Climate change and sea level rise caused by global warming pose serious threats to both natural and human communities throughout Greater Philadelphia.
Yesterday's climate no longer provides a reliable guide for planning the future. Communities must first identify how expected changes in climate will exacerbate on-going threats and introduce new vulnerabilities to build resilience. Fortunately, adapting to climate change will not require brand new efforts. Existing initiatives like green infrastructure, smart growth, floodplain management, ecological restoration, asset management, and urban greening will make our communities more resilient to climate-related threats. Communities can leverage these efforts by incorporating the best understanding of projected climate impacts into their plans, projects and investment decisions.
Current Projects
Pennsylvania Coastal Resiliency
With funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), DVRPC is working with communities in the Delaware Estuary Coastal Zone (DECZ) to help build their capacity to plan for and respond to future floods, including flooding from storm surge, stormwater, and high tides.
In 2019, DVRPC created a story map of current and future flooding scenarios in the PA DECZ. This was in response to prior engagement with DECZ municipalities to better understand their flooding issues. Deliverables included posters tailored to each municipality, hard-copy sea level rise maps, and this webpage.
Highlights of Past Work
Chester City Green Stormwater Infrastructure
To implement recommendations from the City of Chester Climate Change Resiliency Element, DVRPC obtained a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to design and plan a green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) program in Chester in 2017.
New Jersey Resilient Coastal Community Initiative
In 2015-2016, as part of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Resilient Coastal Communities Initiative, DVRPC worked with six municipalities along the Delaware River to assess vulnerabilities to coastal hazards and develop strategies to improve resiliency. Vulnerability assessments were based on detailed storm surge and sea level rise data and mapping.
Integrating Hazard Mitigation and Comprehensive Planning
DVRPC partnered with FEMA Region III to develop strategies to better integrate hazard mitigation into local comprehensive plans. This 2016 workshop was informed by the region's county planning agencies and emergency management offices.
PennDOT Extreme Weather Vulnerability Study
PennDOT conducted a vulnerability and risk assessment for the state's transportation infrastructure in 2017.
NJDOT-FHWA vulnerability assessment [2.3 MB pdf]
This vulnerability assessment was one of 5 FHWA-sponsored pilots across the country to test FHWA's climate change vulnerability assessment framework. The final assessment was published by NJTPA in early 2012.
Chester City Climate Change Resiliency Element [7.1 MB pdf]
This document was prepared by DVRPC and PA Sea Grant with the City of Chester and was adopted as an element into the city's comprehensive plan, City of Chester Vision 2020, in June 2014. This is Pennsylvania's first municipally-adopted climate change adaptation plan.
A Vulnerability and Risk Assessment of SEPTA's Regional Rail
DVRPC partnered with consulting firm ICF and SEPTA to conduct an analysis of climate-related risks and vulnerabilities to the Norristown line. Using this information as a baseline, the team projected future costs by calculating increases and/or decreases in extreme events through downscaled modeling. The final report was published by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in August 2013.
Sea Level Rise Impacts in the Delaware Estuary of Pennsylvania
This seminal report, published by DVRPC in 2004, investigates the potential impacts of sea level rise on wetlands, salinity, water quality, public access, and hazardous waste sites in Pennsylvania's coastal zone.
State and Local Governments Plan for Development of Most Land Vulnerable to Rising Sea Level along the U.S. Atlantic Coast
DVRPC staff contributed to an article regarding rising sea level and its possible policy implications for federal wetlands regulations.