You are on page 1of 24

Adaptation

to
Climate Change

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors


Environmental Committee
March 6, 2009
Board Assignment

¾ Create a plan to incorporate climate change


into the County’s long range planning,
including but not limited to, floodplain
delineation and building requirements in
areas that will be affected by sea level rise.

¾ Report to the Board’s Environmental


Committee.
The Players
International

State National Regional

Regional

Local
Sustainable Shorelines and
Community Management Project
COG Climate Change
Program
Major Reports

http://www.ipcc.ch/ http://www.mwcog.org/
Major Reports
Major Reports

http://www.deq.virginia.gov/info/climatechange.html http://www.chesapeake.org/stac/
Issues

¾ Time Horizon for Planning

¾ What Sea-level Rise to Plan for

¾ Certainty of Available Information

¾ What Impacts need to be Addressed in Near Term


Sea Level Rise
• Governor’s Commission Estimate

YR 2050 --- 1.0 - 1.6 ft. (0.3 - 0.5 m) [Interpolated]


YR 2100 --- 2.3 - 5.2 ft. (0.7 - 1.6 m)

• Current rate of sea level rise at Washington D.C. Tide


Gage 3.13 + 0.21 mm/yr [Zervas, C.; NOAA; 2001]

YR 2050 --- 0.48 – 0.56 ft. (0.16 - 0.17 m)


YR 2100 --- 0.96 – 1.10 ft. (0.31 - 0.33 m)
Impacts
¾ Rising water levels will convert tidal wetlands to open water and
adjoining low lying forested areas to wetlands (Dyke Marsh).

¾ Shoreline erosion along estuaries will result in a loss of land or


hardening by property owners to protect land eliminating intertidal
wetlands and beaches.

¾ As seal level rises, coastal flooding will become more frequent.

¾ In some older communities, high tides during new and full moons
will flood areas that currently do not flood (New Alexandria).

¾ Increase in annual rainfall (11%).


[Governor’s Commission on Climate Change Final Report; 2008]

¾ Change in the frequency of severe storms.


Areas Vulnerable to Impacts of Sea Level Rise

Areas Inundated at Elevation 5.0 ft. (shown In red)


Areas Vulnerable to Impacts of Sea Level Rise
Cameron Run, Bell Haven & New Alexandria

Areas Inundated at Elevation 5.0 ft. (shown In red)


Areas Vulnerable to Impacts of Sea Level Rise
New Alexandria

Areas Inundated at Elevation 5.0 ft. (shown In red)


Areas Vulnerable to Impacts of Sea Level Rise
Little Hunting Creek

Areas Inundated at Elevation 5.0 ft. (shown In red)


Areas Vulnerable to Impacts of Sea Level Rise
Little Hunting Creek (upper portion)

Areas Inundated at Elevation 5.0 ft. (shown In red)


Areas Vulnerable to Impacts of Sea Level Rise
Gunston Manor & Hallowing Point

Areas Inundated at Elevation 5.0 ft. (shown In red)


Vulnerable Public Facilities

¾New Alexandria Tide Gate and


Pumping Station

¾Lower Potomac Treatment Plant


Governor’s Commission
Key Recommendations
(Implementation of Action Plan)

¾ Establish a Sub-Cabinet on Climate Change Response.

¾ Secretary of Natural Resources should lead an inter-


agency and intergovernmental effort to develop a Sea
Level Rise Adaptation Strategy by January 1, 2011.

¾ General Assembly should, with the assistance of the


Virginia Municipal League (VML) and the Virginia
Association of Counties (VACo), undertake a review of
authorities of local governments, and enact any enabling
authority that is needed.
Governor’s Commission
Key Recommendations
(Implementation of Action Plan)

¾ Local governments should include projected climate


change impacts, especially sea level rise and storm
surge, in comprehensive plans and land use plans and
revise zoning and permitting ordinances to require
projected climate change impacts be addressed.

¾ State agencies and local governments should develop


climate change adaptation plans for critical
infrastructures for which they are responsible.
Governor’s Commission
Key Recommendations
(Transportation & Infrastructure)

¾ Secretary of Transportation should ensure that climate


change impacts, particularly sea level rise and storm
surge vulnerability in coastal areas of Virginia, are taken
into account in all transportation projects.

¾ Require that all infrastructure projects receiving state


funding are designed to be resistant to climate change
impacts over the projected life of the project and
establish policies that discourage expenditure of public
funds on development of public infrastructure in areas
highly vulnerable to climate change effects.
Governor’s Commission
Key Recommendations
(Floodplain Management)

¾ DCR should revise the Virginia Floodplain Management


Plan and update model floodplain management
ordinances to address more specifically sea-level rise
and increasing storm surge impacts due to climate
change.

¾ Direct local governments to update floodplain ordinances


and maps to incorporate sea-level rise and increasing
storm surge impacts where applicable.
Governor’s Commission
Key Recommendations
(Shoreline Management)

¾ Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) should


adopt shoreline protection policies that emphasize the
use of living shorelines and seek to avoid shoreline
hardening (bulk heads, sea walls, rip rap) wherever
feasible.

¾ Require local governments to develop integrated


shoreline management plans in coordination with VMRC.
Governor’s Commission
Key Recommendations
(Shoreline Management)

¾ DCR should assess the need to expand Virginia’s


Resources Protection Area buffer designations beyond
the current 100-foot requirement to accommodate the
impact of sea level rise.

¾ State and local agencies should establish policies such


as rolling easements, tax incentives, or mandatory
setbacks to discourage new development in vulnerable
coastal areas.
Governor’s Commission
Key Recommendations
(Data & Information Resources)

¾ The General Assembly should provide funding for the


Virginia Geographic Information Network to acquire and
process LiDAR data for the entire state. LiDAR data
should be first acquired for the coastal zone, which will
cost approximately $6 million, and then for the rest of the
state. The resulting data should be made available to all
public agencies.

¾ Persons purchasing or developing property in vulnerable


coastal areas or floodplains should have ready access to
accurate data on the current and potential future
vulnerability of their property.
Staff Recommendations
¾ Base adaptation strategy on YR 2050 projection of a 1.0 - 1.6 ft.
rise in sea level.

¾ Incorporate sea level rise in the design of all new buildings


requiring SE approval.

¾ Evaluate the impact of sea level rise during the design of planned
flood protection projects in coastal areas.

¾ Investigate larger freeboard and/or setback for proposed


construction in areas influence by tidal flooding (Zoning Ordinance
Amendment).

¾ Inventory public facilities in vulnerable areas and evaluate


impacts.

¾ Acquire tools to perform a more detailed analysis of impacts of


sea level rise on floodplain elevations in coastal areas.

You might also like