Mass. moves forward with 50-year coastal climate plan as federal support retreats – WBUR

Massachusetts Coastal Resilience Strategy and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Climate Action for Sustainable Communities

In response to escalating climate change threats such as increased storm surges, flooding, and erosion, the state of Massachusetts has launched the ResilientCoasts Initiative. This 50-year strategic plan directly addresses the imperatives of Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by outlining a comprehensive framework to enhance the resilience of its 78 coastal communities against rising sea levels and extreme weather events.

The ResilientCoasts Initiative: A Multi-faceted Approach

Strategic Objectives for Resilient Infrastructure and Ecosystems

The initiative employs a regional approach to support municipalities with state funding and resources. Key strategies are designed to build long-term resilience, directly contributing to several SDGs:

1. Developing Resilient Infrastructure (SDG 9): The plan prioritizes the elevation of critical infrastructure, including roads, to withstand future climate impacts and ensure the continued functioning of communities.
2. Restoring Natural Ecosystems (SDG 14 & SDG 15): A core component involves the restoration of natural floodplains and salt marshes, utilizing nature-based solutions to mitigate flood risk and protect coastal ecosystems.
3. Ensuring Food Security (SDG 2): The plan recognizes the vulnerability of critical food supply chains, such as the New England Produce Center in Chelsea, which provides food for nine million people. Protecting such facilities from flooding is vital for regional food security.

Focus on Environmental Justice and Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10)

A central tenet of the ResilientCoasts Initiative is its acknowledgement of disproportionate climate risks, aligning with SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). The plan identifies and prioritizes support for “environmental justice” communities, which face heightened vulnerability due to a combination of factors.

• Vulnerable Communities: Areas like Chelsea and East Boston are designated as high-risk due to their history of pollution and high concentrations of low-income residents and people of color.
• Compounding Risk Factors: Geographic location, dense industrial land use, and socio-economic conditions converge to amplify the impacts of climate change in these communities.
• Protecting Livelihoods (SDG 8): Flooding in these densely developed areas threatens not only residents but also businesses and economic resources crucial for the entire region, impacting decent work and economic growth.

Challenges and Pathways Forward

Funding, Policy, and Partnerships (SDG 17)

The successful implementation of the state’s climate adaptation goals faces significant challenges, primarily related to financing and policy coordination. The withdrawal of a $50 million federal grant for a flood barrier in Chelsea highlights the precarity of funding. To overcome this, the plan advocates for a multi-stakeholder approach consistent with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), encouraging collaboration between local governments and the private sector, including insurance companies.

Policy Recommendations for Long-Term Sustainability

Analysts and environmental organizations have proposed supplementary actions to ensure the plan’s effectiveness:

1. Strengthened Regulation: Implement tougher legislative limits on new construction in known flood-prone and high-erosion areas to steer development toward safer locations.
2. Strategic Relocation: Formally consider and plan for managed retreat, a strategy wherein coastal communities and property owners are supported in voluntarily relocating from high-risk areas to safer ground.
3. Balancing Priorities: Address the challenge of prioritizing long-term (2070) climate resilience projects amid immediate community needs such as housing and healthcare, ensuring that climate action is integrated into broader sustainable development planning.

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

SDG 13: Climate Action

• The article’s central theme is Massachusetts’ response to climate change impacts, such as “increased storm surges, flooding and erosion.” The state’s “50-year plan to ready the coastline to withstand rising seas and extreme weather” is a direct effort to take action on climate change.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The focus is on making the state’s “78 coastal communities” more resilient. The “ResilientCoasts Initiative” includes strategies like “elevating roads and other infrastructure” and steering development away from flood-prone areas, which are key components of creating sustainable and resilient human settlements.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• The article explicitly mentions that the plan acknowledges “some communities face greater risk than others due to differences in geography, land use and factors such as race and income.” It highlights “environmental justice” communities, which have “high percentages of low-income residents or people of color,” addressing the unequal impact of climate change.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• The plan aims to build resilient infrastructure. The article discusses strategies like “elevating roads” and the need for projects like a “$50 million grant to build a flood barrier in Chelsea.” This directly relates to developing sustainable and resilient infrastructure to support communities and economic activity.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• The article points out the vulnerability of the regional food supply chain. The New England Produce Center in Chelsea, which “processes enough fruits and vegetables to feed 9 million people every day,” is threatened by floods. An “interruption of service would be absolutely devastating,” linking climate resilience directly to food security.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

• The initiative includes nature-based solutions to protect coastal areas. The mention of “restoring natural floodplains” and the image caption describing how the “ocean slowly advances it undercuts the salt marsh… until it collapses” highlight the connection between protecting coastal ecosystems and community resilience.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The article discusses the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration. It mentions that the new state plan “proposes more collaboration between local governments and the private sector, including insurance companies, to fund coastal resilience projects.” It also touches upon the challenges of shifting federal policies and the withdrawal of federal funding, underscoring the importance of strong partnerships across government levels and with the private sector.

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

1. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
   • The entire “ResilientCoasts Initiative” is a 50-year plan designed to strengthen the resilience of Massachusetts’ coastline against climate-related hazards like “rising seas and extreme weather.”
2. Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses… caused by disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
   • The plan’s focus on “environmental justice” communities, which are home to low-income residents and people of color, directly aligns with protecting vulnerable populations from the economic and social impacts of flooding.
3. Target 11.b: By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards… adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters.
   • The state’s 50-year plan, which outlines “near- and long-term strategies” for its 78 coastal communities, is a clear example of an integrated policy and plan for climate adaptation and disaster resilience.
4. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… to support economic development and human well-being.
   • The article mentions specific strategies like “elevating roads and other infrastructure” and the proposed (though canceled) “flood barrier in Chelsea” as necessary measures to create resilient infrastructure.
5. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… race, colour… or economic or other status.
   • The plan’s specific “acknowledgement that some communities face greater risk… due to factors such as race and income” is a direct step towards addressing inequalities in climate vulnerability and ensuring resilience efforts are inclusive.
6. Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that… strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather… flooding and other disasters.
   • The article highlights the threat of flooding to the New England Produce Center, a critical food distribution hub. Protecting this facility is essential for ensuring the resilience of the regional food supply system against climate-related disasters.
7. Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts… and take action for their restoration.
   • The plan’s strategy of “restoring natural floodplains” is a direct action aimed at protecting and restoring coastal ecosystems to enhance resilience.

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

1. Existence of a disaster risk reduction strategy: The article’s main subject, the “ResilientCoasts Initiative,” is itself an indicator of progress. It serves as the state’s official strategy for coastal resilience.
2. Funding allocated to resilience projects: The article implies this is a key metric by discussing the challenges of funding. The mention of the canceled “$50 million grant” from FEMA and the need for state funding and private sector collaboration indicates that tracking financial investment is crucial.
3. Number of communities with resilience plans: The goal is to support all “78 coastal communities.” Progress could be measured by the number of these communities that develop and implement local resilience projects with state support.
4. Implementation of nature-based solutions: The area of “natural floodplains” restored could be a specific indicator to measure progress on ecosystem-based adaptation strategies mentioned in the plan.
5. Development of resilient infrastructure: The number of infrastructure projects completed, such as elevated roads or constructed flood barriers, would be a direct measure of progress.
6. Policies addressing vulnerable populations: The inclusion of specific provisions for “environmental justice” communities within the state plan is an indicator. Progress could be measured by the number of projects implemented in these designated areas.
7. Land use and development regulations: The suggestion to implement “tougher limits on construction in flood-prone areas” implies that the adoption of new zoning laws or building codes could be a key indicator of progress in steering development to safer locations.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: wbur.org