Hazard Resilient Coastal Communities

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Hazard Resilient Coastal Communities
Sea Grant Regional Workshop

• Margaret A. Davidson
• Director, NOAAs Coastal Services Center
• May 8, 2007

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ChallengeCreating Hazard Resilient Coastal
Communities

• To harness and leverage NOAA and community
  resources to create hazard resilient coastal
  communities.
• Residents of coastal counties expected to
  increase to 160M by 2008
• 56.3 of U.S. National GDP contributed by coastal
  watershed counties (National Ocean Economics
  Program)
• Threats to coastal communities from extreme
  natural events including hurricane and coastal
  storms coastal inundation and erosion tsunamis
  sea level rise
• Economic losses from the 2005 hurricane season
  were 200 billion (costliest ever)
• Insured U.S. weather-related losses are growing
  10x faster than premiums and growing industry
  trend of policy cancellations increases coastal
  community vulnerability
• Natural features (e.g., wetlands) can reduce
  storm surge impacts on coastal communities

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ChallengeDefining Community Resilience

• Resilience/resilient The capacity of a system,
  community, or society potentially exposed to
  hazards to adapt, by resisting or changing, in
  order to reach and maintain an acceptable level
  of functioning and structure.
• OSTP/CENR Subcommittee for Disaster Reduction
  (June 2005)

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Challenge Defining Community Resilience

• In short
• Resilience is about building the capacity to
  bounce back
• Rather than reacting exclusively to easily
  identified vulnerabilities. . .
• The concept of resilience emphasizes local
  strengths and capabilities Cultivating those
  community elements that can make the biggest
  difference between a crisis and a catastrophe

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ChallengeDefining NOAAs Role

• How does NOAA help coastal communities become
  resilient?
• Communities have the data, models, tools
  training to understand their vulnerability to
  coastal hazards and how to reduce it.
• Communities have information (e.g., land use,
  natural resource) and understand best practices
  to minimize development in high hazard risk areas
  (e.g., floodplains, tsunami inundation zones,
  etc)
• Communities have training and capacity building
  to effectively translate information about
  coastal hazards and how to avoid their impacts to
  the public and key decision makers.

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NOAA Regional DimensionKey Hazard-Related Issues
Identified by Regional Collaboration Teams

• Alaska  Climate change and associated loss of
  sea ice, impacting  coastal erosion, fisheries
  management, marine mammal management, shipping,
  offshore oil and gas development, subsistence
  lifestyles, and ecosystem conditions 
• Pacific Islands  Potentially catastrophic
  coastal hazards (e.g., coastal storms, flooding,
  tsunamis, drought), requiring improved planning
  and response
• Western  Climate change and active geologic
  features impacting an extensive coastline with
  large population centers

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NOAA Regional DimensionKey Hazard-Related Issues
Identified by Regional Collaboration Teams

• Southeast Caribbean  Major storm events and
  their impact on communities and ecosystems
• North Atlantic Severe storms, population/developm
  ent pressures, coastal inundation and regional
  scale impacts of climate change
• South Atlantic  Population/development
  pressures, changing social and economic
  environment, severe storms, coastal inundation
• Great Lakes Weather impacts on commerce and
  transportation, severe storm events, and changing
  ecosystems

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National DimensionFederal Priorities

• Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction (SDR) Grand
  Challenges for Disaster Reduction
• Establishes a framework of priorities and desired
  outcomes to promote hazard resilient communities.
• Implementation plans in development to address
  specific disaster related issues (e.g.,
  hurricanes, coastal inundation).
• US Group on Earth Observations (USGEO) SDR
  Improved Observations for Disaster Reduction
  Near Term Opportunity Plan
• Identifies regionally based pilots to enhance
  observation capabilities to reduce natural hazard
  vulnerability and enhance resilienceSouthern
  California Gulf of Mexico.

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National DimensionFederal Priorities

• Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Second
  Implementation Conference
• Observations for coastal inundation identified as
  priority need.
• US Climate Change Science Program
• FY2007 Our Changing Planet includes several goals
  in support of enhancing coastal community
  resilience.
• Safe transportation theme supports hazard
  resilient coastal communities.
• Ocean Research Priority Plan Forecasting the
  Response of Coastal Ecosystems to Persistent
  Forcing and Extreme Events Near Term Opportunity
  Plan (FY08)
• Supports end-to-end development and integration
  of observations, research, and forecast models
  into decision support tools to address the
  impacts of coastal storms on both the built and
  natural environment. Includes regionally based
  pilots.

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NOAA Sea GrantUnderstanding threats and
shaping future decisions about resiliency

• NOAA and Sea Grant are uniquely positioned to
• Help coastal communities understand changing
  conditions and threats and shape future decisions
  to enhance resiliency
• Convene public, private, and non-profit partners
  collecting and applying resilience-related
  information and models
• Why?
• NOAA is involved in all aspects of resilience
  (e.g., data, models, tools, decision support,
  best practices, education) and serves to
  integrate them to improve decision-making Sea
  Grant integrates science, best practices
  outreach to inform public policy.
• As a science and information agency, NOAA is seen
  as an honest broker by partners and users Sea
  Grant hold same capacity in education outreach.
• Exercising its authorities and mandates, NOAA and
  Sea Grant can influence the comprehensive
  implementation of state authorities in the
  nation's coastal areas.

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NOAA Sea GrantUnderstanding threats and
shaping future decisions about resiliency

• NOAA and Sea Grant are uniquely positioned to
• Help coastal communities understand changing
  conditions and threats and shape future decisions
  to enhance resiliency
• Convene public, private, and non-profit partners
  collecting and applying resilience-related
  information and models
• Why?
• NOAA is involved in all aspects of resilience
  (e.g., data, models, tools, decision support,
  best practices, education) and serves to
  integrate them to improve decision-making Sea
  Grant contributes to these capabilities and
  provides on the ground execution.
• As a science and information agency, NOAA is seen
  as an honest broker by partners and users Sea
  Grant extends these relationships down to the
  regional, state and local levels.
• Exercising its authorities and mandates, NOAA and
  Sea Grant can influence the comprehensive
  implementation of state authorities in the
  nation's coastal areas.

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NOAA Hazards TeamRegional representation

• N. Atlantic Region Amy Holman, [phone]
  x102
• Betsy Nicholson, [phone]
• Southeast Caribbean Region Judy Gray, (305)
  361-4306
• Gulf of Mexico Region Todd Davison, (770)
  486-0028
• Great Lakes Joshua Lott, [phone] x178
• Mary Baker, [phone]
• Western Becky Smyth, [phone]
• Pacific Eileen Shea, [phone]