Abstract
Large-scale barriers are a management option for present and increasing coastal storm flooding. The barriers have gates that are open most times except during storms. As an example of the assessment process for a barrier, an integrated assessment of two barrier options for the coastal city of Boston, located in the northeastern USA, is presented. The assessment also included a comparison to shore-based adaptation options such as elevated walkways, playing fields, and open space. While harbor-wide barriers in Boston could manage storm coastal flooding with perhaps minimal environmental impacts and moderate impacts on harbor users such as shipping, their cost-effectiveness is low. Their operational lives are limited by a rapidly increasing annual number of gate closures over time as sea level rises—placing considerable mechanical stresses on them. With low potential to adapt or adjust a barrier once it is in place, there are limited opportunities to respond to the uncertainties of climate change over time. The alternative of a wide spectrum of shore-based, district-level solutions using nature-based solutions located on the waterfront, however, has the potential for high cost-effectiveness and several key advantages. These solutions have the potential to incorporate multiple levels of protection, manage storm and tidal coastal flooding, provide flexibility and adaptability, offer co-benefits, endure for long operational lifetimes, and cause minimal impacts to the environment and harbor users.
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Acknowledgments
This research was sponsored by the Boston Green Ribbon Commission with funding from the Barr Foundation. The results do not represent the views of particular City of Boston agencies, the sponsors of the research, or the University of Massachusetts Boston. The authors appreciate the advice of the research Steering Committee and the comments from the international review panel. Eric Holmes, Zach Stromer, Joe Famely, Alex Shaw, and Brittany Hoffnagle assisted with the hydrodynamic analysis. Emily Moothart, Courtney Humphries, and Robert Turner are acknowledged for their project support roles. The authors appreciate the helpful comments of the reviewers and editors. The full report from the research is available at https://www.umb.edu/ssl/research.
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Kirshen, P., Borrelli, M., Byrnes, J. et al. Integrated assessment of storm surge barrier systems under present and future climates and comparison to alternatives: a case study of Boston, USA. Climatic Change 162, 445–464 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-020-02781-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-020-02781-8