Adaptation Strategies
From coastalwiki
This page will list a selection of adapation stratgies focussing on the problem of sea level rise and possibly other climate change issues. Sea level rise adaptation measures are generally classified in to four categories:
- Do nothing
- not really a strategy, but must be studied as an option for comparing the relative cost of other strategies.
- Protection
- shielding land uses from sea level rise impacts. Typically, but not exclusively, this involves engineering solutions such as sea walls, breakwaters, sacrifical dunes, or beach nourishment.
- Accomodation
- adjusting land uses to enable living with sea level rise impacts. Examples include floodproofing or raising existing structures, stormwater improvements, and building code changes.
- Retreat
- relocating land uses away from sea level rise impacts. "Retreat" is a jargon term whose definition is somewhat different from its everyday meaning, which many people interpret as meaning a forced evacuation or abandonment of property. Because of this common confusion in communicating about sea level rise adaptation, some experts prefer to use a different word than "retreat" here, but "retreat" nevertheless remains the standard terminology. Examples of retreat include public acquisition of undeveloped land, zoning changes, property buy-back grants, and conservation easements.
Until this page is more fully developed, the Coastal Wiki is a good reference which is maintained by experts.
News and other Press
- Marshfield receives $1.25 million seawall grant Marshfield Mariner, 14 January 2014
- Sandy task force says spend now for future storms Boston Globe, 20 August 2013.
- The Beach Builders: Can the Jersey Shore be saved? The New Yorker, 22 July 2013.
- Chappaquiddick mansion: Man vs. sea vs. neighbors Boston Globe 28 April 2013.
- Plum Island Homeowners Ignore State Regulations, Shore Up Homes WBUR 22 March 2013.
- Luhrs v. Whatcom County (March 2011) Press release from the Pacific Legal Foundation regarding a 2011 Washington State legal case where an individual homeowner successfully fought for the legal ability to build a stone revetment to secure the eroding coastal bluff at property edge, against the wishes of the county permitting bodies. Legal argument based on Washington State Constitution and statute.
