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Climate Change in the Lumbee River Watershed and Potential Impacts on the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina

Publication ,  Journal Article
Emanuel, RE
Published in: Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education
April 2018

A growing body of research focuses on climate change and Indigenous peoples. However, relatively little of this work focuses on Native American tribes living in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the United States. The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is a large (60,000 member) Native American tribe located on the Coastal Plain in present day North Carolina (U.S.). The tribe has deep connections to the Lumbee River, which flows through a watershed dominated by extensive forested wetlands. In this paper, I outline key issues associated with climate change and water in the region, and I use long‐term climatic and hydrologic datasets and analysis to establish context for understanding historical climate change in the Lumbee River watershed. Downscaled climate model outputs for the region show how further changes may affect the hydrologic balance of the watershed. I discuss these changes in terms of environmental degradation and potential impacts on Lumbee culture and persistence, which has remained strong through centuries of adversity and has also experienced a resurgence in recent years. I close by acknowledging the especially vulnerable position of the Lumbee Tribe as a non‐federal tribe that lacks access to certain resources, statutory protections, and policies aimed at helping Native American tribes deal with climate change and other environmental challenges.

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Published In

Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education

DOI

EISSN

1936-704X

ISSN

1936-7031

Publication Date

April 2018

Volume

163

Issue

1

Start / End Page

79 / 93

Publisher

Wiley

Related Subject Headings

  • 4104 Environmental management
  • 1303 Specialist Studies in Education
  • 0599 Other Environmental Sciences
  • 0502 Environmental Science and Management
 

Citation

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Emanuel, R. E. (2018). Climate Change in the Lumbee River Watershed and Potential Impacts on the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education, 163(1), 79–93. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1936-704x.2018.03271.x
Emanuel, Ryan E. “Climate Change in the Lumbee River Watershed and Potential Impacts on the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.” Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education 163, no. 1 (April 2018): 79–93. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1936-704x.2018.03271.x.
Emanuel RE. Climate Change in the Lumbee River Watershed and Potential Impacts on the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education. 2018 Apr;163(1):79–93.
Emanuel, Ryan E. “Climate Change in the Lumbee River Watershed and Potential Impacts on the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.” Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education, vol. 163, no. 1, Wiley, Apr. 2018, pp. 79–93. Crossref, doi:10.1111/j.1936-704x.2018.03271.x.
Emanuel RE. Climate Change in the Lumbee River Watershed and Potential Impacts on the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education. Wiley; 2018 Apr;163(1):79–93.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education

DOI

EISSN

1936-704X

ISSN

1936-7031

Publication Date

April 2018

Volume

163

Issue

1

Start / End Page

79 / 93

Publisher

Wiley

Related Subject Headings

  • 4104 Environmental management
  • 1303 Specialist Studies in Education
  • 0599 Other Environmental Sciences
  • 0502 Environmental Science and Management