Gary Mcdowell
Biographic Data
| ID | 1186512 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Gary Mcdowell |
| GIVEN NAMES | Gary |
| FAMILY NAME | Mcdowell |
| SIGNATURE | MCDOWELL G |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of British Columbia |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-2302-2598 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 84 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2004 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Institutional Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation for Mountain Guides in the Canadian Rockies
Recent revisions by Parks Canada to the National Park Guided Business Licence (NPGBL) program were, in part, a response to challenges that threatened the organization's Charter and Mandate (eg high visitation and congestion). However, findings from this study demonstrate that the revisions have also yielded unintended consequences for mountain guides, including those working in the rapidly changing Canadian Rockies. Using a mixed-methods approach…
The implications of warmer winters for ice climbing: A case study of the Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire, USA
Ice climbing is important to the culture and economies of mountain communities worldwide. However, warming winters call into question the future of livelihoods associated with ice climbing. In response, this case study presents observed and simulated ice climbing conditions in the Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire, USA, as well as local climbing guide's experiences of and responses to these changes. First, variability in ice conditions were …
Lived experiences of ‘peak water’ in the high mountains of Nepal and Peru
Peak water describes the hydrological response of glacier-fed rivers to climate change, indicating that warming first drives increasing discharge until a glacier mass loss threshold is surpassed and discharge falls below values observed prior to contemporary climate warming. Although the physical principles of peak water are well understood and accepted, there remains little empirical work evaluating how hydrological dynamics associated with peak…
Adaptation to climate change induced water stress in major glacierized mountain regions
Mountains are a critical source of water. Cryospheric and hydrological changes in combination with socio-economic development are threatening downstream water security triggering the need for effective adaptation responses. Here, we present a global systematic review (83 peer-reviewed articles) that assesses different water-related stressors and the adaptation responses to manage water stress in major glaciated mountain regions. Globally, agricul…
Closing the Adaptation Gap in Mountains
Over 1 billion people are living at the frontlines of climate change in mountain areas, where warming rates outpace the global average and are driving significant changes in environments and ecosystem services. These changes are exacerbating socioeconomic difficulties faced by many mountain communities, and are already intensifying vulnerabilities across mountain areas globally. The situation is indicative of pervasive and consequential deficits …
A Nationally Coherent Characterization and Quantification of Mountain Systems in Canada
Much of Canada is covered by vast and diverse mountains, yet numerous fundamental aspects of Canadian mountain systems have yet to be systematically characterized and quantified in a nationally coherent manner. In response, we delineated mountain areas in Canada according to the Kapos et al definition of mountain areas (K1) and then developed a classification scheme that subdivides K1 into 10 major mountain regions within Canada. Using these boun…
Progress in climate change adaptation in the Arctic
Climate adaptation is a priority for Arctic regions which are witnessing some of the most rapid warming globally. Studies have documented examples of adaptation responses in the Arctic, but assessments evaluating if and how progress is being made over time remain scarce. We identify and examine adaptation progress in the Arctic using a systematic tracking methodology to compare adaptations documented during 2014–19 to those documented for the per…
The Canadian Mountain Network: Advancing Innovative, Solutions-Based Research to Inform Decision-Making
The Canadian Mountain Network (CMN) launched in 2019 as a new national research network dedicated to the resilience and health of mountain peoples and places. Supported by complementary training, knowledge mobilization, and networking programs, CMN's research program represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to identify and address mountain knowledge gaps in Canada. Working with Indigenous and Western ways of knowing, the Network will support…
The Resilience of Indigenous Peoples to Environmental Change
Indigenous peoples globally have high exposure to environmental change and are often considered an "at-risk" population, although there is growing evidence of their resilience. In this Perspective, we examine the common factors affecting this resilience by illustrating how the interconnected roles of place, agency, institutions, collective action, Indigenous knowledge, and learning help Indigenous peoples to cope and adapt to environmental change…
Vulnerability and its discontents: The past, present, and future of climate change vulnerability research
The concept of vulnerability is well established in the climate change literature, underpinning significant research effort. The ability of vulnerability research to capture the complexities of climate-society dynamics has been increasingly questioned, however. In this paper, we identify, characterize, and evaluate concerns over the use of vulnerability approaches in the climate change field based on a review of peer-reviewed articles published s…
Mountain Ice and Water: Investigations of the Hydrologic Cycle in Alpine Environments
Reviewed: Mountain Ice and Water: Investigations of the Hydrologic Cycle in Alpine Environments. Edited by Gregory B. Greenwood and John F. Shroder. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier, 2016. xiv + 388 pp. Hardcover: US$ 122.50, ISBN 978-0-444-63787-1. E-book: US$ 122.50, ISBN 978-0-444-63788-8
Adaptation action and research in glaciated mountain systems: Are they enough to meet the challenge of climate change
Unpacking social-ecological transformations: Conceptual, ethical and methodological insights
Social-ecological systems contribute to environmental change and, in turn, face its corresponding shocks and disturbances. As scholarship on resilience and social-ecological transformations grows, researchers from various disciplines continue to debate how major transitions and environmental change can be anticipated, studied or guided towards just and ethical outcomes. To this end, we apply an interdisciplinary perspective to describing key aspe…
Community‐based adaptation research in the Canadian Arctic
Community‐based adaptation ( CBA ) has emerged over the last decade as an approach to empowering communities to plan for and cope with the impacts of climate change. While such approaches have been widely advocated, few have critically examined the tensions and challenges that CBA brings. Responding to this gap, this article critically examines the use of CBA approaches with Inuit communities in Canada. We suggest that CBA holds significant promi…
Community-level climate change vulnerability research: Trends, progress, and future directions
This study systematically identifies, characterizes, and critically evaluates community-level climate change vulnerability assessments published over the last 25 years ( n = 274). We find that while the field has advanced considerably in terms of conceptual framing and methodological approaches, key shortcomings remain in how vulnerability is being studied at the community-level. We argue that vulnerability research needs to more critically engag…
The state of climate change adaptation in the Arctic
The Arctic climate is rapidly changing, with wide ranging impacts on natural and social systems. A variety of adaptation policies, programs and practices have been adopted to this end, yet our understanding of if, how, and where adaptation is occurring is limited. In response, this paper develops a systematic approach to characterize the current state of adaptation in the Arctic. Using reported adaptations in the English language peer reviewed li…
The Dynamic Multiscale Nature of Climate Change Vulnerability: An Inuit Harvesting Example
This article advances a vulnerability framework to understand how climatic risks and change are experienced and responded to by Inuit harvesters using a case study from Iqaluit, Nunavut. The article makes important contributions to methodological design in vulnerability studies, emphasizing the importance of longitudinal study design, real-time observations of human–environment interactions, community-based monitoring, and mixed methods. Fieldwor…
Constitutional Dialogues
The Resilience of Indigenous Peoples to Environmental Change
Indigenous peoples globally have high exposure to environmental change and are often considered an "at-risk" population, although there is growing evidence of their resilience. In this Perspective, we examine the common factors affecting this resilience by illustrating how the interconnected roles of place, agency, institutions, collective action, Indigenous knowledge, and learning help Indigenous peoples to cope and adapt to environmental change…
The Dynamic Multiscale Nature of Climate Change Vulnerability: An Inuit Harvesting Example
This article advances a vulnerability framework to understand how climatic risks and change are experienced and responded to by Inuit harvesters using a case study from Iqaluit, Nunavut. The article makes important contributions to methodological design in vulnerability studies, emphasizing the importance of longitudinal study design, real-time observations of human–environment interactions, community-based monitoring, and mixed methods. Fieldwor…
Adaptation action and research in glaciated mountain systems: Are they enough to meet the challenge of climate change
Unpacking social-ecological transformations: Conceptual, ethical and methodological insights
Social-ecological systems contribute to environmental change and, in turn, face its corresponding shocks and disturbances. As scholarship on resilience and social-ecological transformations grows, researchers from various disciplines continue to debate how major transitions and environmental change can be anticipated, studied or guided towards just and ethical outcomes. To this end, we apply an interdisciplinary perspective to describing key aspe…
Constitutional Dialogues
The Dynamic Multiscale Nature of Climate Change Vulnerability: An Inuit Harvesting Example
This article advances a vulnerability framework to understand how climatic risks and change are experienced and responded to by Inuit harvesters using a case study from Iqaluit, Nunavut. The article makes important contributions to methodological design in vulnerability studies, emphasizing the importance of longitudinal study design, real-time observations of human–environment interactions, community-based monitoring, and mixed methods. Fieldwor…
The state of climate change adaptation in the Arctic
The Arctic climate is rapidly changing, with wide ranging impacts on natural and social systems. A variety of adaptation policies, programs and practices have been adopted to this end, yet our understanding of if, how, and where adaptation is occurring is limited. In response, this paper develops a systematic approach to characterize the current state of adaptation in the Arctic. Using reported adaptations in the English language peer reviewed li…
Community‐based adaptation research in the Canadian Arctic
Community‐based adaptation ( CBA ) has emerged over the last decade as an approach to empowering communities to plan for and cope with the impacts of climate change. While such approaches have been widely advocated, few have critically examined the tensions and challenges that CBA brings. Responding to this gap, this article critically examines the use of CBA approaches with Inuit communities in Canada. We suggest that CBA holds significant promi…
Community-level climate change vulnerability research: Trends, progress, and future directions
This study systematically identifies, characterizes, and critically evaluates community-level climate change vulnerability assessments published over the last 25 years ( n = 274). We find that while the field has advanced considerably in terms of conceptual framing and methodological approaches, key shortcomings remain in how vulnerability is being studied at the community-level. We argue that vulnerability research needs to more critically engag…
Vulnerability and its discontents: The past, present, and future of climate change vulnerability research
The concept of vulnerability is well established in the climate change literature, underpinning significant research effort. The ability of vulnerability research to capture the complexities of climate-society dynamics has been increasingly questioned, however. In this paper, we identify, characterize, and evaluate concerns over the use of vulnerability approaches in the climate change field based on a review of peer-reviewed articles published s…
Mountain Ice and Water: Investigations of the Hydrologic Cycle in Alpine Environments
Reviewed: Mountain Ice and Water: Investigations of the Hydrologic Cycle in Alpine Environments. Edited by Gregory B. Greenwood and John F. Shroder. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier, 2016. xiv + 388 pp. Hardcover: US$ 122.50, ISBN 978-0-444-63787-1. E-book: US$ 122.50, ISBN 978-0-444-63788-8
Adaptation action and research in glaciated mountain systems: Are they enough to meet the challenge of climate change
Unpacking social-ecological transformations: Conceptual, ethical and methodological insights
Social-ecological systems contribute to environmental change and, in turn, face its corresponding shocks and disturbances. As scholarship on resilience and social-ecological transformations grows, researchers from various disciplines continue to debate how major transitions and environmental change can be anticipated, studied or guided towards just and ethical outcomes. To this end, we apply an interdisciplinary perspective to describing key aspe…
Progress in climate change adaptation in the Arctic
Climate adaptation is a priority for Arctic regions which are witnessing some of the most rapid warming globally. Studies have documented examples of adaptation responses in the Arctic, but assessments evaluating if and how progress is being made over time remain scarce. We identify and examine adaptation progress in the Arctic using a systematic tracking methodology to compare adaptations documented during 2014–19 to those documented for the per…
The Canadian Mountain Network: Advancing Innovative, Solutions-Based Research to Inform Decision-Making
The Canadian Mountain Network (CMN) launched in 2019 as a new national research network dedicated to the resilience and health of mountain peoples and places. Supported by complementary training, knowledge mobilization, and networking programs, CMN's research program represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to identify and address mountain knowledge gaps in Canada. Working with Indigenous and Western ways of knowing, the Network will support…
The Resilience of Indigenous Peoples to Environmental Change
Indigenous peoples globally have high exposure to environmental change and are often considered an "at-risk" population, although there is growing evidence of their resilience. In this Perspective, we examine the common factors affecting this resilience by illustrating how the interconnected roles of place, agency, institutions, collective action, Indigenous knowledge, and learning help Indigenous peoples to cope and adapt to environmental change…
Closing the Adaptation Gap in Mountains
Over 1 billion people are living at the frontlines of climate change in mountain areas, where warming rates outpace the global average and are driving significant changes in environments and ecosystem services. These changes are exacerbating socioeconomic difficulties faced by many mountain communities, and are already intensifying vulnerabilities across mountain areas globally. The situation is indicative of pervasive and consequential deficits …
A Nationally Coherent Characterization and Quantification of Mountain Systems in Canada
Much of Canada is covered by vast and diverse mountains, yet numerous fundamental aspects of Canadian mountain systems have yet to be systematically characterized and quantified in a nationally coherent manner. In response, we delineated mountain areas in Canada according to the Kapos et al definition of mountain areas (K1) and then developed a classification scheme that subdivides K1 into 10 major mountain regions within Canada. Using these boun…
Lived experiences of ‘peak water’ in the high mountains of Nepal and Peru
Peak water describes the hydrological response of glacier-fed rivers to climate change, indicating that warming first drives increasing discharge until a glacier mass loss threshold is surpassed and discharge falls below values observed prior to contemporary climate warming. Although the physical principles of peak water are well understood and accepted, there remains little empirical work evaluating how hydrological dynamics associated with peak…
Adaptation to climate change induced water stress in major glacierized mountain regions
Mountains are a critical source of water. Cryospheric and hydrological changes in combination with socio-economic development are threatening downstream water security triggering the need for effective adaptation responses. Here, we present a global systematic review (83 peer-reviewed articles) that assesses different water-related stressors and the adaptation responses to manage water stress in major glaciated mountain regions. Globally, agricul…
The implications of warmer winters for ice climbing: A case study of the Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire, USA
Ice climbing is important to the culture and economies of mountain communities worldwide. However, warming winters call into question the future of livelihoods associated with ice climbing. In response, this case study presents observed and simulated ice climbing conditions in the Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire, USA, as well as local climbing guide's experiences of and responses to these changes. First, variability in ice conditions were …
Institutional Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation for Mountain Guides in the Canadian Rockies
Recent revisions by Parks Canada to the National Park Guided Business Licence (NPGBL) program were, in part, a response to challenges that threatened the organization's Charter and Mandate (eg high visitation and congestion). However, findings from this study demonstrate that the revisions have also yielded unintended consequences for mountain guides, including those working in the rapidly changing Canadian Rockies. Using a mixed-methods approach…
Environmental Science (13 works) · Geography (13 works) · Climate change (11 works) · Environmental resource management (10 works) · Ecology (9 works) · Climate Change, Adaptation, Migration (8 works) · Environmental planning (8 works) · Cryospheric studies and observations (7 works) · Computer Science (6 works) · Adaptation (eye (5 works)