Coastal Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerabilities - Climate ...

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Vulnerability and Impacts on Human Development 73pieces of shore-side structures can block a channel for days or more (Tirpak, 2009).Melting sea ice will also present new opportunities for transport through areas historicallyblocked by sea ice. The opening of the Northwest Passage could shorten shippingtimes for some routes that currently utilize the Panama Canal; however, new shiptraffic in these pristine wilderness areas could also have consequences for the sensitivearctic environment. In addition, significant legal hurdles need to be overcome beforethis becomes a viable route (Emmerson, 2011).Water Resources and InfrastructureWarming associated with climate change is expected to intensify the hydrologic cycle(see Chapter 2), which would increase precipitation in some coastal areas, geographicshifts in hurricane and other storm tracks, and more frequent and intense droughts.Changes in vulnerability to climate extremes in the water sector may result from changesin the volume, timing, and quality of available water (Aggarwal & Singh, 2010; Buonaiutoet al., 2010). These physical processes will have profound impacts on water qualityand quantity for coastal communities and serious implications for water-resources infrastructureand management regimes.Water SUPPLY and Drought. An increase in the variability of precipitation willresult in major challenges for water-resource managers. Most water resource-managementinfrastructure and planning is based on assumptions of stationarity and the conceptthat historical variability in precipitation can be used to predict future variabilityin the design and management of water systems (Milly et al., 2008). If climate changeis accompanied by substantial changes in the variability of precipitation as is projected(Bates et al., 2008; Gutowski et al., 2008), water-resource availability will be affected unlessresource managers develop adaption plans that can accommodate such changes.In some regions, drought will likely be compounded by higher rates evapotranspiration,which could result in increased groundwater withdrawals because of higher irrigationwater demands (Hatfield et al., 2008). Together, these climatic changes and humanadaptations to drought could result in depletion of coastal aquifers and saltwater intrusion(Conrad et al., 2010).Riverine and COASTAL FLOODING. Climate change has the potential to substantiallyaffect risk of flooding and associated impacts to human health, infrastructure, andagriculture in the Nation’s coastal communities. This includes storm surge, tidal, andwave-driven flooding along open coasts and estuaries as well as flooding along riversother and inland waterways that eventually deposits floodwaters in the coastal zone.The historic flooding in the Mississippi River and Tributaries system in 2011 illustratedthe extent to which water infrastructure and management across hundreds of milesfrom the coast can have profound impacts on coastal communities and resources. Theseverity of the 2011 flooding necessitated emergency modifications to water managementin the area affected by the Mississippi River and its tributaries to reduce floodingof local communities. This included the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE’s) controlledbreaching of the Birds Point Levee in Missouri, diverting floodwaters from Cairo,IL onto Missouri farm lands. Floodwaters laden with nutrients such as nitrogen andphosphorus and sediment derived from agricultural fields and other upland sources
74 Coastal Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerabilitieswere delivered to the Gulf Coast, in some cases more rapidly than normal as the US-ACE operated emergency spillways at Morganza and Bonnet Carre in coastal Louisiana(NOAA, 2011a). The floodwaters contributed to an increase in the Gulf’s hypoxic zone toan area nearly equal to the land area of the state of New Jersey and threatened the Gulf’svaluable commercial and recreational fisheries (NOAA, 2011b).As noted above, increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather are alsoexpected to impact coastal infrastructure, services in coastal regions and particularlyports, and key nodes of international supply chains (Oh & Reuveny, 2010). Heavier rainfall,combined with sea-level rise and storm surge is expected to substantially increasethe frequency of flooding in major metropolitan areas in the northeastern U.S. in the 21stcentury (Kirschen et al., 2008) and in California (Moser & Tribbia, 2006).Although only a single storm, Hurricane Katrina illustrated the vulnerabilities of thenation’s coastal flood-protection infrastructure and the ongoing need to consider nonstationarityand/or previously unobserved environmental conditions including impactsrelated to sea-level rise, coastal subsidence, and changes in storm characteristics. TheUSACE recently updated the sea level-rise curves contained in its primary engineeringguidance for use in its civil works programs (USACE, 2011).Water QUALITY, WASTEWATER, and STORMWATER MANAGEMENT. Climatechange and associated effects on patterns of precipitation may result in deterioration ofwater quality (Delpla et al., 2009; Park et al., 2010; Whitehead et al., 2009). Precipitationincreases on land have increased river runoff and polluted coastal waters with nitrogenand phosphorous as well as sediments and other contaminants (Buonaiuto et al., 2010).Storm-water drainage systems, designed with historical patterns of precipitation inmind, may also prove inadequate to new environmental conditions (Mailhot & Duchesne,2010; Rosenberg et al., 2010). Increased precipitation and especially increases inextreme precipitation events in coastal areas could lead to an increased frequency ofcombined sewer overflows (CSOs) that could result in beach closures and shellfish bedclosures (Bookman et al,. 1999). Mallin and others (2001) conclude that increasing rainfalland runoff on developed lands with higher impervious surfaces or more septic systemsleads to the transport of more fecal coliform contaminant to shellfish beds andsubsequent closures (Line et al., 2008).Increases in heavy precipitation combined with sea-level rise in New York could affectthe heights of tide gates designed to prevent the inflow of seawater and backing upof outfall sewers (NYCDEP, 2008). According to Buonaiuto et al. (2010: pg. 130), “[m]ore tide gates may need to be installed at outflow locations to prevent such inflows,and more frequent repairs of the gates may become necessary. If high tide levels duringstorms cause backup of sewage, more could be forced into wastewater treatment plants,necessitating the throttling of flows to protect the plants from flooding. Coastal floodingcould increase salinity of influent into wastewater pollution control plants (WPCPs) andlead to corrosion of equipment.”Tourism and RecreationClimate change may have a significant impact on the global tourism and recreation industry.In 2010, the tourism and recreation industry constituted an estimated 9.3 percent
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National Climate Assessment Regiona
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© 2012 The National Oceanic and At
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Coastal Impacts, Adaptation,and Vul
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Chapter 3Lead Author: Carlton H. He
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ContentsKey TermsAcronymsCommunicat
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4.4 Human Health Impacts and Implic
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Key TermsxixExposure 3 - The nature
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AcronymsxxiNAO - North Atlantic Osc
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Executive Summaryxxvffffffffffffffo
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Executive Summaryxxviiweakened by v
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Executive SummaryxxixAdaptation and
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Introduction and Context 3irrigatio
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Introduction and Context 9coastal w
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Physical Climate Forces 11fffffffff
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Physical Climate Forces 13Figure 2-
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Physical Climate Forces 15Sea-level
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Physical Climate Forces 17maintain
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Physical Climate Forces 19These low
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Physical Climate Forces 21Figure 2-
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ReferencesAbuodha, P. & Woodroffe,
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Coastal Impacts, Adaptation, and Vu
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