Case Study: Preparing Coastal Communities for Climate Change
A Southeast CASC-supported case study in the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit highlights how social and ecological groups can effectively collaborate to plan for coastal adaptation.
Coastal regions in the eastern U.S are facing unique challenges when it comes to climate change due to the combination of sea level rise, wetland drainage, land-use change, and coastal development. Coastal ecosystems are not only valued because of their role as natural storm barriers and a source for clean water, but they also serve as areas for recreation and historical heritage. To maintain these services, coastal communities are focusing on their ability to adapt to the environmental and socio-economic stressors caused by climate change.
A USGS and Southeast CASC supported project that helped establish the Cape Romain Partnership for Coastal Protection to assist coastal communities adapt to change was highlighted as a case study written by the Southeast CASC Climate Science Translation and Communications Fellow, Kristen Fontana, for the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit. The partnership consists of federal and state resource agencies and local conservation organizations serving underrepresented communities who came together to guide future coastal adaptation planning. The case study demonstrated how collaboration and concentrated efforts were used to achieve long-term adaptation goals and provide an example to other vulnerable regions for effective engagement and informed decision-making across different interest groups.
This work is supported by the Southeast CASC project, “Climate Change Adaptation for Coastal National Wildlife Refuges”.
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