Solutions

Nature-Based Adaptation to Sea Level Rise

Nature Based Adaptation utilizes nature itself to protect against shoreline erosion and unwanted inundation, is usually cheaper in the long run than man-made structures such as sea walls, and often offers more benefits to communities.

Put Nature First

Put Nature First

  • Recognize the important role the Bay's habitats serve as natural infrastructure in our defenses against sea level rise and climate change.
  • Incorporate the San Francisco Bay Habitat Joint Venture’s Bay-wide goals - to achieve 125,000 acres of tidal marsh, restore and enhance 16,500 acres of transition zone, and protect 14,000 acres of adjacent uplands for marsh migration - and consider contribution to those goals as a criterion for evaluating sub-regional plans.
  • Identify and protect areas with high opportunity for natural or nature based adaptation and develop innovative and effective strategies (policy and funding) to achieve region-wide cooperation that maximizes regional ecological and ecoservice benefits.
  • Prioritize nature based adaptation measures wherever feasible.

 

Level the Playing Field

Level the Playing Field

  • Require clean up of toxic sites in the path of sea level rise and groundwater rise. And don’t create new ones!
  • Prioritize equity for underrecognized communities through community empowerment and coordinated regional investment in planning, infrastructure improvements, and outcomes. 
  • Pursue innovative strategies (such as cross jurisdictional transfer of development rights) to enable small frontline communities to sustain, restore, and enhance their natural assets and recreation opportunities through resilient, adaptive, nature based sea level rise strategies.  
  • Make sure that one jurisdiction’s solution doesn’t worsen impacts on others or limit the options available to them.
Create Adaptive Pathways of Resilience

Create Adaptive Pathways of Resilience

  • Require sub-regional plans to include a phased approach that enables a transition from one methodology to another over time and employs nature based measures first, wherever feasible. 
  • Avoid permanent development and new/expanded infrastructure in the flood zone.
  • Establish a sea level rise overlay zone and encourage transfer of development rights out of the overlay zone.
  • Preserve future opportunities for managed retreat.