Infrastructure protectionDelaware prepares for sea-level rise

Delaware readies for disappearing coastline // Source: delaware.gov

Governor Jack Markell of Delaware two weeks ago unveiled an initiative aiming to prepare his state for the effects of climate change and sea-level rise. Markell has signed an executive order requiring all state agencies to take sea-level rise into account when designing and locating state projects. The order also requires development of strategies to make state facilities and operations better prepared to deal with climate change and sea-level rise.

DelmarvaNow reports that the governor noted that over the past few years, Delaware has seen:

• Hurricanes, droughts, record precipitation and severe inland and coastal flooding, affecting Delaware’s people, communities, economy, natural resources and quality of life
• Droughts threaten agricultural production
• Storms topple beaches essential to tourism
• Record flooding in the Southbridge area of Wilmington
• Bayshore towns like Kitts Hummock, Bowers Beach, Prime Hook, and Lewes, along with ocean-front communities (Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany, Fenwick) have experienced extensive beach erosion and flooding from the effects of Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy and other storms
• Flooding in communities like Oak Orchard in the Inland Bays and Seaford along the Nanticoke River

“The challenge that we all face is: How do we make it real?” said Collin O’Mara, secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.Citing Benjamin Franklin’s adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, O’Mara sad that “This isn’t some abstract debate any longer. Every minute we spend debating over the science is a minute we’re not focusing on the solutions that will make our communities more resilient, our economies healthier and stronger. We’re just delaying the inevitable.”

Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has assessed the state’s vulnerability to sea-level rise, and found that  Delaware faces challenges in coastal areas if projections for sea-level rise of up to 5 feet by the end of the century does occur. Homes, tidal wetlands, major government assets, segments of important roads, public buildings, and utility services could face complete destruction if preventative methods are not put in place.

DelmarvaNownotes that some efforts are already underway based on the recommendations provided by a Sea Level Advisory Committee. They include repairs and improvements to protective dikes along the Delaware River in and south of New Castle, and the development of a new wetland park adjacent to Wilmington’s Southbridge neighborhood. “We’re going to be confronted with the impacts of climate change for the rest of our lives,” Markell said. “We’ve got to take steps today that will help to prepare future generations for the challenges ahead. This is not just an environmental issue, this is essential to supporting a thriving economy and protecting the health of our residents and the safety of our residents.”