Influences in Sea Level Rise Planning for Communities in the ACE Basin NERR Service Area, South Carolina
No Thumbnail Available
Date
Authors
McComb, Michel
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Climate change is having a vast impact on human societies and natural ecosystems alike in the 21st century. In the coastal lowcountry region of South Carolina, policymakers are responsible for making decisions that will benefit both the economy and environment using the resources available to them. To understand what specific factors shape the municipal decision-making process, government resource managers from three coastal communities of Folly Beach, Bluffton, and Beaufort, and their respective counties of Charleston and Beaufort were interviewed about their opinions of sea level rise and nuisance flooding. Questions inquired about the individual’s opinions and future intended responses, personal experiences in climate policy, and challenges faced in policy implementation. Semi-structured interviews were used to achieve a balance between interview structure and the need for deviation based upon interviewees specific concerns. Responses were qualitatively analyzed using a codebook with anticipated keywords based on the literature. Analysis showed that the primary influences in sea level rise and nuisance flooding decision making are dependent on the specific job duties and also stem from the environment; the individual’s life; and pressures from the community, stakeholders, and other governments. Results of this study will help the ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve’s Coastal Training Program better understand the communities and stakeholders they are educating and serving. Bolstering this partnership between the ACE Basin, student research, and low country governments should lead to increased communication, that will then further climate change prevention strategies.