1998 Year of the Ocean Impacts of Global Climate Change 



(2) raising the elevation of new facilities such as sewage treatment plants to protect the 

 integrity of the facility's use (Massachusetts Water Resources Authority); 



(3) incorporating sea-level rise into setback laws for larger facilities which goes beyond 

 the normal incorporation of only historical rates of erosion (Maine Coastal Zone 

 Management Program); 



(4) passing legislation in support of a retreat policy that normally prohibits sea wall 

 construction to allow backward migration of a beach (North and South Carolina 

 Coastal Zone Management Programs). 



To support state coastal management efforts, the Coastal Zone Management Act was amended in 

 1990 to further encourage state efforts to incorporate the problems of climate change and sea- 

 level rise into their programs under natural hazards. 



In February 1997, the U.S. Country Studies Program and NOAA sponsored an 

 international workshop in Chinese Taipei that developed guidelines for integrating coastal 

 management and climate change adaptation strategies. These can serve as a guide for coastal 

 nations to implement or strengthen an Integrated Coastal Management program, and 

 simultaneously meet the obligations of international agreements. 



Status of the Relevant Science and Technical Base 



Continued investments in research and monitoring at the national and international levels 

 are needed to improve the information base for adapting to climate change. For example, coastal 

 wetlands naturally migrate in response to changes in sediment supply and relative sea level. 

 However, it is unknown if the rate at which wetlands can naturally migrate is sufficient for the 

 possible rates of sea-level rise that would be caused by climate change. Establishing locations for 

 wetlands to migrate to by expanding reserves and protected areas adjacent to current coastal 

 wetlands can facilitate adaptation. Creation or restoration of wetlands is another adaptive strategy 

 that requires the development of effective methods for restoring coastal wetlands and for 

 measuring the effectiveness of those restoration efforts. 



The White House Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources (CENR) is 

 currently coordinating several wetland activities — including studies of recent changes in wetland 

 systems along the eastern Gulf of Mexico and southern Atlantic coasts, and studies of changes 

 documented in the Mississippi Delta — which should establish credible limits on the ability of 

 coastal wetlands to adapt to sea-level rise by vertical growth. Other Committee on the 

 Environment and Natural Resources research related to the vulnerability and adaptation of 

 coastal systems include space-based geodesy studies to distinguish the long-term trends in sea- 

 level change due to glacial melting and ocean expansion from effects of post-glacial rebound and 

 active tectonics; studies that test existing geological models of coastal erosion processes; and 

 studies of the frequency, magnitude, and tracks of storms. 



G-36 



