Case Study

North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

Local governments often lack capacity to implement coastal resilience projects. This department provided voluntary incentives for communities to partner with their local governments in developing and implementing resilience strategies.

Year

2022

Details

Hazards Addressed

Flooding – Coastal

Flooding – Rainfall-induced

Assets

Cultural and Community Services

Natural Areas and Wildlife

Follow the link below to access this case study published by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation:

Case Study: North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality »

Equity Insights

This project aimed to mitigate the differential vulnerability of coastal communities to climate change by offering technical and capacity-building assistance to overcome barriers to local resilience planning. This approach reflects a commitment to structural equity. By pairing municipalities with technical experts and developing a prioritized portfolio of shovel-ready projects, the group facilitated fair distribution of resources and encouraged community involvement in long-term resilience planning. The project’s focus on broad access to resources regardless of socio-economic status, as well as its commitment to fostering skill development and engagement in underserved communities further underscores its commitment to advancing distributional and procedural equity.

Lessons Learned

Develop incentive-based programs: Incentive-based programs, offering voluntary incentives like funding and technical support, prove more effective than mandated efforts. Tailoring these incentives to address capacity gaps and local community needs enhances engagement and collaboration in initiatives such as resilience planning and implementation.
Don’t reinvent the wheel: Coastal resilience planning is a rapidly evolving discipline. Engage with experienced stakeholders including national, state, and private organizations to draw upon proven frameworks and facilitate the exchange of valuable insights and tools. This collaborative approach can be critical and cost-effective when designing projects and approaches.
Generate local expertise: With ongoing climate change challenges affecting communities, the demand for skilled professionals adept at executing resilience projects is escalating. Existing projects can nurture technical contractors and future leaders in resilience by connecting them with pertinent resources and opportunities, providing a valuable platform for skill development and capacity building.
Read the room: Understanding the specific challenges faced by coastal municipalities enables tailored resilience efforts that can effectively address obstacles and bolster organizational and technical capacity for future efforts. In this project, municipalities were paired with technical experts and hands-on permitting guidance was provided to navigate assessments, devise resilience strategies, and ensure project feasibility while enriching local knowledge and contributing to valuable skill development.
Sharing is caring: Ensuring the availability and accessibility of final project materials empowers decision-makers with essential information needed to achieve climate resilience. Through this initiative, a portfolio of shovel-ready resilience projects was developed and shared widely, effectively minimizing technical and financial barriers to building climate resilience. The presence and accessibility of this resource facilitates the implementation of proactive resilience plans and encourages communities to take action. Serving as a valuable asset for coastal communities, it extends benefits not only to communities across North Carolina but also across the country.