Large-scale CoPe: Strong Coasts: Developing Solutions with Nature and People
Summary
This project will generate knowledge that could be used to reduce risk, confront environmental degradation, enhance adaptive capacities of communities, and advance public and private investment in disaster risk prevention and reduction. Coastal zones provide key services to local communities but also carry significant risks from the land and ocean including threats from waves, storm surges, floods, and sea level rise. Protecting and restoring coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs and mangroves can help mitigate these threats while also supporting local economies and societal resilience. This project explores risks and benefits to communities in tropical coral reef-dependent communities where replenishing coral reef and mangrove ecosystems has been piloted and can be scaled up to regional and national management levels as “Nature-based Solutions” (NBS). This project is co-creating new knowledge with coastal communities in Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Belize on how ecosystem-based processes can help address hazard risk and support appropriate NBS. The team's complementary expertise in engineering, ecology, and social sciences, linking seven academic institutions, multiple local partners, and cross-regional organizations, expands the scope of potential research outcomes.
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