Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines receives grant
Robert Young is a professor of coastal geology at Western Carolina University.
Donated photo
The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University has just received a grant from the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources for $54,612.
The PSDS studies coastlines around the world to advocate for more responsible strategies for development. The program is also continuing a project for the National Parks Service where it conducts vulnerability assessments to structures in the nation's natural and cultural heritage sites.
Around the end of the last ice age 15,000 years ago, the ocean was 300 feet lower than it is now. The coast of North Carolina and every other coastline around the world stretched miles farther than what we see now. As the earth warmed, ocean-levels rose, submerging much of the continental shelf and moving the coastline.
As the coast moved in, so did the beaches, estuaries and wetlands.
“It’s important to keep in mind that the coastal zone is dynamic,” said Robert Young, professor of coastal geology at WCU and director of the PSDS. “This is a delicate balancing act of protecting economic and social interests of coastal communities and environmental interests of coastal environments.”
Young conducts research on which areas are most vulnerable to damage from storms and flooding and then sits down and talks with state and local governments, elected officials, concerned citizens, the media, and nonprofit organizations.
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The PSDS also maintains the Beach Nourishment Database, an interactive model that tracks how much money each state has spent on beach nourishment. In the state of Florida alone over $3 billion dollars have been spent on beach nourishment projects.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act of 2021 allotted $47 billion to resiliency projects, projects that do not improve planning or flood-plain development but fund beach nourishment projects and allocate funding to rebuild homes in vulnerable areas.
For small coastal towns, there is no reason to protect against risk when government or insurance companies are there to pay the bill for the destruction. Beach nourishment projects don’t change the fact that rising sea levels raise the water table, and marshy areas further inland experience increased flooding.
The world we are living in is changing, and this is affecting all aspects of life. The coastlines of the world have always been fluid, dynamic borders that existed long before towns, counties, and property lines.
Young and the PSDS are at the forefront, helping individuals and communities adapt to the new reality that faces us and hopefully will allow coastal communities to keep their heads above water for many years to come.
