Climate change results in increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters at a global level. The increased occurrence of these disasters has detrimental effects on both ecosystem and human health, particularly in impoverished or rural areas. Although the effects of climate change on natural disasters is well studied, little research has been conducted to assess the impact of natural disasters on rural Appalachian communities and the integration of these events into climate change education. Our aim was to identify the level to which education about flooding in Appalachia is used to illustrate extreme weather events as a function of climate change.To quantify the use of Appalachian flooding events in climate change education, we conducted a literature-based meta-analysis using a variety of scientific and educational databases.
Results/Conclusions
The results of the literature search revealed a paucity of reported research on the effects of flooding on rural communities in Appalachia. In addition, the use of flooding events is not part of climate change education. A search for ‘flooding’ and ‘climate change’ yielded 14 results in one major education research database and only five results in another. A search for ‘climate change’ and ‘education’ and ‘rural communities’ yielded 14 results in one major education database and only 11 in another. Finally, a search for ‘climate change’ and ‘education’ and ‘Appalachia’ yielded no results for either educational database. The results of this search indicate that flooding events are not being used to educate students on the social and health impacts of climate change. In contrast, we identified several examples of teaching materials related to flooding and social justice in the EU. Existing research on natural disasters and education indicate that the integration of cultural values with natural disaster response is essential for empowering communities. Using what is important to Appalachians when teaching about climate change will provide a more effective framework for climate change education and improve resilience in rural communities.