URBAN COAST INSTITUTE COASTAL RESILIENCY INDICATOR PROJECT

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URBAN COAST INSTITUTE URBAN COAST INSTITUTE COASTAL RESILIENCY COASTAL RESILIENCY INDICATOR PROJECTINDICATOR PROJECT

Urban Coast InstituteUrban Coast Institute

Monmouth UniversityMonmouth UniversitySeptember 10, 2008September 10, 2008

PRESENTATION OVERVIEWPRESENTATION OVERVIEW

•Definition of coastal resilience Definition of coastal resilience

•Project goals and approach Project goals and approach

WHAT IS RESILIENCE?WHAT IS RESILIENCE?

• The ability of a natural/human system to The ability of a natural/human system to maintain its structure and function in the event maintain its structure and function in the event of a hazard/disturbanceof a hazard/disturbance

• The ability of a system to re-organize following The ability of a system to re-organize following disturbance-driven change disturbance-driven change

(Louis Lebel, 2001)(Louis Lebel, 2001)

COASTAL COASTAL HAZARDS/DISTURBANCESHAZARDS/DISTURBANCES

• Episodic Events:Episodic Events:– e.g., resilience to hurricanes, tropical storms, e.g., resilience to hurricanes, tropical storms,

etc.etc.

• Chronic Conditions:Chronic Conditions:– e.g. sea level rise, erosion, etc.e.g. sea level rise, erosion, etc.

AN EXAMPLE OF NATURAL AN EXAMPLE OF NATURAL RESILIENCERESILIENCE

(TO BEACH EROSION)(TO BEACH EROSION)

• Loss of summer berm to offshore zone Loss of summer berm to offshore zone during winter stormsduring winter storms

• Restoration by wave-induced transport Restoration by wave-induced transport during summerduring summer

SOCIAL SYSTEM RESILIENCESOCIAL SYSTEM RESILIENCE

• Communities are also stressed by natural Communities are also stressed by natural hazards and chronic disturbances; communities hazards and chronic disturbances; communities exacerbate natural hazards with developmentexacerbate natural hazards with development

• Communities can learn and adapt from past Communities can learn and adapt from past experiencesexperiences

AN EXAMPLE OF A RESILIENT AN EXAMPLE OF A RESILIENT COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

• Preserves natural areas Preserves natural areas

• Guides development away from high hazard Guides development away from high hazard areasareas

• Adopts hazard code standardsAdopts hazard code standards

• Organizes emergency response networks Organizes emergency response networks

CHARACTERISTICS OF CHARACTERISTICS OF RESILIENCERESILIENCE

• ResistanceResistance to a hazard or disturbance to a hazard or disturbance– e.g., build a levee to resist floods (artificial)e.g., build a levee to resist floods (artificial)– e.g., add dune grass/fencing (natural) e.g., add dune grass/fencing (natural)

• Restoring force (feedback)Restoring force (feedback)– e.g., coastal processes (natural)e.g., coastal processes (natural)– hazard insurance, beach replenishment, hazard insurance, beach replenishment,

emergency response, etc. (social) emergency response, etc. (social)

CHARACTERISTICS OF CHARACTERISTICS OF RESILIENCERESILIENCE

• AdaptabilityAdaptability -- learning from previous experience learning from previous experience– e.g., stricter building codes, managed retreat, etc.e.g., stricter building codes, managed retreat, etc.

• CollaborationCollaboration– e.g., agency and stakeholder participation in e.g., agency and stakeholder participation in

hazard mitigation planninghazard mitigation planning

• Redundancy and DiversityRedundancy and Diversity– e.g., multiple safeguards (not relying on only one)e.g., multiple safeguards (not relying on only one)

VULNERABILITYVULNERABILITY

• A characteristic that creates the potential A characteristic that creates the potential for harmfor harm

• A function of both EXPOSURE and A function of both EXPOSURE and SENSITIVITY SENSITIVITY

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO VULNERABILITY VULNERABILITY (Cutter, 2000, 2003, 2006, (Cutter, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2008)2008)

• Physical vulnerability-locationPhysical vulnerability-location

• Density of built environmentDensity of built environment

• InfrastructureInfrastructure

• Economic healthEconomic health

• DemographicsDemographics

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Project GoalsProject Goals::

• To identify core indicators of coastal To identify core indicators of coastal resiliency and vulnerabilityresiliency and vulnerability

• To design a coastal resilient To design a coastal resilient community frameworkcommunity framework

Basic ApproachBasic Approach::

• Establish hazard resilience baseline following Establish hazard resilience baseline following Cutter (2008) “A Cutter (2008) “A Framework for Measuring Coastal Framework for Measuring Coastal Hazard Resilience in New Jersey CommunitiesHazard Resilience in New Jersey Communities” ”

• Sets approach for establishing a hazard resilience Sets approach for establishing a hazard resilience measurement baselinemeasurement baseline that can serve as a that can serve as a

benchmark or indicatorbenchmark or indicator for monitoring progressfor monitoring progress

Community Resilience Community Resilience ModelModel

Social VulnerabilitySocial Vulnerability• Social VulnerabilitySocial Vulnerability IndexIndex quantifies differences quantifies differences

in social vulnerability among places and census in social vulnerability among places and census block groupsblock groups

Social VulnerabilitySocial Vulnerability

• Social Vulnerability Index Variables:Social Vulnerability Index Variables:

-ethnicity-ethnicity-age-age-number of people per household-number of people per household-income-income-education-education

Built Environment and Built Environment and InfrastructureInfrastructure

• Variables:Variables: -number of pre-1960 houses-number of pre-1960 houses-housing density-housing density-commercial establishments-commercial establishments-lifelines (e.g. schools, hospitals)-lifelines (e.g. schools, hospitals)-transportation -transportation -wastewater treatment facilities-wastewater treatment facilities-historic landmarks, churches, etc.-historic landmarks, churches, etc.

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Natural Systems and Natural Systems and ExposureExposure

• VariablesVariables– FEMA 100-yr and 500-yr flood zone FEMA 100-yr and 500-yr flood zone

delineationsdelineations– Dune sizeDune size– Erosion ratesErosion rates– Wetland areasWetland areas– Natural habitatsNatural habitats– Storm surge inundation areasStorm surge inundation areas

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Hazards Mitigation and Hazards Mitigation and PlanningPlanningfor Resiliencefor Resilience

• Community variable checklist & score:Community variable checklist & score: Emergency response plansEmergency response plans Building standards, codes, enforcementBuilding standards, codes, enforcement Hazard mitigation plansHazard mitigation plans ZoningZoning Coastal setbacksCoastal setbacks Dune managementDune management NFIPNFIP TDRTDR

Constructing Community Resilience Constructing Community Resilience BaselineBaseline

• Social Vulnerability + Built Environment Social Vulnerability + Built Environment Vulnerability + Hazard Exposure – Vulnerability + Hazard Exposure – Resilience = Community ResilienceResilience = Community Resilience

Community Level Resilience Community Level Resilience Example: Monmouth BeachExample: Monmouth Beach

Example: Monmouth BeachExample: Monmouth Beach

• Social Vulnerability (low)Social Vulnerability (low)

• Built Environment Vulnerability (high)Built Environment Vulnerability (high)

• Hazard Exposure (high)Hazard Exposure (high)

• Resilience (measures have been taken to Resilience (measures have been taken to reduce risk)reduce risk)

• Community Resilience (additional Community Resilience (additional measures are necessary to increase measures are necessary to increase resiliency)resiliency)

FEMA FLOOD ZONE MAP FOR MONMOUTH BEACH

Old (1992) 100-year flood zone boundary: Yellow Line

New 100-year flood zone

boundary: Blue Line


Source: NJ Beach Profile Network Richard Stockton College






• Hazards Exposure variablesHazards Exposure variables– Area of FEMA 100-yr flood zone Area of FEMA 100-yr flood zone

delineationsdelineations– Number of houses in 100-yr flood zoneNumber of houses in 100-yr flood zone– Number of houses raisedNumber of houses raised– Beach erosion ratesBeach erosion rates

• Natural systems variablesNatural systems variables– Dune height and widthDune height and width– Wetland areasWetland areas– Natural habitatsNatural habitats

Example: Monmouth BeachExample: Monmouth Beach• Hazard Mitigation/Planning ChecklistHazard Mitigation/Planning Checklist

Emergency response plans? – yesEmergency response plans? – yesReverse 911? - yesReverse 911? - yesBuilding standards, codes? – yesBuilding standards, codes? – yesEnforcement of codes – improvement Enforcement of codes – improvement

neededneededHazard mitigation plans? – in prep.Hazard mitigation plans? – in prep.Coastal setbacks? - yesCoastal setbacks? - yesDune management? – no (volunteer Dune management? – no (volunteer

beach grass plantings)beach grass plantings)NFIP community rating system? – noNFIP community rating system? – noCoastal Barrier community rating? - yesCoastal Barrier community rating? - yes

MONMOUTH BEACH EXAMPLEMONMOUTH BEACH EXAMPLE



MONMOUTH COMMUNITY MONMOUTH COMMUNITY INDICATORSINDICATORS

• Baseline assessmentsBaseline assessments

• Temporal trendsTemporal trends

• GIS layers – spatial trendsGIS layers – spatial trends

Promote Increased Community Promote Increased Community ResiliencyResiliency

• No Adverse ImpactNo Adverse Impact training training

(Do No Harm)(Do No Harm)

--Consistent with no net loss of ecological functionsConsistent with no net loss of ecological functions

-Complements all water resources programs: water -Complements all water resources programs: water quality, quantity, wetland and stormwater quality, quantity, wetland and stormwater regulationsregulations

-Makes sense on local and regional scales-Makes sense on local and regional scales

Promote Increased Community Promote Increased Community ResiliencyResiliency

• Local Ordinances/Programs/PoliciesLocal Ordinances/Programs/Policies-reduce impervious cover (LID)-reduce impervious cover (LID)-lot coverage ordinance-lot coverage ordinance-open space preservation (blue acres, -open space preservation (blue acres,

green acres, private funds) green acres, private funds) -fill regulations-fill regulations-stormwater management plans-stormwater management plans-watershed management plans-watershed management plans

Funding for Communities to Funding for Communities to Implement Resiliency Implement Resiliency Strategies and Sustainability Strategies and Sustainability ConceptsConcepts

New NOAA GrantNew NOAA Grant

Volunteer communities to serve as Volunteer communities to serve as Sustainable/Resilient Community Models Sustainable/Resilient Community Models by adopting coastal by adopting coastal resiliency/sustainability principles and resiliency/sustainability principles and NAI (No Adverse Impact) policies.NAI (No Adverse Impact) policies.

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URBAN COAST INSTITUTE COASTAL RESILIENCY INDICATOR PROJECT