DR. ROZA TCHOUKALEYSKA

How does climate change affect coastal communities in Newfoundland and Labrador? Dr. Roza Tchoukaleyska, assistant professor, environment and sustainability, set out to explore that through a symposium titled Coastal Communities in Changing Climate: Impacts, Challenges, and Solutions for Gros Morne.

The initiative, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), was an outreach program held in Corner Brook and Rocky Harbour. The event brought together researchers, practitioners, and community members from across Canada to exchange and extend current knowledge on the impacts of climate change on coastal communities.

"Through this event we built new synergies that allowed us to grow our understanding of the intersections between climate change modeling, socio-economic impacts and infrastructure requirements," said Dr. Tchoukaleyska. "Our aim is to create a venue for discussing adaptation options, tools and techniques and to build a framework for innovative solutions."

Dr. Tchoukaleyska is hopeful that the symposium and resulting website will serve as a public forum for discussing climate change adaptation strategies and will strengthen knowledge networks in Newfoundland.

Another SSHRC grant, a three-year Insight Development grant, is allowing Dr. Tchoukaleyska to investigate the impact of high-rise revitalization on suburban public spaces in Canada and France.

"The purpose is to look at public space and high-rise neighbourhoods," said Dr. Tchoukaleyska.

While her work is theoretical, ultimately the question is how public space is defined. With respect to social housing districts, for example, she said, "the question was how do we define the public? How does the city work with this notion? And what are the shortcomings of how we understand the public and how that changes in terms of whether it’s a social housing district, a city centre district, a sub-urban district or a rural district?"

In 2018 Dr. Tchoukaleyska was awarded the Fogo Island Fellowship – funded by Memorial University and the Shorefast Foundation. And most recently, she has been a collaborator in the food loop project on the southwest coast, funded by the Harris Centre’s Thriving Regions project.

"This research has to do with circular economies and food groups," said Dr. Tchoukaleyska, who is working with Drs. Raymond Thomas and Bonnie White on the project. "We are looking at how one entity can be used in different settings. So, in our case we are looking at moose. Moose hunting is very important to the southwest coast.”

Aspects being investigated in this project include lipids that could be used in pharmaceuticals, as well as how cultivating moose relates to agricultural histories and heritage.

"I will look at stories around moose and how we can develop tourism around that," she said, adding that an entire economy could be created around one product.