Welcome to ERIT, Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Institute Toolkit. ERIT is an interactive resource to help local governments in Indiana and beyond effectively deliver services to their communities even as the climate changes. Decision makers can create an integrated package of information tailored specifically to their community and their needs.
Once users select areas of interest, they will find information about: the risks posed by climate change to the issues of concern; relevant adaptation strategies; case studies illustrating how other communities have successfully adapted to those risks and tools to replicate their successes; and other resources, including funding opportunities. Users will find contact information for people who can provide more information about specific projects and resources.
ERIT has a special emphasis on Midwestern communities and on small to mid-sized communities in both rural and urban areas.
Description of the video:
Ellen: Hi, I’m Ellen Ketterson, Director of Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute and with me is Janet McCabe, who is Director of Policy and Implementation. We are delighted to welcome you the Environmental Resilience Institute Toolkit, or what we are calling ERIT. ERIT is a project supported by the Prepared for Environmental Change Grand Challenge.
Janet: Hi everyone. Communities in the Midwest are already experiencing more frequent floods, hotter temperatures, poorer air quality and more. ERIT is a free, interactive resource developed to help local governments and community leaders plan for these kinds of environmental changes. While not explicitly limited to issues affecting the Midwest, its development by experts at Indiana University brings a Midwestern focus.
Ellen: ERIT was built in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with input from Indiana municipalities. As an online resource center, ERIT provides information about the risks posed by environmental change and delivers strategies for planning and preparedness, along with tools, trainings, and funding opportunities to facilitate implementation. ERIT also provides contact information, so you will be able to talk directly to people in other communities who have already implemented projects you might be interested in.
Janet: Using ERIT, you can create a package of information tailored to your interests and where you live. The tool’s broad array of topics includes parks, wetlands, energy efficiency, wind and solar energy, agriculture, resilience planning, extreme heat, algal blooms, flooding and more.
The case studies database illustrates how other communities with similar concerns have already adapted. Each case study provides a summary of the project, information on how it was completed, recommendations for replicating the effort, and contact information for the project manager.
Ellen: Maybe you are just beginning down this path, or maybe you are well on your way. Maybe you have a project or program you have implemented in your community that you would like to share. ERIT’s resources will assist you as you make decisions about how to help your residents adapt to the changes we are already experiencing, as well as those that will occur in the future.
Janet: We hope you find ERIT valuable.
