Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Risk Reduction

Transcription

1 SJSU GreenTalk Speaker Series, March 15 th 2017 Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Risk Reduction How engineers, ecologists and economists can collaborate to bring theory to action Dr. Siddharth Narayan, University of California (UC) Santa Cruz with Ms. Dania Trespalacios, The Nature Conservancy Prof. Michael W. Beck, UC Santa Cruz / The Nature Conservancy Dr. Borja G. Reguero, UC Santa Cruz / The Nature Conservancy

2 Applied Science On The Edge Credits:

3 On a computer Credits: d4t2jh3.png/revision/latest?cb=

4 Who Are The Nature Conservancy?

5 What is the Coastal Resilience Program?

6 So, What Is Coastal Engineering?

7 Coastal Engineering Origin Story The high degree of engineering skill achieved can be understood from the ingenious way in which they could regulate the flow of water into the dock at high and low tides. They could ensure flotation of ships in the basin by sliding a door in the vertical grooves of the flanking walls of the spillway at low water. Lothal Dockyard, India, ~ 2300 BCE. Credits:

8 Coastal Engineering Origin Story Port of Alexandria, Egypt, ~ 1900 BCE. Credits: Harbor City of Ostia Antica, Rome, ~700 BC

9 Coastal Engineering Dealing with Disasters 1800 people killed 47,300 buildings damaged 30,000 animals drowned 1953 North Sea Flood in the Netherlands. Credits:

10 Coastal Engineering Managing Risk At the Coastline Protect Seawalls Sea dykes, levees Beaches, dunes Vegetated foreshores Storm surge barriers Offshore breakwaters, reefs Land Claim Accommodate Flood proofing Flood hazard mapping and awareness Flood warning and evacuation Flood zoning / habitat restoration Retreat Coastal setbacks Managed retreat/realignment Adapted from Nicholls et al. 2007

11 Coastal Engineering Managing Risk At the Coastline Protect Seawalls Sea dykes, levees Beaches, dunes Vegetated foreshores Storm surge barriers Offshore breakwaters, reefs Land Claim Accommodate Flood proofing Flood hazard mapping and awareness Flood warning and evacuation Flood zoning / habitat restoration Retreat Coastal setbacks Managed retreat/realignment Adapted from Nicholls et al. 2007

12 Coastal Engineering From Design to Action Project need Baseline evaluation Identify engineering design goals Identify engineering alternatives Evaluate cost and effectiveness Select best alternative(s) Evaluate and test designs Refine, verify and re-design Construct project Monitor Credits: United States Army Corps of Engineers Coastal Engineering Manual. Available at

13 Coastal Engineering Design Principles Credits: Slinger, J.H. (Jill) (2016) Engineering: Building with Nature 101x video #06 Distilling Engineering Design Principles. TU Delft. Dataset.

14 Coastal Engineering Dealing with Disasters "There was a national feeling of "never again" and that we should safeguard our nation and population from such threats from the sea and rivers. That has been translated into these very high standards of defences. (Dutch River Water Authority official on the 1953 floods) Delta Works Flood Protection, Rhine-Meuse Delta, Netherlands Credits: Maeslantkering Storm Surge Barrier, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

15 These Structures Are Remarkable Rebuild By Design Project, New York, USA The Thames Barrier, London, UK Credits:

16 Credits: Gittman, R.K., Fodrie, F.J., Popowich, A.M., Keller, D.A., Bruno, J.F., Currin, C.A., Peterson, C.H. and Piehler, M.F., Engineering away our natural defenses: an analysis of shoreline hardening in the US. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 13(6), pp But Are They Sustainable? km of continental US shoreline approximately 14% of the total US coastline has been armored. Storm damage atop Sea Bright seawall, New Jersey, USA Seawall upgrade costs, San Francisco, USA

17 Typhoon Haiyan (2013) Do Coastal Habitats Protect People? Credits: Van Wesenbeeck, B Nature-based flood defenses: panacea or illusion? IAHR 2015 Keynote. The Hague, Netherlands

18 Polidoro et al Coastal Habitats At Risk - Mangroves

19 World Resources Institute, Coastal Habitats At Risk - Coral Reefs

20 Engineering With Nature?! How does that work?

21 Do Coastal Habitats Protect People? Credits: Arkema et al Coastal habitats shield people and property from sea-level rise and storms. Nature Climate Change Letters DOI: /NCLIMATE1944

22 Engineering + Nature An Oxymoron? Credits:

23 Can We Use Nature And Natural Processes To Our Benefit? Credits: Van Wesenbeeck, B Nature-based flood defenses: panacea or illusion? IAHR 2015 Keynote. The Hague, Netherlands

24 Understanding The Physics And Economics Of Nature-based Defenses Beck and Lange Managing coasts with natural solutions: Guidelines for measuring and valuing the coastal protection services of mangroves and coral reefs. World Bank

25 Do Mangroves Reduce Wave Heights? Narayan et al., The effectiveness of mangroves in attenuating cyclone-induced waves. Proceedings of the International Conference of Coastal Engineers Shanghai.

26 Do Mangroves Reduce Wave Heights? Mangroves reduce wave heights by 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) away If Mangroves are removed Wave height of 1.66% annual probability 5% annual probability Wave height of 14.3% annual probability 100% annual probability Optimum size of mangrove forest 300 to 800 m Narayan et al., The effectiveness of mangroves in attenuating cyclone-induced waves. Proceedings of the International Conference of Coastal Engineers Shanghai.

27 Can Coastal Wetlands Protect Properties From Flood Damage During Hurricanes? Photo credit: Jim Wright/LightHawk/TNC

28 Can Coastal Wetlands Protect Properties From Flood Damage During Hurricanes? Authors Siddharth Narayan, UCSC Michael Beck, TNC, UCSC Paul Wilson, RMS Christopher Thomas, RMS Alexandra Guerrero, RMS Christine Shepard, TNC Borja G. Reguero, UCSC Guillermo Franco, GC Jane Carter Ingram, WCS Dania Trespalacios, TNC In association with

29 Can Coastal Wetlands Protect Properties From Flood Damage During Hurricanes?

30 Can Coastal Wetlands Protect Properties From Flood Damage During Hurricanes? Scenario I: Flood Damages with Present-day Marshes

31 Can Coastal Wetlands Protect Properties From Flood Damage During Hurricanes? Scenario II: Flood Damages with Marsh Loss

32 Can Coastal Wetlands Protect Properties From Flood Damage During Hurricanes? Difference in Flood Damages Between Marsh Scenarios 625 Million US$ 12 States Difference in Losses (%) < to to to to -5-5 to to to 5 5 to to to to 100 >100

33 Can Coastal Wetlands Protect Properties From Flood Damage During Hurricanes? 1.Catastrophic Events: >625 Million US$ during Hurricane Sandy >10% on average where wetlands remain 2.Annual Flooding: Properties with marshes save >16% in average annual losses Benefits especially significant in lower elevation (high-risk) areas 3.Wetland conservation and restoration Can reduce risk from extreme event flooding Can provide benefits to communities upstream

34 What Is The Value Of Coral Reefs In Reducing Flood Damages? 1 m v 1 m v v Beck et al., The Global Flood Protection Savings Provided by Coral Reefs. Nature Communications. In Review.

35 What Is The Value Of Coral Reefs In Reducing Flood Damages? 60 yrs data Waves Seawifs Bathymetry (1X1km) + Surg e + Tide Beck et al., The Global Flood Protection Savings Provided by Coral Reefs. Nature Communications. In Review.

36 Let s Not Forget This Is Nature Not Concrete! Credits: Buidling_with_Nature/Week_3_Ecological_Design_Principles/BwN101x_2017_3.2.2_Ecosyste ms_abiotic_boundary_conditions-slides.pdf

37 Engineering + Nature In Practice Engineering Design Principles Ecological Design Principles + Slinger, J.H. (Jill) (2016) Engineering: Building with Nature 101x video #06 Distilling Engineering Design Principles. TU Delft. Dataset.

38 Engineering + Nature In Practice ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS ECOLOGICAL DESIGN PROCESS Project need Project need Baseline evaluation Baseline evaluation Identify engineering design goals Identify engineering alternatives Evaluate cost and effectiveness + Identify ecosystem design goals Identify alternative restoration techniques Evaluate costs and benefits Select best alternative(s) Select best alternatives Evaluate and test designs Assign priorities to restoration efforts Construct project Implement restoration Monitor Monitor

39 Engineering + Nature In Practice Middle Township, NJ Photo credit: Metthea Yepsen, TNC

40 Take Home Messages Engineers will increasingly have to work with other disciplines For coastal issues, engineering with nature works. This shift in how we solve problems is both challenging and exciting

41 Who Cares? Also, How Do We Reach Them?

42 Do Mangroves Reduce Wave Heights? Narayan et al., The effectiveness of mangroves in attenuating cyclone-induced waves. Proceedings of the International Conference of Coastal Engineers Shanghai.

43 Do Mangroves Reduce Wave Heights? Credits:

44 Really, Who Cares?

45 Really, Who Cares? Science for Nature an Request for Proposals Due Date: 25 April 201 Website: Fo The Science for People and Nature Partnership

46 So How Do We Reach Them? Report Press Release Video Fact Sheet TNC Cool Green Science Blog Photo credit: Jim Wright/LightHawk/TNC

47 So How Do We Reach Them? Who is your audience? What do they want to know? What is your message?

48 Peer-reviewed Papers

49 Factsheets

50 Reports

51 Press Releases

52 Workshops Around The World

53 Online Tools Credits: - Natural Defenses App

54 And Videos! Credits: Jeffrey Wilkins Jr. and Bess Tassoulas.

55 Thanks! Questions? Siddharth Narayan, UCSC Michael Beck, TNC, UCSC Paul Wilson, RMS Christopher Thomas, RMS Alexandra Guerrero, RMS Bregje van Wesenbeeck, Deltares Kelly A. Burks-Cope, USACE Glenn-Marie Lange, World Bank Christine Shepard, TNC Borja G. Reguero, UCSC Guillermo Franco, Guy Carpenter Jane Carter Ingram, WCS Dania Trespalacios, TNC Inigo J. Losada, IH Cantabria Nigel Pontee, CH2MHILL James Sanchirico, UC Davis Request for Working Group Prop Science for Nature and People Partnershi Request for Proposals Due Date: 25 April 2016, 9:00 am PDT

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