Buxton strewn with debris amid government shutdown – Coastal Review

Report on Coastal Infrastructure Collapse in Buxton and Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Incident Overview

A significant environmental and infrastructural event occurred in Buxton, within the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS), where five oceanfront homes collapsed. This incident has resulted in extensive debris contaminating the shoreline, prompting a coordinated cleanup response and raising critical issues related to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

2.0 Environmental Impact and Coastal Ecosystem Health

The collapse has introduced a large volume of hazardous materials into a sensitive coastal environment, directly challenging the objectives of SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

• Marine Debris (SDG 14): Broken construction materials, pilings, and household debris are scattered throughout the surf zone. This pollution poses a direct threat to marine biodiversity, potentially causing physical harm to marine life and degrading aquatic habitats.
• Terrestrial Ecosystem Degradation (SDG 15): As the debris is located within a National Seashore, it pollutes and damages a protected terrestrial ecosystem. The cleanup is essential for conserving coastal habitats and protecting the property of the seashore.

3.0 Climate Action and Sustainable Communities

This event, marking the 16th such collapse on Hatteras Island since mid-September, underscores the urgent need for climate resilience and sustainable community planning, aligning with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

1. Vulnerability of Coastal Settlements (SDG 11): The recurring collapses highlight the extreme vulnerability of coastal infrastructure to erosion and sea-level rise, compromising the safety and sustainability of human settlements in the region.
2. Need for Climate Adaptation (SDG 13): The incidents serve as a critical indicator of climate change impacts, demanding immediate and long-term climate action strategies to protect coastal communities and infrastructure from future events.

4.0 Multi-Stakeholder Response and Public Safety

The response to the crisis involves collaboration between multiple entities, reflecting the importance of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), while immediate actions focus on public safety, a key component of SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).

4.1 Coordinated Cleanup Efforts (SDG 17)

A multi-agency response is underway to manage the debris and mitigate environmental damage, despite challenges posed by a federal shutdown.

• Federal Response: CHNS crews are conducting emergency cleanup operations.
• County-Level Support: Dare County is anticipated to contract private debris removal crews, continuing a pattern of local government support.
• Homeowner Responsibility: While homeowners are responsible for cleanup, their engagement on National Seashore property has been limited in this instance.

4.2 Public Health and Safety Measures (SDG 3)

Authorities have taken steps to protect public well-being from the hazardous conditions created by the debris.

• Public Advisory: The public has been formally advised to avoid the beach south of Old Lighthouse Road due to dangerous conditions, including sharp debris and unstable materials.
• Access Restrictions: Beach access from the north end of Buxton to near ORV Ramp 43 is closed to prevent injury.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • The article discusses the collapse of 16 oceanfront homes, which directly relates to the safety, resilience, and sustainability of human settlements in coastal areas. The resulting debris creates hazardous conditions, impacting public safety and access to public spaces like the beach. The response involves local and national authorities managing a localized disaster.

2. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • While not explicitly stated, the collapse of oceanfront homes is a direct consequence of coastal hazards like erosion and storm surge, which are intensified by climate change and sea-level rise. The recurring nature of these events highlights the community’s vulnerability and the need to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related disasters.

3. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • The article details how debris from the collapsed homes, including “pilings, broken construction materials, and household debris,” is scattered along the shoreline and in the “surf zone.” This constitutes land-based marine pollution that directly harms the coastal and marine ecosystem of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

4. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • The pollution and debris are located within the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, a protected area. This represents a significant degradation of a natural coastal habitat, impacting the terrestrial ecosystem and its conservation. The cleanup efforts are a direct action to restore this degraded environment.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations. The article highlights a recurring disaster with “16 oceanfront home collapses on Hatteras Island since mid-September,” affecting property owners and public safety.
   • Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces. The article explicitly states that “Beach access from the north end of Buxton to near ORV Ramp 43 remains closed” and the area is unsafe due to “dangerous conditions,” directly limiting access to a public space.

2. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The series of home collapses indicates a lack of resilience in the community’s infrastructure against the climate-related hazard of coastal erosion.

3. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris. The collapsed homes are a land-based source of marine debris, with “pilings, broken construction materials, and household debris” polluting the shoreline and ocean.
   • Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts. The debris is causing adverse impacts on the coastal ecosystem of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and the “coordinated cleanup response” is an action to protect and restore it.

4. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats. The debris from the homes is causing a direct degradation of the natural beach habitat within a protected National Seashore.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Number of homes collapsed: The article provides a direct count: “16 oceanfront home collapses on Hatteras Island since mid-September.” This serves as a direct indicator of the scale of the disaster and the lack of resilience (relevant to Targets 11.5 and 13.1).
• Area of shoreline affected and closed: The article specifies that the public should “avoid the beach south of Old Lighthouse Road” and that access “from the north end of Buxton to near ORV Ramp 43 remains closed.” This measures the extent of public space inaccessibility and habitat degradation (relevant to Targets 11.7, 14.2, and 15.5).
• Presence and type of marine debris: The article describes the pollution as “pilings, broken construction materials, and household debris.” The presence and subsequent removal of this debris can be used to measure the level of marine pollution and the effectiveness of cleanup efforts (relevant to Target 14.1).
• Coordinated cleanup response: The article mentions a “coordinated cleanup response” involving the Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS), Dare County, and private contractors. The implementation and effectiveness of this multi-agency response is an indicator of disaster management capacity (relevant to Targets 11.5 and 13.1).

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: coastalreview.org