Sea’ties Regional Report – Adapting coastal cities and territories to sea level rise in North America – U.S. West Coast: Challenges and Leading practices
The Sea’ties workshop “Adapting coastal cities and territories to sea level rise in North America: U.S. West Coast” was held on September 12, 2022, in Santa Cruz, California. Third of a series of five (others being dedicated to Northern Europe, the Mediterranean region, West Africa, and the Pacific), it brought together over 50 experts and key stakeholders of coastal adaptation from across the West Coast of the U.S.
Informed by discussions held during this workshop, individual interviews, as well as insight from partners, the Sea’ties initiative of the Ocean & Climate Platform with the support of the City of Santa Cruz, the University of California in Santa Cruz and the Center for Sea Rise Solutions release the report Adapting coastal cities and territories to sea level rise in North America – U.S. West Coast: Challenges and Leading practices. This report provides an overview of trends, common challenges and leading practices developed in the region to adapt coastal cities to sea level rise and its impacts.
Mobilizing actionable knowledge to address local adaptation needs
There is no shortage of scientific data and scenarios tailored for coastal adaptation needs in the U.S. New knowledge is rapidly emerging through pilot projects, breakthrough initiatives, and networks of scientists and practitioners such as the California Coastal Dune Science Network – a network of scientists contributing to knowledge transfer – and the UCSC Coastal Resilience Lab, working on valuing the risk reduction services provided by coastal ecosystems. Yet the wealth of tools and guidelines available can conflict in their approaches and be difficult to navigate for local decision makers who need actionable, practiced-oriented, and downscaled information. Cross-sector partnerships, participatory science initiatives and local and Indigenous Traditional Knowledge are increasingly recognized as particularly relevant to generating locally relevant information. Meanwhile, cities are exploring language, framing, and communication tools that are tailored and co-designed with their targeted audience to enhance the understanding and appropriation of sea level rise.
Rooting adaptation strategies in communities’ visions
As in other regions of the world, the intersection of socio-economic inequalities and vulnerability to sea level rise is strong in the U.S. Socially vulnerable groups are overrepresented in coastal cities and more likely to be exposed to floods, while exhibiting distinct vulnerabilities. Adaptation to sea level rise is therefore conditional on achieving equity and social justice objectives and can be an accelerator of social transformation. In line with this, the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative supports adaptation though an Equity-First Approach. Since coastal communities are well positioned to understand local risks and opportunities for action, community-driven adaptation can help avoid maladaptation, unlock co-benefits from adaptation measures and enable the realization of communities’ visions for the future. This entails that communities are meaningfully included and empowered in decision-making and can take up critical roles in adaptation projects, as demonstrated by organizations such as Climate Resilient Communities. Purposeful and effective engagement takes time. It implies a stronger and inclusive dialogue between local authorities and residents, as well as investing in communities, their resilience, and organizing capacity.
Delivering transformative adaptation policies
Addressing sea level rise requires combining solutions, as much as flexible governance to respond to evolving conditions and priorities over time. Coordination among jurisdictions and at scales that reflect geomorphic realities is essential not only to prevent maladaptation but to consider the full potential of local opportunities. The Surfer’s Point Living Shoreline and Managed Retreat Project led by BEACON is an example of coordinated and hybrid approach to adaptation. Organizations such as Coastal Quest or regional collaboratives of practitioners can help boost collaborations across jurisdictions and meet the technical, financial, and capacity needs of local authorities. Adapting to sea level rise at scale may be facilitated by a phased approach that integrates different scenarios over sequenced time horizons and incorporates social and equity dimensions in planning and monitoring. Several constituencies are pioneering this approach in the U.S., such as the County of Santa Barbara and the City of Santa Cruz through the Resilient Coast Santa Cruz initiative. This approach can help prepare for difficult, yet sometimes necessary options such as managed retreat. Indeed, when anticipated, consented to, and conscientiously planned, managed retreat can represent a long-term, transformative options in certain areas.
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