The UVA Environmental Institute catalyzes and supports teams focused on solutions-oriented interdisciplinary research. The following tools have been created for community members as the result of EI projects.
Tools & Resources
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Virginia Climate Restoration Initiative
The VCRI website hosts three applications to explore the results and potential pathways of decarbonization in Virginia: Mapping Carbon Removal in Virginia, Direct Air Capture Map Explorer, and Pathways to Net Zero comparison modeling.
Launched in 2020 by the Environmental Institute, the Virginia Climate Restoration Initiative (VCRI) convenes members to consider and recommend ways Virginia can meet its net-zero targets while identifying economically profitable and sustainable new industries for Virginia.
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Hurricane Evacuation Order Database (HEvOD)
HEvOD is a comprehensive and standardized database of evacuation orders issued by state and local government officials in response to the hurricanes that impacted the United States between 2014 and 2023. The database features a high-temporal-resolution archive of evacuation orders collected from multiple sources, including official websites and social media accounts of local and state governments and government agencies, as well as news platforms.
HEvOD was seed funded by the Environmental Institute and created by EI affiliates Majid Shafee-Jood and Negin Alemazkoor. Read more about the HEvOD in this article.
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Eastern Shore Livability Hub
Residents of the Eastern Shore are facing increasing challenges from rising tides, stronger storms, and shifting environmental conditions. These changes are leading to more flooding, septic system backups, and salt intrusion into soil and water. This website provides information on what is happening, why, and resources available to help community members live more securely.
The project was seed funded by the Environmental Institute and awarded a National Sciences Foundation "Coasts and People" Grant. Learn more about the project at this link.
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Data Center Policy Database
This platform centralizes and organizes data center policy information in a public-facing, standardized format. By making legislation and regulatory actions easier to compare across states, the site supports interstate coordination, strengthens public awareness, and helps people understand the real-world consequences of infrastructure decisions that are often hidden behind abstract discussions of the "cloud."
The database is the work of the Climate Collaborative working in Loudon County, Virginia, to examine how data center expansion impacts climate resilience, energy systems, water resources, and community well-being. Additional support for the Data Center Policy Database was provided by the UVA Digital Technology for Democracy Lab.
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Virginia Proactive Planning Guide for Resilience
The Guide divides the adaptation planning process into 5 Steps: Initial Assessment, Strategy Development, Detailed Planning, Funding Plan, and Plan Implementation, Evaluation, and Adjustment. Each step includes specific actions and discusses some best practices, helpful tools and resources, and community engagement challenges.
The planning guide was developed and published by Elizabeth Andrews, an Environmental Institute Practitioner Fellow, during her fellowship.
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The University of Virginia Environmental Institute’s Resource and Data Exchange (UVA EI RDE)
environmental-uva.rdexchange.org
This RDE contains a limited-access private data enclave, public commons data, and links to an index of a variety of data sources generated by research funded/co-funded by the Institute. These include data examining health information, artificial intelligence, urban water, Arctic communities, renewable energy, and contemplative practice/science, as they intersect with environmental change and resilience.
The RDE was created in development with a University-wide initiative.
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Ghost Forests on the US Atlantic Coast
ee-chihgyeung.projects.earthengine.app/view/treedeath-atlanticus
This dead tree count map displays the number of dead trees per hectare, taking place within 50 m above sea level and 10 km from the coast.
This project was seed funded by the UVA Environmental Institute and was reported on Science.org. Read more about ghost forest mapping work here.