As we have seen in the months following superstorm Sandy, technology can be used to lift homes out of harm's way and protect beaches at the Jersey Shore.
But according to a study released this month, natural coastal defenses such as dunes and reefs also are critical to protecting millions of U.S. residents and billions of dollars in property from coastal storms and a rising sea level. The study of the effects of rising sea levels by scientists with the Natural Capital Project at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment confirms what previous research has documented.
The July 14 report in the journal Nature Climate Change should serve as yet one more wake-up call to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to increase its acquisition of wetlands, and for communities to exercise caution when it comes to redevelopment of coastal properties.
The Stanford study, titled "Coastal habitats shield people and property from sea-level rise and storms," dovetails nicely with the March release of a Rutgers University online mapping tool that identifies parts of the state in danger of severe flooding if the ocean and bays continue to rise.
The Stanford report warns that rising sea levels and extreme weather put 16 percent of U.S. coastlines at "high-hazard" risk, and that the number of threatened residents could double if natural habitats aren't protected. It also notes that 23 of the 25 most densely populated U.S. counties are coastal, and that the East and Gulf coasts are more vulnerable to sea level rise than the West coast. While natural defenses might protect some areas, "sea level rise will overwhelm" them in others, so additional measures are needed, the study asserts
The bottom line: We must not only protect our shore's natural defenses, but also provide additional protection in the form of man-made solutions. It is not an either/or proposition.
As Peter Kareiva, chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy and co-author of the Stanford study, put it, "Hardening our shorelines with sea walls and other costly engineering shouldn't be the default solution." While sea walls have their place, studies have shown they can actually hasten beach erosion, which eventually undermines the integrity of the walls themselves. No method is perfect; all should be considered where appropriate.
More than two decades ago, in 1989, a headline in the Asbury Park Press read simply, "Coastal management is as good as people allow."
That is more true now than ever before. This new report ought to be required reading for the administration of Gov. Chris Christie. And the DEP should adopt a longer-term view of protecting our coastline that employs every best practice, both natural and man-made.