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Billion-Dollar Disasters by Decade
The 2010s saw a significant surge in billion-dollar disasters in the U.S., accounting for nearly half of all such events and costs since 1980. The decade recorded 119 billion-dollar disasters with costs exceeding $800 billion, with notable spikes in central states like Texas, Illinois, and Missouri. The document links these trends to climate change—specifically warmer oceans and a wetter atmosphere—and notes that pre-disaster adaptation spending saves an average of $6 in recovery costs.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Nature as Resilient Infrastructure: An Overview of Nature-Based Solutions
The document advocates for the integration of nature-based solutions (NbS)—including green and natural infrastructure—into U.S. national infrastructure planning. It highlights that NbS are often more cost-effective and resilient than traditional 'gray' infrastructure, providing significant benefits in flood mitigation, heat reduction, and carbon sequestration. The text provides specific economic data on the cost-savings of living shorelines and green storm drainage systems compared to concrete alternatives, while emphasizing the co-benefits of improved water quality and public health.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Improving Coastal Resilience in the Northeast: Innovative Solutions to Protect Communities, Property, and the Environment
The document is a transcript of a briefing on coastal resilience in the Northeast US. It details the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program, the Waterfront Alliance's efforts to build consensus in the New York City metro area, and the Island Institute's work with rural coastal and island communities in Maine. The discussion emphasizes the role of nature-based solutions, the challenges of funding and capacity in rural areas, and the need for equitable, risk-informed governance to address sea level rise and coastal flooding.
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Document type: Briefing
Nature as Resilient Infrastructure: An Overview of Nature-Based Solutions
The document advocates for the integration of nature-based solutions (NbS)—categorized into green and natural infrastructure—as a resilient alternative or supplement to traditional 'gray' manmade infrastructure in the U.S. It details how NbS can mitigate coastal storm damage, inland flooding, and extreme heat while providing co-benefits like carbon sequestration and improved water quality. The text provides specific cost comparisons and case studies from various U.S. cities and states to demonstrate the economic and environmental efficacy of these approaches.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Marine and Coastal EbA for Enhanced Resilience in Southern Africa Country Review: Seychelles
The Seychelles is implementing ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) to combat climate threats such as sea-level rise and coral bleaching, focusing on coral reefs, mangroves, and wetlands. While the country has a strong policy framework and various donor-funded projects, it faces challenges in human capacity, data collection for monitoring, and the need to translate policies into formal legislation, such as a proposed Climate Change Act.
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Document type: Report
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT
The document argues that Nature-based Solutions (NBS) can reduce disaster risk and provide lower-cost, resilient services when integrated with conventional gray infrastructure. It details specific NBS applications for coastal, urban, and river flooding, provides a framework for implementation, and outlines policy and financing mechanisms to scale these approaches.
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Document type: Guide
Connecting Extreme Weather to Climate Change
The document outlines the development of 'climate attribution' science, which allows researchers to quantify the role of human-caused climate change in extreme weather. It identifies that evidence is strongest for heat waves, coastal flooding, and extreme precipitation, while remaining less conclusive for tornadoes and thunderstorms. The text provides specific examples of US events, such as Hurricane Harvey and the February 2017 heat wave, where climate change significantly increased likelihood or intensity.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Funding proposal package for FP053
The proposal outlines a project to enhance climate resilience in Egypt's Nile Delta and North Coast, targeting five vulnerable hotspots. It combines the construction of 69 km of soft coastal protection measures—utilizing dredged material—with the creation of a comprehensive ICZM plan to shift the country away from traditional 'hard' engineering solutions. The project is managed by the UNDP and executed by the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, with a total investment of approximately USD 105.2 million, including USD 31.4 million from the GCF and USD 73.8 million in co-financing from the Egyptian government.
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Document type: Report
Florida Faces Chronic Inundation
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) identifies numerous Florida communities facing 'chronic inundation'—defined as high tide flooding 10% or more of usable, non-wetland area at least 26 times per year. Under an intermediate sea level rise scenario, five communities will face this by 2035 and 53 by 2100. In a high scenario, Miami Beach and Key Biscayne could see 60% and 50% of their areas chronically inundated by 2060, respectively. The report argues that limiting global warming to approximately 1.8°C could spare between 39 and 71 Florida communities from this fate by 2100. To address these risks, UCS advocates for halting risky coastal development, enhancing disaster response frameworks like FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, and creating new policies for managed retreat and relocation.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Massachusetts Faces WHEN RISING SEAS HIT HOME
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) identifies Massachusetts communities at risk of 'chronic inundation'—defined as high tide flooding 10% or more of usable, non-wetland area at least 26 times per year. Under an intermediate sea level rise scenario, five communities will face this by 2060 and 13 by 2100. Under a high scenario, those five communities will be affected by 2045, with 23 communities affected by 2100. The report highlights that working-class towns like Chelsea and Revere are particularly vulnerable, with up to 30% of Chelsea's land area potentially chronically inundated by 2060. The UCS argues that limiting warming to approximately 1.8°C could spare several communities, including Boston and Cambridge, from this fate. Recommended responses include phasing out risky coastal development, enhancing FEMA's mitigation programs, and creating new policies for managed retreat and relocation.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Disaster Risk Reduction in EU Coastal Areas
The document argues that increasing hazards, such as sea level rise, and ongoing development necessitate a re-evaluation of coastal disaster risk reduction in Europe. It advocates for a combination of prevention, mitigation, and preparedness measures, supported by applied research to enhance forecasting and risk assessment. The RISC-KIT project developed and demonstrated tools across ten European case study sites to identify high-risk areas and evaluate the effectiveness of DRR measures.
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Document type: Policy brief
Assessing Climate Risk in Myanmar
The report assesses current and future climate risks in Myanmar, projecting significant temperature increases, variable rainfall changes, and rising sea levels by mid-century. It highlights vulnerabilities across biodiversity, health, agriculture, and infrastructure, while demonstrating how the Myanmar Climate Change Alliance (MCCA) uses vulnerability assessments in the Ayeyarwady Delta and Central Dry Zone to guide local adaptation planning.
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Document type: Executive summary
ASSESSING CLIMATE RISK IN MYANMAR
The report finds that Myanmar is experiencing significant warming, with inland areas warming faster than coastal ones. Projections for the mid-21st century indicate temperature increases of 1.3°C to 2.7°C and sea level rise of 20 to 41 centimeters. While wet season precipitation is expected to increase, potentially exacerbating flooding, changes in the hot and cool seasons remain uncertain. The report emphasizes the high vulnerability of the Ayeyarwaddy Delta and Central Dry Zone, advocating for ecosystem-based adaptation and the integration of climate risk data into infrastructure and agricultural planning.
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Document type: Report
'Saving for a rainy day': Micro-insurance as climate change adaptation strategies for SIDS
The policy brief examines the role of micro-insurance in mitigating the economic impacts of climate change on vulnerable coastal sectors in SIDS, noting that traditional coping mechanisms like household savings are insufficient.
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Document type: Policy brief
Gulfport, Mississippi: Struggle Against Flooding and Environmental Injustice
Gulfport, Mississippi, faces increasing flood risks from sea level rise, land subsidence, and the loss of coastal wetlands. These vulnerabilities are compounded by a history of racial segregation and incompatible land use, which has left low-income Black communities like Turkey Creek and North Gulfport more exposed to disasters. Recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was uneven, with disaster aid arriving slower in communities of color and a significant decline in affordable housing. Local organizations are now advocating for wetland protection, equitable distribution of RESTORE Act funds, and better linguistic accessibility in disaster response for Vietnamese-American fishing communities.
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Document type: Case study
Protecting Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: Rising Tides
The document details how Hurricane Sandy and rising sea levels caused extensive damage to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in 2012, resulting in an estimated $77 million in losses and significant economic disruption to tourism. It explains that sea levels in the New York area have risen by over 1.5 feet since the 1850s, exacerbating storm surges. In response, the National Park Service is implementing resilience measures, such as elevating electrical systems up to 20 feet, as part of a broader effort to manage climate change risks for coastal properties.
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Document type: Case study
Fort Monroe, Virginia: Freedom’s Fortress at Risk from Higher Seas and Heavier Rains
Fort Monroe, a national monument in Virginia with significant history regarding the beginning and end of slavery in North America, is highly vulnerable to climate change. Water levels near the fort have risen nearly 1.5 feet since the 1920s, and projections suggest coastal waters could rise up to six feet by the end of the century. The site faces increased frequency and severity of flooding from storm surges and heavy rainfall, as evidenced by significant damage from Hurricane Isabel in 2003. Current protections, such as a seawall built by the Army Corps of Engineers, are based on historic rather than projected rates of sea level rise, leaving the site at risk of further inundation and sewage leaks into Chesapeake Bay.
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Document type: Case study
Front Lines: Rising Seas - Naval Air Station Oceana Dam Neck Annex
The Naval Air Station Oceana Dam Neck Annex faces significant risks from sea level rise, with projections indicating that up to 75% of the installation could be underwater during daily high tides by 2100 under a high-emission scenario. The analysis warns that by the end of the century, a Category 1 storm would expose at least 95% of the station to storm surge flooding, and a Category 4 storm could result in nearly 60% of the installation flooding to depths of 20 feet or more. The document argues that there is a growing gap between current military preparedness and these threats, calling for increased funding for high-resolution modeling, tide gauge networks, and detailed mapping to implement adaptive measures.
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Document type: Case study
Front Lines: Rising Seas: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Maine
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine faces significant risks from sea level rise, with projections indicating a rise of 3.5 to 5.9 feet by 2100. Without preventive measures, the installation is expected to experience frequent tidal flooding, the loss of over 25% of its land area in the highest scenario, and increased vulnerability to storm surges from Category 1 and 2 hurricanes. The document argues that there is a growing gap between current military preparedness and these threats, calling for increased funding and high-resolution modeling from Congress and the Department of Defense.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Front Lines: Rising Seas: Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia
Naval Station Norfolk is located in a sea level rise hot spot where seas are projected to rise between 4.5 and 6.9 feet by 2100. Projections indicate that by 2050, some areas could flood 280 times per year, and by 2100, up to 60% of the station's land area could be exposed to flooding during extra-high tides. In the highest scenario for 2100, a Category 4 storm could leave 95% of the base under more than 10 feet of water. While the Navy has invested in raising piers and participating in regional studies, the document argues that a large gap remains between current preparedness and future threats, calling for increased funding for high-resolution modeling and detailed mapping.
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Document type: Fact sheet