Procedures to Evaluate Sea Level Change; Impacts, Responses and Adaptation; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Approach

In response to the water-related risks posed by climate change, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (USACE) has embarked on a comprehensive approach that is flexible enough to incorporate new knowledge and changing conditions. Adequately incorporating potential sea level change (SLC) into the planning...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Moritz, Heidi, White, Kate, Langlois, Henri, Simm, Jonathan, Schrader, Matt, Engle, Jason, Smith, Tom, Harper, Brian, Gill, Steve
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
ADAPTATION
ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT
ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
CATASTROPHIC CONDITIONS
Civil Engineering
CLIMATE CHANGE
CONSEQUENCES
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
DECISION MAKING
ECOSYSTEMS
ETL(ENGINEERING TECHNICAL LETTER)
FUTURE CHANGE
HISTORIC TRENDS
INFRASTRUCTURE
MEAN SEA LEVEL
Meteorology
Military Forces and Organizations
NONSTATIONARITY
PERFORMANCE FUNCTIONS
PERFORMANCE(ENGINEERING)
Physical and Dynamic Oceanography
PLANNING
PUBLIC SAFETY
REAL ESTATE
RESILIENCE
RESILIENCY
RESPONSE
RISK
ROBUST ANALYSIS
SCALED DECISION-MAKING
SCENARIO ANALYSIS
SCENARIOS
SCREENING TOOLS
SEA LEVEL
SEA LEVEL CHANGE
SEA LEVEL RISE
SUSTAINABILITY
SYMPOSIA
SYSTEM EFFECTS
THRESHOLDS
TIPPING POINTS
UNITED KINGDOM
VULNERABILITY
WATER RESOURCES INFRASTRUCTURE
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Summary:In response to the water-related risks posed by climate change, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (USACE) has embarked on a comprehensive approach that is flexible enough to incorporate new knowledge and changing conditions. Adequately incorporating potential sea level change (SLC) into the planning and engineering process will improve the resilience of project systems and will maximize sustainability over time. The USACE goal is to develop practical, nationally consistent, legally justifiable, and cost-effective measures, both structural and nonstructural, to reduce vulnerabilities and improve the resilience of our water resources infrastructure. Analytical perspectives will be developed to determine the appropriate investments in maintenance, operations improvements, reallocation, major rehabilitation, and new construction. A tiered analysis is recommended for the assessment of SLC impacts on Corp projects. Inherent in this approach is the understanding that decision points exist after each analysis tier that allow engineers to reassess the required data and analysis. The three primary tiers are as follows: (1) establishing a strategic decision context, (2) determining project area exposure and vulnerability, and (3) developing and evaluating alternatives for addressing SLC at the project site. What is being assessed at the strategic decision level is whether there is potential for significant or catastrophic consequences to human lives, property, critical infrastructure, and ecosystems. The second tier of the screening process determines project area exposure and vulnerability by looking at three categories: project area characterization, capacity/resilience, and loading/processes. The third tier addresses project alternative development and evaluation under SLC. The Corps' most recent update to sea level change guidance was in 2011 in the form of an Engineering Circular, EC 1165-2-212, Incorporating Sea-Level Change Considerations in Civil Works Programs.