WyACT Project Research

WyACT is pushing the boundaries of how science is use-inspired and co-produced through the lens of climate impacts on the water cycle of Wyoming.

The project develops nationally competitive capacity for research on social-environmental systems responses to climate-driven shifts in water availability. Work focuses on the headwaters of three major river drainages in the Greater Yellowstone Area of Wyoming: Snake, Green, and Wind River.

WyACT research is organized into four major thematic areas presented as broad research questions:

Observation and Modeling
What climate-related risks threaten interacting and heterogeneous hydrological, ecological and social systems at regional scales in coming decades?

Social and Economic Research
How do individuals, communities and organizations best respond to climate-induced risks (including mitigation, adaptation and transformation)?

Knowledge Co-production
How can the process of co-production build trust and adaptive capacity for key stakeholders and communities?

Integrated Modeling
How might societal responses interact with biophysical processes and feedbacks to alter future risks and vulnerabilities?