The US EPA has chosen six estuaries to be case studies for local action to protect sensitive coastal ecosystems and economies from the potential effects of climate change. This is the first step in EPA’s new ‘climate ready estuaries’ effort to build local ability to adapt to climate change.
The six pilots are the New Hampshire estuaries project, the Massachusetts Bays estuary programme, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, the Albemarle-Pamlico Sounds national estuary programme, Charlotte Harbor estuary programme and San Francisco estuary project.
Each estuary programme will receive technical assistance to assess and reduce their vulnerability to climate change.
The programmes will apply analyses and tools to help them make decisions to protect their communities and build knowledge to help other communities adapt to a changing climate. Communities with plans approved by their local stakeholders will be designated as ‘climate ready estuaries’ by the EPA.
The climate ready estuaries project will take the lessons learned from the pilots to provide information and leadership to other coastal communities around the US.
Under the climate ready estuaries framework, the EPA will use the 28 national estuary programmes, web-based resources and other ways identified in the initial pilots to support local efforts in all coastal communities to effectively plan and adapt to climate change.
The programme is one of over 40 actions being undertaken in response to the water-related impacts of climate change that are described in a draft strategy developed by the National Water Program. The draft strategy is designed to help water resource managers adapt their programmes to a changing climate.
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