Training the Fellows: Introduction to the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Framework

On March 17, Point Blue Conservation Science organized an online workshop for the Coastal Solutions Fellows to introduce their Sea Level Rise Adaptation Framework. Sam Veloz, Climate Adaptation Group Director at point Blue and Catherine Hickey, CSF Advisory Board Member and Conservation Director at Point Blue, shared the principles, processes and applications of the framework, as a tool to include nature-based strategies to address sea level rise hazards. The framework was designed to help planners determine which nature-based measures are suitable given specific site conditions, and offers an approach for evaluating which combination of measures are the most appropriate to achieve desired outcomes. Nature-based solutions to sea-level rise include measures like restoring coarse beaches where appropriate to reduce wave energy, conserving and restoring wetlands that can act as buffers, and preparing “migration spaces” that marshes can transition into as sea levels rise.

The workshop also included a session to help fellows identify opportunities to consider how this framework could be helpful in their current or future projects, as well as a discussion on the applicability and required adjustments for using the framework in Latin America.

Point Blue has generated a user guide for the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Framework, intended to help coastal decision-makers (1) efficiently identify a range of natural and nature-based, landscape-scale adaptation strategies that can address coastal climate change vulnerabilities, and (2) evaluate how well these adaptation strategies achieve coastal community and stakeholder objectives, and prioritize their implementation. You can learn more about the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Framework on their website!