Localizing Sea Level Rise Projections for Decision-Makers

Washington Sea Grant developed a localized sea level rise assessment for Washington State to bridge the 'action gap' between the perceived importance of climate impacts and the availability of planning tools. The project introduced a probabilistic framework for communicating uncertainty and integrated vertical land movement data to create site-specific relative sea-level projections. These data were delivered via an interactive map and a Tableau-based tool. Implementation efforts included pilot projects in Tacoma and Island County, where the data informed the redesign of Owen Beach, the visioning of a linear park, and the creation of a community-based coastal resilience planning guide for shoreline homeowners.

• A 2014 survey of coastal managers and decision-makers in Washington State revealed an 'action gap,' where the perceived importance of sea level rise as a climate impact far exceeded the availability of necessary planning tools.
• The 2018 Sea Level Rise Assessment improved upon a 2012 report by adopting a probabilistic framework to better communicate the uncertainty of future projections, allowing for more nuanced decision-making based on likelihood ranges.
• To localize projections, the project accounted for vertical land movement, noting that while the ocean behaves similarly, land movement causes sea levels to drop in Neah Bay while they rise in Seattle.
• The project produced an interactive map and a Tableau-based tool that allow users to download relative sea-level projections for specific locations along the Washington coast.
• In Tacoma, sea level rise projections led to a complete redesign of Owen Beach, resulting in facilities being moved upland to avoid projected impacts beyond 2019.
• Island County developed a community-based coastal resilience planning guide for shoreline homeowners in historic beach, canal, and bluff communities, utilizing a five-step local approach: defining the issue, identifying values/assets, analyzing risk/thresholds, implementing strategies, and monitoring outcomes.
• The project's outreach efforts, including over 20 workshops reaching at least 300 people, resulted in a 70 percent response rate from participants confirming they are using the provided tools and information six months later.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2020). Localizing Sea Level Rise Projections for Decision-Makers. https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041320.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Localizing Sea Level Rise Projections for Decision-Makers. 2020. https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041320.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Localizing Sea Level Rise Projections for Decision-Makers |date=April 2020 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041320.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2020localizing, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Localizing Sea Level Rise Projections for Decision-Makers}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041320.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }