In 2017 nearly 10 percent of U.S. citizens were affected by major disasters. Hurricane Harvey that year was estimated to have resulted in more than $120 billion alone to southeastern Texas. After a tradition of coastal management that paved over wetlands, channelized floodplains, and pushed poor communities into low-lying areas, many coastal communities now also experience sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, and increasingly severe weather.

In this episode of ClimateReady, we bring in author, professor, and photographer Elizabeth Rush to discuss her latest book Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore. We interview Elizabeth to find out more about vulnerable coastal communities around the United States — from New York to Louisiana to California. In Rising, climate change is no longer a problem of the future but an imminent threat. Through poignant stories, we hear how communities handle these realities on their own terms.

Following our main interview, we asked Elizabeth to read an excerpt from her book that would be especially relevant for our listeners. She examines the complexities around “risk” and arrives at some really insightful conclusions about how perceptions are shifting over time.
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Tags: ClimateReady Podcast, Sea level rise, Coastal communities, Elizabeth Rush

Call for reviewers for PEARL knowledge base on resilience strategies

Rapid urbanisation in coastal areas, combined with climate change and poor governance, can lead to a significant increase in the risk of local pluvial flooding. Considering also high water levels in rivers and high tide or storm surges from the sea, there can be a greater risk of devastation in coastal communities.

There is a growing need to improve forecasting, prediction and early warning capabilities using state of art science and technology to help policy makers, urban planners and emergency services to develop robust risk reduction strategies.

To tackle this challenge, the Preparing for Extreme And Rare events in coastaL regions (PEARL) project funded by the European Union is assisting the development of adaptive risk management strategies for coastal communities, taking a multidisciplinary approach integrating social, environmental and technical research and innovation. Read More...

Tags: PEARL, National Technical University of Athens , International Water Association, Coastal communities

In the fourth episode of the #ClimateIsWater series is Daniel Murdiyarso, Principle Scientist for the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). Dr. Murdiyarso addresses how climate change has especially affected vulnerable coastal communities in Indonesia via sea level rise and loss of productivity. He also explores the relationship between coastal areas and the inland hydrological cycle and explains the role of the IPCC guideline for wetlands and coastal wetlands. Make sure to check out this episode and keep checking on the AGWA Blog and the #ClimateIsWater Vimeo Channel for future installments and previous episodes.


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Tags: Climate Adaptation, Climate change, Indonesia, Sea level rise, CIFOR, Daniel Murdiyarso, Coastal communities