Four Steps to Build a Resilient Community

Recent headlines bring attention to the challenges of global warming and sea-level rise.  According to NASA analysis, the global average surface temperature rose between 1.1 and 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit in the period from 1906 to 2005 [1]. As a result, a corresponding rise in sea-levels threatens coastal communities and ecosystems. Here in South Florida, the Unified Sea Level Rise projection estimates between 14 to 34 inches of sea level rise in 2060 and 31-81 inches of sea level rise by 2100 [2].  

Our communities are already seeing the impacts of climate change, and city administrators and elected officials face the task of leading their stakeholders through adaptation and mitigation strategies.  But where can city leaders begin? The following four steps start the journey towards building community resiliency:

1)  Know your community- Each community is unique, and understanding your communities’ specific areas of vulnerability is important to guide the planning.

• Use LiDAR maps showing the elevation of your community to identify areas (streets and property) most vulnerable to flooding
• Review historical flooding areas.  Are these low lying areas, or areas that suffer from poor stormwater systems?
• Create an atlas of existing infrastructure, including stormwater pipes, sewer pipes, electrical equipment, pump stations and their elevations
• Install water level gauges across your City to monitor the progress of sea-level rise in your community, and use this information to plan and prioritize mitigation projects

2)  Plan and Prioritize- Once you know your community vulnerabilities, prioritize the City resiliency projects. 

• Develop order of magnitude estimates for infrastructure projects, and prioritize based on when infrastructure would be affected based on sea-level rise projections
• Evaluate changes to current codes that reduce risk to the community in future projects (e.g. increase minimum elevation of buildings, increase percentage of pervious surfaces, develop or enhance green building code)
• Incorporate solutions that enhance resiliency in future projects (e.g. upgrading to permeable pavements, increasing stormwater capacity of swales)
• Maintain and/or expand city-owned coastal preserves to serve as buffer against storm surge
• Enhance pedestrian and bicycle connectivity to encourage alternate modes of transportation
• Become greener in your operations.  Consider LED conversion, using energy efficient HVAC systems and appliances, electric vehicle charging stations to incentivize electric vehicles, convert to more energy efficient fleet, etc.

3)  Fund the plan- Having determined the road map, work on the funding strategy with community stakeholders.

• Set aside money each fiscal year to be able to fund the plan as the need arises
• Develop a stormwater fee that is reflective of the future improvements the community will need
• Apply for grants that can be used for increasing stormwater capacity, encourage alternate modes of transportation,  and green initiatives (e.g. Department of Environmental Protection grants, State Legislative Appropriations, or FDOT grants)

4)  Communicate- Perhaps the most important action is to actively communicate throughout the process.

• Involve the residents- Many times residents are the first to see the impacts of sea-level rise.  Listen and incorporate their feedback into the plan
• Communicate the plan- Whether preliminary or almost on its final stage, communicate the plan often. Knowing that City officials understand the issues and have a plan to address it, eases anxiety in the community
• Work collaboratively with FEMA, insurance, and credit rating agencies to communicate the City’s preparedness for the challenges ahead.  This way, they can properly evaluate the risks taking into account the community’s good planning practices

The best time to build a sustainable and resilient community for our children is now.

References:
[1] “Global Warming,” NASA Earth Observatory, https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/GlobalWarming/page1.php, accessed on 10/01/2019.
[2] “Unified Sea Level Rise Projection – Southeast Florida,” Sea Level Rise Work Group, http://www.southeastfloridaclimatecompact.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/2015-Compact-Unified-Sea-Level-Rise-Projection.pdf, accessed on 10/01/2019.
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