ADDRESSING BARRIERS TO COASTAL RESILIENCE: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ON NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

With the increasing frequency and severity of coastal hazards across the country, the need for innovative resilience infrastructure continues to grow along the coast. Nature-based solutions are becoming a preferred option due to their ability to increase the resilience of both human and wildlife communities. Finding common ground and building consensus among key stakeholders provides the means necessary to pave the way for a combined resilience effort and identify solutions which bolster our natural infrastructure. In 2020, a project team led by the Kiawah Conservancy embarked on an effort to engage Kiawah Island, S.C. stakeholders to catalyze interest on nature-based solutions. Through the use of semi-structured interviews, continued stakeholder interactions, and educational opportunities, the Conservancy gained insight on each stakeholder’s vision of resilience related outcomes as well as guidance towards identifying and garnering support for nature-based solutions to address vulnerabilities. This culminated in a comprehensive guidance document outlining suitable living shoreline and green-infrastructure practices which will serve to bolster natural infrastructure on the island. Of equal importance to these efforts was gaining a better understanding of the historical and present conditions of the natural systems on the island through concurrent research and monitoring efforts. Funded by the Town of Kiawah Island and in collaboration with the College of Charleston and S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, the Conservancy coordinated groundwater table and marsh vulnerability studies to identify and prioritize vulnerable areas. These research and monitoring efforts are providing guidance for future land management practices and site selection for implementation of nature-based solutions to enhance resilience outcomes. This combined, multi-organizational planning effort provided a pathway towards a long-term, sustainable future for the barrier island community. The presentation will provide insight on our collaborative work with stakeholders, future directions based on what we learned, and lessons learned over the course of these efforts.