so please let me know if you are interested in joining us by 12 PM ET tomorrow.
Thanks!
Cindy
Session Abstract:
Community-Based Approaches to Addressing Environmental Hazards in Coastal and Island Contexts
This session examines community-based approaches to addressing environmental hazards in coastal and island contexts. It explores how local knowledge, governance histories, and livelihood practices shape community engagement, inform decision-making, and guide the development of practical solutions. Emphasizing participatory and collaborative methods, the session highlights how these approaches can strengthen local capacity, foster broad participation, and improve outcomes in the face of environmental change. Drawing on anthropological and interdisciplinary perspectives, it considers the social and cultural dimensions of community-driven responses, offering insights and lessons for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers seeking to co-develop effective, context-sensitive strategies for managing coastal environmental challenges.
Cindy Grace-McCaskey