Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Puerto Rico, USVI
Over the past two decades the use of living shorelines to address coastal erosion has increased dramatically as landowners seek more natural solutions to shoreline stabilization. Approaches for protecting coastal properties from erosion and coastal storms traditionally have focused on erecting hard structures, but hardened shorelines can complicate coastal adaptation needs, and may be counterproductive in the face of inevitable inland shifts.
The Gullah Geechee community of the south-eastern United States endures today as a minority group with a significant cultural heritage. However, little research has been conducted to explore this community’s resilience in the face of climate change and other environmental impacts. The database Web of Science was searched and 109 publications on the Gullah Geechee community were identified. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, we analyzed the publications to identify patterns and primary research themes related to the Gullah Geechee community’s resilience.
The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) has been promoting sustainable living for over 40 years. Established in 1976, we are a national nonprofit that helps people by championing small-scale, local, and sustainable solutions to reduce poverty, promote healthy communities, and protect natural resources. NCAT was originally created during the oil crisis of the 1970s to develop inexpensive energy-saving strategies for low-income communities.
TNC globally works at more than 40 demonstration sites worldwide to use nature-based defenses to reduce communities’ risks to storms and protect and restore important coastal areas, engaging the insurance/reinsurance sectors and global banks and lenders to make natural infrastructure part of any coastal development insurance and lending decisions and partnering with engineering firms to include nature in new development designs.
paleBLUEdot, a Minnesota LLC and S/WBE Certified Business, is a climate action, carbon management, and renewable energy consultancy firm established in 2014. Our mission is to support the transition to a low-carbon economy through an array of sustainability assessment, consultancy, and planning services, and through education that increases awareness and enhances public dialogue.
North Topsail Beach, North Carolina Case Study
The National Estuary Program (NEP) is a non-regulatory program established by the U.S. Congress and administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The NEP was authorized by Section 320 of the Clean Water Act in 1987. Each estuary in the NEP was designated by the U.S. Congress as an “Estuary of National Significance.” Today, 28 estuaries located along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts and in Puerto Rico have been designated as estuaries of national significance.
The Climate Adaptation Explorer (CAE) provides a starting point from which to address the predicted impacts of climate change on Florida's fish, wildlife, and ecosystems. The CAE provides an easy to navigate format for users to access a broad array of climate change information. Content includes an overview of climate change, impacts of climate change in Florida, impacts on Florida's species, impacts on Florida's ecosystems and habitats, interactions with existing stressors, and vulnerability to climate change.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) is utilizing the Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) framework to address heat-related illness and wildfire smoke exposure in their most vulnerable counties. NCDHHS has collaborated with community stakeholders to develop tailored health intervention activities, and is implementing two adaptation pilot projects at the local level.