According to a new technical report, the effects of climate
change will continue to threaten the health and vitality of U.S. coastal
communities' social, economic and natural systems.
The report, Coastal Impacts, Adaptation, and
Vulnerabilities: a technical input to the 2013 National Climate Assessment,
authored by leading scientists and experts, emphasizes the need for increased
coordination and planning to ensure U.S. coastal communities are resilient
against the effects of climate change.
The recently released report examines and describes climate
change impacts on coastal ecosystems and human economies and communities, as
well as the kinds of scientific data, planning tools and resources that coastal
communities and resource managers need to help them adapt to these changes.
"Sandy showed us that coastal states and communities
need effective strategies, tools and resources to conserve, protect, and
restore coastal habitats and economies at risk from current environmental
stresses and a changing climate," said Margaret A. Davidson of NOAA's
Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management and co-lead author of the
report. "Easing the existing pressures on coastal environments to improve
their resiliency is an essential method of coping with the adverse effects of
climate change."