Living Breakwaters: Designing sustainable landscapes for our future

Living Breakwaters: Designing sustainable landscapes for our future

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Living Breakwaters: Designing sustainable landscapes for our future

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A breakwater technology to combat sea level rise in threatened communities

The Problem

Due to climate change, sea levels in coastal areas could rise by one to three and a half feet by 2080 at a cost of billions of dollars in lost property and assets. Storm surges affecting shoreline properties will also increase by as much as 15 feet in that same timeframe. Widespread coastal flooding, accelerated beach erosion, and the disappearance of important barrier and recreational beaches are all predicted to occur as a result of rising sea levels.

The Solution

Living Breakwaters offers a breakwater (sea wall) technology to improve resilience in coastal areas. Their approach to climate change adaptation and flood mitigation focuses heavily on the deployment of innovative, layered ecologically-engineered breakwaters, currently being tested on the coasts of New York and New Jersey. In addition, the organization seeks to create deep community engagement in reducing the impacts of rising sea levels, and enhance biodiversity and coastal habitats by nurturing and resuscitation of fisheries.

Stage of Development

Pilot

Organization to Receive Funds

Shared Nation would fund Rebuild by Design, which is funding the Living Breakwaters Project.

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