Proposed Amendments to Chapter 15, Article X: Wetland Conservation Areas
Hurricane Impact Preparedness and Resilient by Nature Recovery
1. Resilient
by
Nature
Innova&ve
Approach
Towards
Climate
Change
Impact
Solu&ons
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2. Climate
Change
Impact
Extreme Weather Impact in the Media
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4. Much
Faster,
More
Intense
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5. Design
Data
Under
Pressure
• Design Data are based on trend analyses and scenarios
• All trends show considerable varia6on
• Actual changes in trends are only included a8er
considerable 6me
• Trend Breaches are by defini6on not included
• Data are therefore basically outdated when it comes
to accelerated climate change
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6. Resilient
by
Nature
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7. The
Example
of
Dauphin
Island,
USA
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8. • “Unlike typical storm surge effects on a mainland coastline and affected waterways, on an island the
surge moves around and over the land mass without the mounding up of water experienced on the
mainland.“
• “Storm surge and waves were not high enough to destroy many of the elevated homes on the less-‐
protected western end of the populated part of the island”
The
Example
of
Dauphin
Island,
USA
Effec<veness
/
Post
Katrina
Impact
Assessment
Ref. NOAA and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dauphin_Island,_Alabama#Hurricanes
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9. Resiliency
Quality
Features
:
• Relevant processes and data have been analyzed and assessed
• Characteris6cs which can be translated into hurricane resistant
breakwaters in other regions and climates
• Supported with similar cases known within the area itself and from
elsewhere
• The rela6ve small footprint also limits direct storm impact
Ref. USGS
Hurricane
Shaped
Barrier
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10. Other
Systems
with
Proven
Natural
Resiliency
Eco-Shields / Mangroves
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11. Eco-‐shields
/
Mangroves
Effec<veness
www.nature.org/media/oceansandcoasts/mangroves-‐for-‐coastal-‐defence.pdf
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12. Resiliency
Quality
Features
:
• Effec6ve with regard to Wave Impact Reduc6on (physical distance
and mangrove type dependent)
• Not effec6ve with regard to Accelerated Sea Level Rise
• Suitable for similar marine habitat condi6ons elsewhere
• Vulnerable for changes in ambient condi6ons, such as temperature
and silta6on
• Not suitable for other climate zones
USGS
Eco-‐shields
/
Mangroves
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13. Eco-‐Polder
• Polder type, diked area as extreme impact relief instrument (buffer)
• Designed to get flooded under extreme condi6ons by means of
spilling levees or weirs
• Allowing the water to come in controlled, thus reducing and slowing
down the direct impact on the mainland
• Vegeta6on in the polder can slow down the process even further
• Poten6al addi6onal use as storm water run off reservoir
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14. Eco-‐Polder
Resiliency
Quality
Features
:
• Well tested, global concept with basically very few restric6ons
• Extensive research has been done such as in Northern Germany
[Ref. H.D. Niemeyer, 2001]
• Extremely effec6ve in terms of wave and water level set up reduc6on
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15. More
Systems
with
Similar
Impact
Resiliency
Quali<es
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16. The
“Resilient
by
Nature”
Approach
• Learn from systems with proven built in natural resilience in terms
of dimensions, behaviour, relevant processes, etc.
• Translate their characteris6cs to other places which are equally
exposed but less resilient
• On the basis of an holis6c approach, Implement as systems instead
of individual engineered solu6ons
• Toolbox, providing maximum flexibility and internal back-‐up and
redundancy
• As solu6on provider and overarching framework for engineered
components, such as structures
• Resilient
by
Nature
is a Game Changer
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17. New
York
City
as
Example
USGS
• Hurricane Sandy (2012) has had a major impact on NYC (U$ 32 billion,
direct damage costs)
• NYC Resiliency Program “Rebuild by Design”
• Tradi6onal sta6c (river) waterfront approach, without afen6on for
flexibility nor internal redundancy
• With what is called the “Dry Contour” as binding factor for Manhafan
• No Adapta6on zones included so no space for yet unknown condi6ons
• First projects to go into execu6on this year.
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18. Source : Daily News
Source : Daily News
www.rebuildbydesign.org/project/big-team-final-proposal/
New
York
City
as
Example
• Fixed boundaries of the exis6ng quay-‐walls and other
waterfront infrastructure
• Tradi6onal engineered (river bank) solu6ons
• Some landscaping planned on the dry features, but no
changes in the wet contour
• Many interfaces, hard to manage, performance risk
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20. Source : Daily News
Source : Daily News
New
York
City
as
Example
• New York City has the need and all condi6ons for implementa6on of
a flexible, holis6c approach
• Big unknowns are the way the whole estuary will behave when the
next hurricane and related flood waves will hit the area
• It’s all about understanding and implemen6ng of relevant systems,
not engineered fixed structures with some occasional landscaping
• With the “Blue Dunes” ini6a6ve as a nice, first example of the
Resilient by Nature approach
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21. Economy
• The economics behind what’s feasible or not will mainly be
determined on the basis of what’s already there, how much
modifica6on is required and what natural resiliency component(s) to
add, including related planning and 6me scales
• Balanced against the immense costs of the material and immaterial
damage each major event causes
• Offers the poten6al of substan<al
addi<onal
social
and
economic
benefits from mul6-‐usage of the implemented systems, such as the
eco-‐polder, hurricane breakwater, eco-‐shield, etc.
• The Resilient
by
Nature approach is flexible, fully scalable to local
needs, means and possibili6es, thanks to its unique natural system
based characteris6cs
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22. Source : Daily News
Source : Daily News
• Given the rapid changes and related uncertain6es and unknowns in
design data, there is definitely a need for an Holis6c Approach
• Resilient
by
Nature
offers the tools and experience to follow and
implement such an approach
• This will not happen overnight. More research is needed, other
systems added and confidence must grow
• Un6l full acceptance, it’s probably worth to compare and check
what has been planned and designed conven6onally with the
Resilient
by
Nature
iden6fied systems and check if it makes sense
what has been engineered as individual components
• Reference Document is available for poten6al partners
Resilient
by
Nature,
the
Way
Forward
Email
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pluijm64@gmail.com
Marco
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