Building Heat Resilience from the Ground Up

In the vibrant state of South Carolina, with increased environmental risk and vulnerability, there is an increased need for climate resilience. We want communities to be more prepared for unexpected environmental shocks, such as Hurricane Helene. That is where the Shi Institute comes in, working with communities to help them identify and address their needs.

My name is Aruzhan Sakhariyanova, and I am a senior from Astana, Kazakhstan. This summer, I am working with Adelaide Bates, our Climate Resilience Manager, as the Heat Adaptation Fellow. Throughout my fellowship, my goal is to complete community outreach and conduct research on strengthening resilience to climate-related vulnerabilities in the Town of Bluffton.

Back in my country and in my second home, Greenville, I have seen unexpected natural hazards affect people’s daily lives. What’s important in my fellowship is not only researching what potential mitigation strategies can be implemented, but also asking the community members what they want to see and how extreme heat affects them. While understanding the urgency of the action, our goal is to ensure that the planned implementations are wanted and utilized by the residents.

Throughout my academic experiences at Furman, I have developed an interest in the intersection of justice and sustainability. The Shi Institute’s applied research helps us identify groups at higher risk of high heat or recognize historically marginalized groups that might need to be prioritized.

In just the first two weeks of working, I had an opportunity to meet the local government staff members of municipalities like Charleston, Summerville, and Bluffton. From these conversations, I learned and noted what strategies other cities are implementing and got inspired. Alongside my background research on Bluffton, heat action planning, and community resilience, I’m developing surveys and interviews for community members to gain deeper insight into local needs and help create a well-rounded engagement strategy.

I am confident that my experience as a Heat Adaptation Fellow at the Shi Institute will prepare me for future work in the public sector of sustainability while emphasizing the importance of cross-sector collaboration. In addition, I hope to build my organizational and collaborative skills by engaging with the initial phases of Bluffton’s resilience planning and implementation process.

Earlier this month, I visited Beaufort County in person, where I not only had a chance to survey local residents and local government staff but also get to know the region that I am working with better. As a rising senior, this research will support my Sustainability Science class in their upcoming Practicum project, which will build on the foundation of this work and the insights we gather. I’m excited to witness the full execution of this project and hope that it will inspire other cities across South Carolina to strengthen their own resilience efforts.