Date of Award
Spring 5-7-2024
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Department
Environmental Studies
Advisor(s)
John Van Buren
Recommended Citation
Isidro, Ryder D., "New York City’s Rising Sea Level and Coastal Erosion: Approaches to Resiliency" (2024). Student Theses 2015-Present. 164.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/environ_2015/164
Included in
Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons, Biodiversity Commons, Forest Biology Commons, Other Animal Sciences Commons, Other Engineering Science and Materials Commons, Plant Biology Commons
Comments
This paper examines New York’s rising sea levels and coastline erosion to underpin the state’s need to move from an adaptive climate approach to a more robust and proactive one. Longstanding responses to the world’s climate disaster have historically taken adaptive approaches, which act as reactive rather than proactive responses in climate initiatives. Strong “mitigative” responses understand that the current course of climate change is not halting anytime soon, and we should expect the intensity of weather variables to grow. There is a need for responses that go beyond the immediate and address the long-term effects of climate change. Chapter One provides data on the weather, establishing the presence of predictable extreme weather cycles and their impact on New York's coastline and oceanic health. Today's data shows that extreme weather is growing exponentially. Models predicting increasing weather intensity have continued to represent our best prediction of future climate scenarios. Chapter Two explores the historical responses to sea level rise and coastal erosion and our approach to climate change throughout history. Chapter Three compares the economic strain of current and recent climate solutions and the analyses of adaptive strategies in addressing sea level rise and coastline erosion while touching on mitigative philosophy. Chapter Four analyzes the policy and politics currently engaged in climate initiatives, how current agencies are addressing the issue of rising sea levels and erosion and the planning around enacting climate response. Lastly, Chapter Five introduces proposed climate response initiatives for New York's climate disaster. Implementing approaches to resiliency without upheaving the “status quo” and understanding the impact of adaptive versus “mitigative” measures in addressing New York’s rising sea level and coastal erosion.