Coastal Adaptation Planning
Planning that addresses uncertainty and minimizes risk associated with future climate impacts.
Sea level rise and climate change are reshaping coastlines, threatening coastal communities, facilities, ecosystems, and cultural practices. For clients, the challenge is not just to respond reactively—it’s to plan ahead with proactive strategies that balance resilience, cost, and community values based on when future impacts are expected to occur. At Integral, we guide you through the complex process of coastal adaptation by developing a pathway using our decision-support framework. This phased adaptation pathway approach helps you evaluate risk-based trade-offs, anticipate unintended consequences, consider economic trade-offs, and anticipate when a shift in strategy is necessary.
David L. Revell, Ph.D. Principal, Coastal Climate Risk and Resilience
Matthew Jamieson Senior Scientist
Babak Tehranirad, Ph.D. Senior Consultant
Andrew Wycklendt, P.E., BCCE Senior Engineering Advisor
Robert A. Walker, P.E. Principal, Coastal Engineering
Sydney Harvey Economic Analyst
Taylor Makana Caster, E.I.T. Project Engineer
Knowledge Share
Climate Resilience Planning for Indigenous Self-Governance
Miramontes Point Resort Properties
Resilient Coastal Adaptation Project, Ventura County, California
A Holistic Framework for Evaluating Adaptation Approaches to Coastal Hazards and Sea Level Rise: A Case Study from Imperial Beach, California
Coastal Adaptation Decision and Planning Toolkit
Sea Level Rise And The South San Mateo Coast
Helping Communities Plan
We help communities and asset managers transition from reactive measures to proactive, science-based planning that creates certainty in adaptation amidst an uncertain climate future. Our work integrates geomorphology, ecology, engineering, economics, and policy to evaluate the tradeoffs and cost-effectiveness of different strategies, identify optimal timing for interventions, and recommend pathways that evolve as conditions change.
We pair these strategies with nature-based solutions such as dune, beach, and wetland restoration to create living shorelines that incorporate environmentally appropriate vegetation and materials, such as sand, cobble, and driftwood, that reduce erosion and flood risk while enhancing recreation, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. With Integral as your partner, you are given more than an adaptation plan, you gain a partner committed to building a roadmap for resilient, community-driven action, and one that will be with you along the path.
What We Deliver
- Adaptation pathways that address uncertainties associated with the timing of impacts and changing conditions
- Comparative analysis that considers impacts to upland development, infrastructure, habitats, and recreation
- Cost–benefit and trade-off evaluations between adaptation strategies
- Nature-based and hybrid solutions (dunes, beaches, cobble berms, driftwood deflectors, wetlands, marshes, green infrastructure), from conceptual to detailed design
- Financing mechanisms and preparation for funding opportunities
- Stakeholder engagement and risk communication to community and technical audiences
- Low-cost and long-term monitoring plans that are integrated with data management and visualization
Methods & Tools
- Adaptation pathway planning, evaluation of hazards, vulnerability assessments, feasibility of adaptation options that align with regulations and fundability
- Climate and coastal hazard modeling integrated with fiscal/economic impact assessments
- Nature-based solutions such as dune, beach, and wetland restoration; living shorelines that incorporate environmentally appropriate vegetation and materials, such as sand, cobble, and driftwood; and artificial reefs