Page 123 - Mapping the Nation: Taking Climate Action

Examining the impacts of different strategies helps drive consensus on actions to take. Strategies to Preserve a Way of Life The Cape Cod Commission, formed in the 1980s, works to protect the peninsula's uniqueness and quality of life. The commission got its start when the alarming pace of development threatened to overwhelm and deplete the Cape's only source of freshwater. It now handles regional planning, economic development, and regulatory measures, balancing environmental protection with economic progress. As climate change threatens the area, the commission is focusing on resilience. "We look at the Cape in terms of systems," Senatori said. "We look at impacts to economic systems, environmental systems, and community systems." To understand how these systems are connected, the commission uses a GIS. The GIS and Geodesign Department applies the principles of geodesign to analyze and present different planning scenarios that take into account current ecological and infrastructural vulnerabilities. Geodesign provides the framework for testing alternatives, evaluating their impacts, and visualizing their outcomes. Geodesign is data-, evaluation-, and impact-driven design. One example is bridges. Just two vehicle bridges provide access to and from Cape Cod. The integrity of the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges is essential to the daily lives and safety of residents, yet both were built in the 1930s and have exceeded their intended life span. Although plans are under discussion to upgrade or replace these bridges, climate change makes them more vulnerable. If either or both bridges were damaged during a severe storm, residents would not be able to get out, and emergency personnel would not be able to get in. In 2016, growing evidence of the local impact of climate change urged the commission into action. Some residents, for instance, had already built seawalls of stone or sand to protect the shore near their homes. Although these individual efforts demonstrated spirit and ingenuity, they came at a cost to the beaches downstream, where sands could no longer travel. 122 Coastal Flooding