Metrics for Measuring the Social Impact of Colorado River Delta Restoration
Fátima Luna1 *, Sarah Kruse2, Rachel O’Connor3, Bruce Aylward4
1Sonoran Institute, Tucson, Arizona, US; fluna@sonoraninstitute.org
2AMP Insights, Beaverton, Oregon, US; sarah.kruse@gmail.com
3AMP Insights, Beaverton, Oregon, US; rachel@ampinsights.com
4AMP Insights, Beaverton, Oregon, US; bruce@ampinsights.com
Restoring floodplain and ecosystem function in the Colorado River Delta is thought to have important social, economic, political and cultural impacts. The nature and extent of these impacts, however, are not well established or studied. Given the importance of having an integrated framework to monitor the social, economic, political and cultural (hereafter abbreviated to “social”) impacts of Delta restoration, Sonoran Institute and partner NGOs identified key social impacts, and relevant metrics, of Colorado River Delta restoration.
This study describes the process of selecting key social impacts and metrics for Colorado River Delta restoration and the next steps in tacking and monitoring them. The social metrics will enable restoration partners to integrate social objectives into their restoration planning and implementation processes, compare the social impacts of various project activities, and clearly communicate impacts with relevant stakeholders and funders.