Date post: | 19-Jul-2015 |
Category: |
Environment |
Upload: | climate-resilience-in-the-hudson-valley |
View: | 82 times |
Download: | 0 times |
Climate change, ecotoxicology and flood
resilience in New York NYU Ecotoxicology Class
November 11, 2014
Libby Murphy
NYS Department of Environmental Conserva5on
Hudson River Estuary Program
Core Mission • Ensure clean water
• Protect and restore fish, wildlife, and their habitats
• Provide water recrea5on and river access
• Adapt to climate change
• Conserve world-‐famous scenery
Roadmap
• Climate science basics • Climate change in NY • Ecotoxicology and flooding • Communities working towards resiliency • Flood adaptation • How to get involved
Basics of climate science
What is climate?
• Longer-term average weather • Part of larger planetary system • “You dress for the weather and build a house for the
climate” • “Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get”
The Climate System & GH Effect
What does climate change mean?
Why is the climate changing?
How do we know?
• Greenland ice cores, detailed 800K year record of CO2 • Instrumental record since 1850 • Rapid warming since 1910
What are the impacts of climate change?
Climate change in New York
Changes to our climate
Increasing temperatures
• Rising sea level • Changing precipitation patterns
Increasing temperatures
Since 1970:
• Global annual average temp. up nearly 1°F
• US annual average temp. up 1.8°F
• New York annual average temp. up nearly 2°F
• New York winter temperatures up almost 5°F
y = 0.0262x -‐ 1.346 R² = 0.37491
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
1895
1900
1905
1910
1915
1920
1925
1930
1935
1940
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
Annu
al M
ean Tempe
rature (F)
Year
Annual mean temperature in Poughkeepsie has been increasing
Increasing temperatures
Sea level rise Historic: • 15” in NY Harbor in the past 150 years
Changing precipitation patterns • 74% Increase in heavy downpours between
1950-1979 and 1980-2009 • More variability and volatility
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65 1895
1900
1905
1910
1915
1920
1925
1930
1935
1940
1945
1950
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
Annu
al Precipita8o
n (in
ches)
Year
Annual rainfall in Poughkeepsie has become more variable
So how will this affect us?
Ø Heat waves
Ø Short-term drought
Ø Flooding
Heat waves
Short-term drought • Higher temperatures,
increased evapora5on
• Reduc5on in steady rain and snow precipita5on
Flooding • Intense precipita5on
• Sea-‐level rise
• Intense storms
Sea Level Rise Mapper by Scenic Hudson
h\p://www.scenichudson.org/slr/mapper
HRECOS
Ecotoxicology
• Oil spills • Sediment • Ecosystem • WWTP • Wetland migration
We need to productively adapt to our changing climate
• Climate adaptation = reducing the effects of climate
change
• Ecologically enhanced and natural solutions provide additional benefits
Resilience
Flooding adaptation
Flooding Adaptation Strategies
• Fortify
• Accommodate
• Strategically Relocate
Fortify
Levee, New Orleans, LA Seawall, Beacon, NY
Elevated structures with flood gates, Hamburg, Germany
Accommodate
Floodable park concept, NYC
Riverwalk Park, Tarrytown
Accommodate: Use green infrastructure to reduce water energy
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Steelhouse restaurant, Kingston, NY
Local example of accommodation
Strategic Relocation
Natural shoreline with gazebo, Cold Spring
Wetland with walkway concept, Toronto, Canada
Current Marsh Zone
Future Marsh Zone
Redesign: Win-Win Engineering
• lower cost
• maintains ecosystem services
• adapts to sea level rise
Current situation
Sandy and Irene: two different storms
• Irene: extreme rain event
• Sandy: extreme storm surge at height of spring
tide
• The Perfect Storm? Irene plus Sandy
Hurricane Irene (2011) Hurricane Sandy (2012)
Kingston waterfront low 8de
E Strand in Kingston
Kingston waterfront Simula8on: elevated sea level (4’) at low 8de
4’ of Sea Level Rise
Kingston waterfront Simula8on: elevated sea level (low 8de), armored protec8on
Example of Fortify
Kingston waterfront Simula8on: elevated sea level (low 8de), vegetated revetment, floodproofed buildings
Example of Accommodate
Kingston waterfront Simula8on: elevated sea level (low 8de), strategic retreat
Example of Strategic Relocation
Participatory Mapping
Year 2100, With High Sea Level Rise and a 100-‐year Storm 1% Probability of Occurrence in Any Given Year Total Damage for this Event: $39.9 Million Damage to Wastewater Treatment Plant: $27.6 Million • Lost Value Due to Sea Level Rise • Lost Value Due to Sea Level Rise + Storm Surge
Cumula8ve Expected Damages by 2100 With High Sea Level Rise = $126 Million
100 Year Storm in 2060
Buildings Damaged by Storm Surge from this Single Event (Height of Bar indicates rela5ve damage amount) Buildings Permanently Inundated due to Sea Level Rise by this Year, if No Ac5on is Taken Extent of Flooding from this Event
COAST: cost benefit tool
You can get involved
• We need many policy makers, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and much more
• We need people involved in local government
• We need people making smart decisions day to day
Recap
• The global average temp is rising • Climate change is the regional and local impacts • Our climate is changing more rapidly in NY • Flooding is serious risk to Hudson River communities • Flooding poses eco toxicology risks • Adapting to flooding and becoming resilient is our goal • Communities are already stepping up as leaders • You can get involved
Questions? Thank you. Libby Murphy Hudson River Estuary Program Phone: (845) 256-‐3016 Email: [email protected]
NYS Department of Environmental Conserva5on