COASTAL CLIMATE ADAPTATION: Ecological and Socioeconomic effects of Climate Change in Dare, Hyde, and Tyrrell Counties
Abstract
Climate change threatens the ecological and socioeconomic sustainability of Dare,
Hyde, and Tyrrell counties as they are the three lowest-lying counties in all of North
Carolina, making them particularly vulnerable to sea level rise (SLR) and changes
in storm intensity and frequency. The objectives of this study are to : (1) summarize
the socioeconomic importance of these three counties, including an evaluation of ecosystem
services provided by coastal and marine environments; (2) project the potential biophysical
impacts climate change may have in the future; and (3) conclude with an evaluation
of the current climate adaptation policies and strategies, including land-use plans
and shoreline stabilization, that the North Carolina state government, local county
governments, and nonprofits are implementing.
The research demonstrates that the local economies in these counties are driven by
agriculture, commercial fisheries, and tourism, with ecosystem services providing
valuable resources to both local and state populations. The consequences of climate
change in the region are vast and unpredictable meaning effective climate adaptation
strategies must be developed now before the implications of climate change become
a reality. Current climate adaptation policies provide only short-term solutions
to a long-term problem. It is recommended that communities weigh the economic, social,
and cultural costs of armoring the shoreline versus retreating further inland. Conservation
organizations should focus their efforts inland in order to acquire conservation easements
anticipating where the coastline will be in 100 years.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/5279Citation
Boudreau, Danielle (2012). COASTAL CLIMATE ADAPTATION: Ecological and Socioeconomic effects of Climate Change
in Dare, Hyde, and Tyrrell Counties. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/5279.Collections
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