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San Diego's plan to help beach neighborhoods survive, and thrive, as seas rise

David Garrick, The San Diego Union-Tribune on

Published in Science & Technology News

SAN DIEGO — Six projects proposed for San Diego’s coastal areas are part of a comprehensive campaign to prepare every city neighborhood for the worst effects of climate change — wildfires, floods, extreme heat and sea-level rise.

The projects, from new dunes proposed for Ocean Beach to an earthen dike proposed for La Jolla Shores, are part of a coastal resilience master plan city officials say they will present to the City Council early next year.

Local residents can use an online survey to comment on the projects, which are also proposed for Sunset Cliffs, Tourmaline Beach and Mission Beach.

The coastal resilience plan, which aims to fight sea-level rise, is part of a wider strategic effort called Climate Resilient SD, 86 strategies the city adopted in 2021 to prepare neighborhoods — particularly low-income areas — for climate change.

City officials say they’ve made significant progress on Climate Resilient SD, including preservation of 183 acres of crucial habitat, planting 1,200 trees to cool down neighborhoods and a new policy making climate concerns a factor in ranking proposed infrastructure projects.

But the Jan. 22 floods, which displaced more than 1,000 people in southeastern parts of the city, have prompted city officials to decide Climate Resilient SD needs to be updated next year — sooner than expected.

 

Follow-up investigations into the causes of the flooding and other information gathered since will give city officials a better grasp of neighborhood vulnerability and what new efforts are needed, said Randy Wilde, Mayor Todd Gloria’s senior policy adviser for climate issues.

Climate Resilient SD differs from the city’s climate action plan by focusing on adaptation to climate change, while the action plan focuses on mitigating climate change itself with efforts like reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Every city in California was required to adopt such a plan by the end of 2021.

San Diego officials say they’ve started nearly two-thirds of the projects included in the 536-page plan.

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©2024 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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