News and Events
To Save America’s Coasts, Don’t Always Rebuild Them
A paper in the New York Times by CCMS Advisory Committee member Prof. Robert Young (Director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, Western Carolina University, USA)
Hurricane Ian is the latest devastating hurricane to confirm that coastal areas are failing to keep rebuilt or new development out of highly vulnerable areas. Local emergency managers know all too well which places in their communities should not be built back after a storm. But they are rebuilt, because the federal government and states provide multiple incentives to rebuild rather than to relocate. The assumption is that taxpayers will always be there to back up private investment after even predictable natural hazards.
Read more: To Save America’s Coasts, Don’t Always Rebuild Them
A new ETC/ICM Report have been published to discuss environmental impacts of offshore renewable energy and key role of MSP
The European Green Deal sets out the ambition to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, while addressing other environmental challenges, boosting the economy, improving people's health and quality of life, and ensuring an inclusive and just transition (European Commision, 2019).
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE HURRICANE IAN
By Gary Griggs (CoastalCare.org)/ 18 October 2022
Hurricane Ian has taken a huge toll on Florida and the Carolinas. This was a massive and destructive event by any measure. Hurricanes are classified by their wind speeds, with Category 5 as high as the scale goes, meaning wind speeds of 157 miles/hour or greater. While Ian was classed as Category 4, wind speeds reached 155 mph. Whether 4 and 5, either will result in catastrophic damage and the many photographs of destruction show what catastrophic damage really is.
As Ian came ashore it ripped roofs off and then flattened houses, completely obliterated mobile homes, uprooted trees and threw large boats onto docks and into backyards. Based on damage and fatalities, it will almost certainly be ranked as one of the United States’ most powerful storms. The information collected to date indicates Ian is shaping up to be the deadliest storm to hit Florida since 1935.
Using Shared Hydrospatial Data to Help Protect Vulnerable Coastlines
A new hydrospatial approach that integrates traditional hydrographic data with additional applications is set to play a key role in monitoring the impacts of climate change on coastlines and oceans around the globe.
Hydrographers once focused primarily on collecting data to update nautical charts for safe navigation, but they have since expanded their scope. They now integrate data from a range of applications to deliver a richer, more comprehensive hydrospatial overview.
Understanding our oceans
A key driver of this trend is government and private-sector clients’ desire to gain a deeper understanding of the oceans, including currents and tides, sea level rises, seabed morphology and sediment transportation. When hydrographic data is combined with additional data sources including topographic data, benthic habitat maps (aerial imagery, subsea imagery, acoustic surveys, etc.) and metocean information (tidal and current data) it can shed new light on key climate change issues including:
• Coastal erosion;
• Coastal communities at risk from rising sea levels;
• The impact of rising temperatures on marine life;
• The effectiveness of carbon-capture initiatives such as seagrass restoration projects.
Read more: Using Shared Hydrospatial Data to Help Protect Vulnerable Coastlines