Growing Returns

Selected tag(s): coastal protection

4 ways North Carolina’s Legislature can build lasting flood resilience

By Will McDow / Bio / Published: April 1, 2021

As North Carolina continues to recover from a string of flooding and storm disasters, legislative leaders have recognized the opportunity for the state to not just recover from recent storms but to rebuild better before the next disaster.

This week, Environmental Defense Fund released a white paper [PDF] recommending four specific policy actions that would better protect residents and businesses from more severe flooding, create jobs and increase climate resilience.

These four policies will also help the state better compete for federal funding, build capacity within communities and equitably align solutions for those who are disproportionately impacted by disasters. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged Chief Resilience Officer, coastal restoration, ecosystems, extreme weather, flood risk, flooding, hurricanes, natural infrastructure, North Carolina, resilience | Comments are closed

Coastal communities must plan for the future instead of planning from the past

By Devyani Kar / Published: September 28, 2018

Ecosystem restoration planning has traditionally been based on a desire to restore a system to some historic condition – even as conditions are constantly evolving because of climate change. Rather than planning for the future, we often look back at what the system once was and try to replicate it. But in a rapidly changing world, this model is not sustainable.

A paradigm shift, from restoration projects that solve past problems to those which address future conditions, is necessary if we’re to continue living in coastal areas.

Photo Credit: USGS

Where I work in Louisiana, the Mississippi River Delta is facing an ongoing land loss crisis, due to a host of man-made and natural causes that is further exacerbated by the increasing effects of climate change.

To face this challenge, my Restore the Mississippi River Delta coalition colleagues and I, in collaboration with Tulane University, University of New Orleans and The Water Institute of the Gulf, began an effort to improve the future performance of coastal restoration projects. We started by identifying approaches and investment opportunities that support the long-term viability of the ecosystem – and the communities and industries that depend on it.

It’s our hope that this work will help Louisiana and other coastal areas around the country better plan for the future. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged Coastal Master Plan, Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, coastal resilience, Coasts, Louisiana, Louisiana Coastal Master Plan | Comments are closed

Coastal resilience is getting high-tech, but there are still information gaps to fill

By Shannon Cunniff / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: June 20, 2018

Coastal communities are struggling to accurately understand their flooding risks and identify appropriate solutions for mitigating the effects of rising seas and increased storm surges.

Fortunately, new technologies are emerging that facilitate more rapid acquisition of more accurate data and improve data visualization to support efforts to build coastal resilience.

[Tweet “New technologies are emerging that can help communities understand risk and build coastal resilience. https://www.edf.org/Ejp”]

Leaders in the private sector have already developed bold new technologies – from satellites and sensors to machine learning – to help understand risks and develop solutions. But this fourth wave ingenuity is not limited to the private sector. Several public sector entities offer innovative and readily usable resources to help build more resilient and safer coastal communities.

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged Census Bureau, coastal resilience, coastal restoration, Coasts, department of energy, department of interior, department of transportation, FEMA, flood, flood protection, flooding map, inundation risk, NASA, NOAA, resilience planning, sea level rise, storm surges, UCS, USGS, water use | Comments are closed

What the world can learn from Louisiana about living with climate change

By Natalie Snider / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: May 3, 2018

Louisiana is emerging as a global leader in how to sustainably plan for the future in the face of increased storms, coastal erosion and rising seas. By combining nature-based solutions with traditional flood protection measures, Louisiana is a proving ground for living with climate change.

The lessons Louisiana can teach are not new, but they build upon those first taught by the Dutch. The Netherlands has taught the world innumerable lessons in flood protection – but historically, the Dutch have been primarily focused on building walls to keep water out, rather than finding more sustainable ways to protect coastal communities.

That is until recently, when the Dutch began embracing a more nature-based approach of “living with water,” similar to what is happening in Louisiana.

We can change the way we face coastal flooding challenges if we blend coastal restoration, protection and community resiliency measures. Louisiana’s multiple-lines-of-defense approach is a model for other coastal places, including the Netherlands, that are planning their futures in the face of climate change. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged climate adaptation, climate change, coastal restoration, coastlines, Coasts, community resiliency, Delta Works, Dutch, flood protection, flooding, floodplains, floods, Katrina, Louisiana, Netherlands, Rita, sea level rise, wetlands | Comments are closed

In a race against time, officials collaborate to speed up coastal restoration. Here’s how.

By David Festa / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: April 19, 2018

Louisiana is in the midst of a catastrophic land loss crisis. The state has already lost over 2,000 square miles of land, and it could lose as much as 4,000 square miles more if nothing is done to restore the coast.

As these wetlands disappear into the Gulf of Mexico, so do the natural protections that shield New Orleans and other coastal communities from rising sea levels and increasingly violent storms.

It’s a dilemma that’s playing out in coastal communities across the United States and around the world.

So it came as welcome news when state and federal regulators this month agreed to shave nearly two years off the five-year permitting process for a diversion project that will allow the mighty Mississippi River to do its natural business of building much-needed land.

It’s an acknowledgment that we’ve no time to lose in preparing for the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience / Also tagged Coastal Master Plan, coastal restoration, Coasts, community resilience, ecosystems, federal policy, Louisiana, Mid-Barataria, Mississippi River, sediment diversion | Comments are closed

4 ways to strengthen coastal communities’ resilience before the next storm

By EDF Staff / Published: April 12, 2018

This blog was authored by Shannon Cunniff, with contributions from Kate Zerrenner.

The 2017 hurricane season sounded the alarm for coastal communities across the country and across the world that are facing increased exposure to powerful storms.

Nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population lives in coastal counties, where hurricanes are often the most destructive weather phenomena bringing rain, wind, waves and storm surge that too often result in significant loss of life. With a changing climate, we can expect more extreme weather. But we don’t have to expect the same levels of devastation.

There are steps we can take to decrease coastal communities’ vulnerability to storms, lower the risk of damaging floodwaters, and reduce the impacts associated with these disasters. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged adaptation, building codes, buyouts, Coastal Master Plan, coastal resilience, Coasts, flood insurance, Harvey, hurricane, Matthew, mitigation, natural infrastructure, wetlands | Read 1 Response