Sea Level Rise Adaptation Exchange: Leading Practices for Moving from Assessment to Action

Posted on: 10/13/2021 - Updated on: 9/18/2022

Posted by

Rachel Gregg

Published

Abstract

The Sea Level Rise Adaptation Exchange: Leading Practices for Moving from Assessment to Action was a virtual forum coordinated by the Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA) Sea Level Rise (SLR) Committee and EcoAdapt. In 2019, the WUCA SLR Committee was formed by the seven coastal member agencies working to address SLR––Seattle Public Utilities, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, San Diego County Water Authority, Tampa Bay Water, Philadelphia Water Department, and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. The goal of this committee is to foster discussion and information sharing in order to learn from each other and stay on top of adaptation best practices and the rapidly advancing field of SLR science.

The June 2021 forum was a part of a larger project called, Beyond Barrier to Implementation: a Water Sector Perspective on Sea Level Rise Adaptation, intended to document the leading practices in SLR adaptation for the water sector. Building on the WUCA Leading Practices project this effort focuses on a specific climate stressor—sea level rise—and a specific part of the adaptation process—implementation. The final product will serve as a guide to help utilities and their municipalities advance SLR adaptation efforts and address barriers to implementation.

Forum Goal: To create a forum for key stakeholders in coastal cities to discuss SLR adaptation opportunities and barriers, including the unique challenges faced by water utilities and other infrastructure managers

Forum Objectives:

  1. Provide participants with baseline understanding of barriers to SLR adaptation.
  2. Highlight case studies and success stories from around the U.S. that demonstrate best practices and tangible solutions.
  3. Facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge exchange between and among cities.

Affiliated Organizations

The Water Utility Climate Alliance is dedicated to collaborating on climate change issues affecting drinking water utilities. By enhancing climate change research and developing adaptation strategies, water utilities will be positioned to respond to climate change and protect our water supplies. In January 2007, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission hosted the first national Water Utility Climate Change Summit, which was attended by more than 200 water and wastewater utility executives, government officials, climate change experts and environmental leaders.

EcoAdapt is at the center of climate change adaptation innovation. We provide support, training, and assistance to make conservation and management less vulnerable and more Climate Savvy. Over the past 200 years, great strides have been made in the world of conservation and now all of that is at risk because of climate change. EcoAdapt is working to ensure the success of these past efforts by delivering a framework for climate adaptation.

Keywords

Document Type
Sector Addressed