RESILIENT COMMUNITIES: A VULNERABILTIY ASSESSMENT IS ONLY STEP ONE

Sea level is rising and climate scientists project a rapid increase in the rise in sea level resulting from current greenhouse gas emissions and latent buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Coastal cities are rapidly coming to grips with the possibility that much of their critical facilities, infrastructure, housing and cultural and environmental assets will need to adapt to changing coastal conditions in the coming years and decades. Increasing sea level will exacerbate most of the coastal hazards that already plague coastal communities â€“ beach and bluff erosion, flooding, inundation, wave impacts, rising groundwater, saltwater intrusion and other water-related hazards.. Discussions of resilience can provide a framework to help coastal communities examine and evaluate options for minimizing the consequence of the risks. Broadly speaking, resilience covers both efforts to minimize the extent of damage to a coastal community that results from a hazard event and ways that the community responds to damages and restored community functions. As defined by the US Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps), resilience includes preparation, protection, recovery, and adaptation. In California, coastal communities are in various stages of vulnerability assessment development and adaptation planning (For example, Regional AdaptLA, USC Sea Grant, 2015). Numerous tools and studies are being developed to assist with the planning efforts. However, few communities have enacted steps beyond planning. The Coastal Community Hazard Protection Resilience Index (CCHPR Index) is a tool that helps communities evaluate adaptation options in the context of their economic, environmental and social/cultural expectations for the coast. Since development of the CCHPR Index (Ewing 2015), it has been applied to several coastal communities.

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Using Virtual Reality in Sea Level Rise Planning and Community Engagement—An Overview

Water ◽

10.3390/w13091142 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 1142

Author(s):

Juliano Calil ◽

Geraldine Fauville ◽

Anna Carolina Muller Queiroz ◽

Kelly L. Leo ◽

Alyssa G. Newton Mann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Community Outreach ◽

Coastal Communities ◽

Coastal Hazards ◽

Multidisciplinary Teams ◽

Simple Task ◽

Coastal Risks

As coastal communities around the globe contend with the impacts of climate change including coastal hazards such as sea level rise and more frequent coastal storms, educating stakeholders and the general public has become essential in order to adapt to and mitigate these risks. Communicating SLR and other coastal risks is not a simple task. First, SLR is a phenomenon that is abstract as it is physically distant from many people; second, the rise of the sea is a slow and temporally distant process which makes this issue psychologically distant from our everyday life. Virtual reality (VR) simulations may offer a way to overcome some of these challenges, enabling users to learn key principles related to climate change and coastal risks in an immersive, interactive, and safe learning environment. This article first presents the literature on environmental issues communication and engagement; second, it introduces VR technology evolution and expands the discussion on VR application for environmental literacy. We then provide an account of how three coastal communities have used VR experiences developed by multidisciplinary teams—including residents—to support communication and community outreach focused on SLR and discuss their implications.

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Resilience from coastal protection

Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences ◽

10.1098/rsta.2014.0383 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 373 (2053) ◽

pp. 20140383 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Lesley C. Ewing

Keyword(s):

Cultural Values ◽

San Francisco ◽

Coastal Communities ◽

Coastal Hazards ◽

Community Safety ◽

Coastal Protection ◽

Shore Protection ◽

Coastal Community ◽

Effective Community ◽

Key Aspects

Coastal areas are important residential, commercial and industrial areas; but coastal hazards can pose significant threats to these areas. Shoreline/coastal protection elements, both built structures such as breakwaters, seawalls and revetments, as well as natural features such as beaches, reefs and wetlands, are regular features of a coastal community and are important for community safety and development. These protection structures provide a range of resilience to coastal communities. During and after disasters, they help to minimize damages and support recovery; during non-disaster times, the values from shoreline elements shift from the narrow focus on protection. Most coastal communities have limited land and resources and few can dedicate scarce resources solely for protection. Values from shore protection can and should expand to include environmental, economic and social/cultural values. This paper discusses the key aspects of shoreline protection that influence effective community resilience and protection from disasters. This paper also presents ways that the economic, environmental and social/cultural values of shore protection can be evaluated and quantified. It presents the Coastal Community Hazard Protection Resilience (CCHPR) Index for evaluating the resilience capacity to coastal communities from various protection schemes and demonstrates the use of this Index for an urban beach in San Francisco, CA, USA.

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The NIST-NOAA Resilient Communities Cooperative Initiative and Its Contribution to Coastal Community Resilience

Marine Technology Society Journal ◽

10.4031/002533207787442367 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 41 (1) ◽

pp. 28-34 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

John Gaynor ◽

Emil Simiu

Keyword(s):

Built Environment ◽

Failure Analysis ◽

Storm Surge ◽

Coastal Areas ◽

Coastal Communities ◽

Wildland Fires ◽

Coastal Community ◽

Straight Line ◽

Resilient Communities ◽

The U.S

Inspired by the development of a collaborative plan on understanding wildland fires, their interaction with weather and the built environment, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), both within the U.S. Department of Commerce, completed a more comprehensive collaborative plan entitled “Disaster Resilient Communities: A NIST/NOAA Partnership” during the winter of 2006. This plan addresses, in addition to wildland fires, the effects on the built environment of winds (hurricanes, tornadoes, and straight-line thunderstorm-generated winds), storm surge, tsunamis, and earthquakes. Since most of the structural risks appear in coastal areas of the U.S., the plan provides some emphasis on coastal communities. The plan also has two cross-cutting themes: 1) Multi-hazard failure analysis and mitigation and 2) community scale damage forecasting, including loss estimation methodology. This paper provides an overview of the NIST-NOAA plan with a focus on the components of the plan that address issues related to the resiliency of coastal communities.

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Predictions of the Climate Change-Driven Exodus of the Town of Tangier, the Last Offshore Island Fishing Community in Virginia's Chesapeake Bay

Frontiers in Climate ◽

10.3389/fclim.2021.779774 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Zehao Wu ◽

David Schulte

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Population Decline ◽

High Tide ◽

Army Corps ◽

Army Corps Of Engineers ◽

Us Army ◽

Long Term Stability ◽

The Town

Sea-level rise (SLR) has been confirmed to be accelerating globally due to human-influence driven climate change. Multiple studies suggest many coastal communities will soon be inundated by SLR. Prior to inundation, habitable uplands above the high tide line first convert to uninhabitable wetlands, forcing human exodus. Habitability, not the land's presence above the low tide line, drives exodus. We determined the time left for uplands of the Town of Tangier of VA, USA to be converted to wetlands, analyzed local sea level rise data to determine the best local SLR scenario (low, mid, or high) fit, then compared upland conversion rate to the rate of population decline. The upland landmass constituting the Town of Tangier declined from 32.8 to 12.5 ha (1967–2019), accelerating over time, with complete conversion to wetlands predicted by 2051. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) high SLR curve is the best fit to the local tide gauge's raw data (1967–2020), indicating local sea level rise has rapidly accelerated in recent decades, concomitant with the rate of wetland conversion. The Town's population, in decline since the 1930s, accelerated rapidly after 1980 and trended downward in tandem with the conversion of the Town's uplands to wetlands. We also estimated costs to relocate the Town as well as for a conceptual plan to provide long-term stability to the Town and Island of Tangier.

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Neuro-Optometric Treatment of Complications from a Cerebellar Astrocytoma

Vision Development & Rehabilitation ◽

10.31707/vdr2020.6.4.p304 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 304-312

Keyword(s):

Visual System ◽

Common Site ◽

Us Army ◽

Cranial Nerve Palsies ◽

Pilocytic Astrocytomas ◽

The Us ◽

Extent Of Damage ◽

Functional Components ◽

The Brain

Background: Insult to the brain, whether from trauma or other etiologies, can have a devastating effect on an individual. Symptoms can be many and varied, depending on the location and extent of damage. This presentation can be a challenge to the optometrist charged with treating the sequelae of this event as multiple functional components of the visual system can be affected. Case Report: This paper describes the diagnosis and subsequent ophthalmic management of an acquired brain injury in a 22 year old male on active duty in the US Army. After developing acute neurological symptoms, the patient was diagnosed with a pilocytic astrocytoma of the cerebellum. Emergent neurosurgery to treat the neoplasm resulted in iatrogenic cranial nerve palsies and a hemispheric syndrome. Over the next 18 months, he was managed by a series of providers, including a strabismus surgeon, until presenting to our clinic. Lenses, prism, and in-office and out-of-office neurooptometric rehabilitation therapy were utilized to improve his functioning and make progress towards his goals. Conclusions: Pilocytic astrocytomas are the most common primary brain tumors, and the vast majority are benign with excellent surgical prognosis. Although the most common site is the cerebellum, the visual pathway is also frequently affected. If the eye or visual system is affected, optometrists have the ability to drastically improve quality of life with neuro-optometric rehabilitation.

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Measuring historical flooding and erosion in Goodnews Bay using datasets commonly available to Alaska communities

Shore & Beach ◽

10.34237/1008831 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 3-13

Author(s):

Richard Buzard ◽

Christopher Maio ◽

David Verbyla ◽

Nicole Kinsman ◽

Jacquelyn Overbeck

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Coastal Communities ◽

Aerial Imagery ◽

Coastal Hazards ◽

Surface Model ◽

Digital Surface Model ◽

Wave Impact ◽

Information Gap ◽

Quantitative Analyses ◽

Gnss Measurements

Coastal hazards are of increasing concern to many of Alaska’s rural communities, yet quantitative assessments remain absent over much of the coast. To demonstrate how to fill this critical information gap, an erosion and flood analysis was conducted for Goodnews Bay using an assortment of datasets that are commonly available to Alaska coastal communities. Measurements made from orthorectified aerial imagery from 1957 to 2016 show the shoreline eroded 0 to 15.6 m at a rate that posed no immediate risk to current infrastructure. Storm surge flood risk was assessed using a combination of written accounts, photographs of storm impacts, GNSS measurements, hindcast weather models, and a digital surface model. Eight past storms caused minor to major flooding. Wave impact hour calculations showed that the record storm in 2011 doubled the typical annual wave impact hours. Areas at risk of erosion and flooding in Goodnews Bay were identified using publicly available datasets common to Alaska coastal communities; this work demonstrates that the data and tools exist to perform quantitative analyses of coastal hazards across Alaska.

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Assessing inundation damage and timing of adaptation: sea level rise and the complexities of land use in coastal communities

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change ◽

10.1007/s11027-013-9448-0 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 551-568 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Brenda B. Lin ◽

Yong Bing Khoo ◽

Matthew Inman ◽

Chi-Hsiang Wang ◽

Sorada Tapsuwan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Coastal Communities

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Quantifying Uncertainty in Exposure to Coastal Hazards Associated with Both Climate Change and Adaptation Strategies: A U.S. Pacific Northwest Alternative Coastal Futures Analysis

Water ◽

10.3390/w13040545 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 545

Author(s):

Alexis K. Mills ◽

Peter Ruggiero ◽

John P. Bolte ◽

Katherine A. Serafin ◽

Eva Lipiec

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Sea Level Rise ◽

Sea Level ◽

Performance Metrics ◽

Coastal Flooding ◽

Water Levels ◽

Coastal Hazards ◽

Policy Decisions ◽

Management Decisions ◽

Quantifying Uncertainty

Coastal communities face heightened risk to coastal flooding and erosion hazards due to sea-level rise, changing storminess patterns, and evolving human development pressures. Incorporating uncertainty associated with both climate change and the range of possible adaptation measures is essential for projecting the evolving exposure to coastal flooding and erosion, as well as associated community vulnerability through time. A spatially explicit agent-based modeling platform, that provides a scenario-based framework for examining interactions between human and natural systems across a landscape, was used in Tillamook County, OR (USA) to explore strategies that may reduce exposure to coastal hazards within the context of climate change. Probabilistic simulations of extreme water levels were used to assess the impacts of variable projections of sea-level rise and storminess both as individual climate drivers and under a range of integrated climate change scenarios through the end of the century. Additionally, policy drivers, modeled both as individual management decisions and as policies integrated within adaptation scenarios, captured variability in possible human response to increased hazards risk. The relative contribution of variability and uncertainty from both climate change and policy decisions was quantified using three stakeholder relevant landscape performance metrics related to flooding, erosion, and recreational beach accessibility. In general, policy decisions introduced greater variability and uncertainty to the impacts of coastal hazards than climate change uncertainty. Quantifying uncertainty across a suite of coproduced performance metrics can help determine the relative impact of management decisions on the adaptive capacity of communities under future climate scenarios.

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