• Overview
• APNEP Projects
• Further Reading

Overview

The Albemarle-Pamlico region has been identified by scientists as one of our country's most vulnerable areas to climate change and associated sea level rise.  The North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission convened an independent Science Panel on Coastal Hazards, whose report recommends planning for relative sea level rise of more than three feet by the year 2100.  Such a rise could place up to 2,000 square miles of coastal lands in the Albemarle-Pamlico region underwater.

In the coming years, coastal communities will consider adopting strategies to minimize the impacts of a changing climate to their residents and natural resources.  In particular, rising seas are expected to significantly impact the ecosystems which sustain many of the region's industries, including agriculture, forestry, fishing, development, and tourism. Furthermore, increased flooding and more severe coastal storms may cause considerable economic and emotional hardship to coastal residents.

Adapting to long-term climate pressures will be a difficult challenge for many coastal communities.  The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program, in conjunction with its partner organizations, aims to serve these communities as they develop adaptation planning strategies.

APNEP Projects

APNEP continues to dedicate resources toward implementing its Climate Ready Estuaries Initiative. At the state government level, APNEP staff members are currently advising both the N.C. Interagency LeadershipTeam and N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources on the implementation of their respective climate initiatives as they relate to the estuarine ecosystem.

In 2012, APNEP expects to develop informational tools to support local governments as they consider adaptation strategies.  Areas of interest for the program include mapping initiatives and water infrastructure risk analyses.  Efforts are ongoing, and local government representatives are encouraged to contact any member of APNEP's staff for further information.

In 2010, APNEP partnered with Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions to publish "Climate Ready Estuaries: A Blueprint for Change." This comprehensive document includes a  great deal of useful information, including public opinion surveys and recommendations for addressing the challenges associated with a changing climate.  A summary of recommendations for APNEP's Policy Board can be found here.

To facilitate planning efforts related to climate change and sea level rise, in 2008 APNEP and the Albemarle-Pamlico Conservation and Communities Collaborative (AP3C) hosted a series of public listening sessions to gauge local sentiments on the topics of climate change and sea level rise. That report can be found here.

Further Reading

Foster, J, A Lowe, S Winkelman.  The Value of Green Infrastructure for Urban Climate Adaptation.  The Center for Clean Air Policy. Feb. 2011.

Foster, J, S Winkelman, A Lowe.  Lessons Learned on Local Climate Adaptation from the Urban Leaders Adaptation Initiative. The Center for Clean Air Policy.  Feb. 2011.

U.S. EPA. Synthesis of Adaptation Options for Coastal Areas. Washington, DC, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Climate Ready Estuaries Program. EPA 430-F-08-024, January 2009

Climate Change Science Program. Coastal Sensitivity to Sea-Level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region. A report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research. [James G. Titus (Coordinating Lead Author), K. Eric Anderson, Donald R. Cahoon, Dean B. Gesch, Stephen K. Gill, Benjamin T. Gutierrez, E. Robert Thieler, and S. Jeffress Williams (Lead Authors)]. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington D.C., USA, 320 pp.

Proceedings from the 2010 North Carolina Climate Change Workshop, hosted by North Carolina's Interagency Leadership Team.

EPA Policy Statement on Climate Change Adaptation, June 2, 2011.