Retreat or rebuild?  The module 8 section on the residents of Isle de Jean Charles, Louisiana, was so saddening.  I have been reading further into this story to find out what the residents of this tiny island community are going to do, retreat or try to reinforce and rebuild the island to it’s former glory?  It seemed in previous modules as well as module 8 that the inhabitants of this barrier island were in no position to leave it, their ancestors had been on this land for generations previous leaving some residents demanding to stay while others recognized the dangers and felt they should find a new home.  Not to mention they were an extremely low socioeconomic community, where would the funds come from for them to leave?

Enter the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Disaster Resilience Competition.  Approximately six months ago, the Isle de Jean Charles band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Indian’s received a grant from HUD for the relocation and resettlement of new land, to the tune of $48 million, only a piece of the total $1 billion grant offered by HUD and Rockefeller Foundation to assist with helping various communities rebuild from prior devastation and educate and build in order to avoid further future catastrophes.  In the case of the residents of Isle de Jean Charles, this funding is making it possible to completely relocate and entire tribe of Native Americans (to land that has historical meaning to them), our nation’s first climate change refugees.

Cited:

http://www.coastalresettlement.org/uploads/7/2/9/7/72979713/ndrc_pii_final_eximg-w_highlights.pdf

http://www.coastalresettlement.org/about-the-project.html

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=NDRCFactSheetFINAL.pdf

https://www.hudexchange.info/news/hud-awards-1-billion-through-national-disaster-resilience-competition/

 

After reading this week’s lesson, I definitely believe that managed coastal retreat is an option that more vulnerable sites should consider.  PSU World Campus (2016) Module 8 commentary discusses the components of managed retreat; “ Coastal planning, Relocation and buy-back and Buy-Out programs, Regulating types of development allowed, Designating no-build areas, Habitat restoration, and Replacement of built environment with green space”.  I understand that for all these components to fall in to place a community must have the time, resources, and initiative to make it happen, but with projected sea level rise I believe managing the water is better than continually experiencing devastation.  We read examples of managed coastal retreat in the UK, and though buyback programs, development, and habitat restoration can be expensive, in the long run I could see how this would be a more cost-effective solution verses the continual expense of rebuilding infrastructures and coastal barriers.  One of the most challenging tasks will be convincing communities to give up on their homes, recreation spaces, and other beloved spaces.  Understandably, giving up your home is heartbreaking and this week’s video of the Isle de Jean Charles showcased individuals whose ancestors had called the island home for generations.

I found an article on the New York Times this week titled “At a Cape Cod Landmark, a Strategic Retreat from the Ocean” which highlighted how the community has come to accept and even embrace that a managed retreat is long term solution to some of their most prized recreational spaces.  At one of their most prized beaches the parking lot is slowly being washed away and instead of taking steps to preserve this coastal beach, they are retreating and relocating the parking lot further inland.  The article highlighted that many residents have acknowledged the vulnerability and are embracing the fact that things will have to change as the natural processes alter their coastal area.

I understand that managed coastal retreat in some cities and communities may not be feasible.  I cannot imagine relocating the city of New York, though we know it is vulnerable.  But, I think when managed retreat is a realistic option, more communities should embrace it.  I also think it is the responsibility of local, state, and federal officials to start putting more limitations on new constructions in these highly vulnerable areas.  To me, it makes more sense to plan, prepare, and know the outcome, verses living in uncertainty wondering when the next big storm will wash away the things you hold dear.

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2016) Earth 107. Module 8 Commentary: Managed Retreat. Retrieved July 10, 2016. https://cms.psu.edu/section/content/default.asp?WCI=pgDisplay&WCU=CRSCNT&ENTRY_ID=404084F002F44F56AC62114B5A6F469F

Bidgood, J. (2016, July 06). At a Cape Cod Landmark, a Strategic Retreat From the Ocean. Retrieved July 10, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/07/us/at-a-cape-cod-landmark-a-strategic-retreat-from-the-ocean.html?_r=0

This week, I came upon an article that presented the concerns that EARTH107 has raised in my mind succinctly and comprehensively. This article presented a discussion of climate change as it is related to development in the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), specifically, and on the African continent, in general.

The press release highlights a statement made by the Minister of Civil Service and Administrative Reforms, and Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development, and Disaster and Beach Management of Mauritius, Mr Alain Wong. He explained that climate change presents a formidable issue for SIDS and other states, alike, and that the consequences of climate change will be evident in nearly all sectors of society. The press release was created to document a meeting for the Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience in Africa – Recommendations to Policymakers booklet, in which policymakers highlight the effects of climate change on water, agriculture and fisheries, health, as well as coastal issues on a continental scale.

This discussion raised an important idea that I have not yet thought about. That is, communicating evidence-based information to policymakers and members of the public is extremely difficult, especially since the effects of climate change may not be immediately apparent to all (although it probably is, to many).

As a student who focuses quite a bit of energy on methods of scientific communication, I am often concerned with how to present often-confusing concepts in a clear and accessible way. This article raises this as a limitation to effective communication between climate scientists and the public/policymakers in African countries. Specifically, this press release discusses how “the solutions [to climate change] proposed by scientists are hindered by a lack of communication including an excessive reliance on acronyms and scientific jargon which are not understood by policy and decision makers”.

The aforementioned booklet that policymakers have begun to develop will hopefully dispel confusion and make climate change and coastal risk information more accessible for people living in vulnerable SIDS and other coastal areas. This booklet, which focuses on why climate change adaptation and resilience is crucial for Africa and elaborates on how climate change impact can be addressed through targeted policy actions and interventions, is an awesome effort and has the potential to inform many about coastal risks and vulnerability. Further, this effort provides a fine case study in effective scientific communication.

 

Reference:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201607050915.html

This week’s lesson about building stronger defense systems for flooding, still brings along an even harder question for home owners, should they stay of move? This has been a topic of discussion for section II of this course and it is one that is the most interesting to me. It changes my way of thinking for the future if I would ever want to move to a coastal area. I am now thinking of their flood defense systems, and how safe I would be, something I never thought of before. When I think of coastal areas, I always think of the Jersey Shore, probably because it is so close to me, and I vacation there every year. I found a New York Times article about how some Jersey residents are against paying for stronger flood defenses.

For three years, the plan to have federal government pay for the construction of protective dunes has caused townships, neighborhoods, and residents to divide. There have even been some protests on the boardwalk in Trenton, demanding an end to the Army Corps of Engineers’ plan to build dunes from Manasquan Inlet to Island Beach State Park. Some of these plans to have an engineered beach, would take home owners properties away, and forcing people to move. The dunes are what stands between the residents of New Jersey, and the next big hurricane storm. Earlier this year, Hurricane Joaquin, gave the residents a scare, and tested the dune defense systems. I feel bad for the home owners who have to deal with problems like this, when they could have been stopped earlier, with strong flood defense systems to begin with. If our coastal communities were prepared and ready in the first place, maybe the amount of devastation and destruction would be cut in half.

 

Mcgeehan, P. (2015, October 30). Acrimony at Jersey Shore Over Plan to Build Protective Dunes. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/31/nyregion/acrimony-at-jersey-shore-over-plan-to-build-protective-dunes.html