A state report predicts widespread effects on Delaware businesses and communities from a rise in the sea level.
Delaware’s Sea Level Rise Advisory Committee has released the statewide Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment report. Results of the assessment show that sea level rise is a statewide issue: all three counties and 31 of the state’s 57 cities and towns will feel the impact.
The report is expected to draw fire from some conservatives and climate change skeptics who view such findings as an excuse for more government involvement in land use issues. Authors of the report countered that the report’s findings were reached during an open process that sought input from those expected to feel the impact of sea level rise.
The report outlines the potential impacts of three future sea level rise scenarios to homes, businesses, parks, roads, farmland, habitat, wetlands and dozens of other statewide resources. It also includes detailed data tables and maps that illustrate the scope and significance of sea level rise for the state. The findings of this report will be used by the Sea Level Rise Advisory Committee to develop recommendations aimed at improving Delaware’s ability to adapt to the changes.
“The science is clear that Delaware will face very real and wide-ranging impacts from more extreme weather events and sea level rise,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara. “This scientific assessment provides a solid foundation to evaluate potential strategies and proactive measures that will improve our resilience to storms and reduce our long-term vulnerability.”
The Vulnerability Assessment found that between 8-11 percent of Delaware’s total land area could be inundated by a sea level rise of 1.6 feet to 4.9 feet (0.5 meters to 1.5 meters).
The final report of the Sea Level Rise Advisory Committee, due in 2013, will contain recommendations to help governments, businesses, and citizens prepare for sea level rise, according to a release announcing the report.
Tide gauges in the state show that sea levels in Delaware are rising at a rate of about 13 inches over a time span of 100 years. This rate is expected to accelerate in the coming decades, scientists say.
For more information about sea level rise or to read the Delaware Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment, go to http://de.gov/slradvisorycommittee
