By Jennifer Kay
Local governments from Palm Beach County, the Miami area and the Florida Keys should plan for 17 inches to 31 inches of sea level rise over the next four decades, according to data released Dec. 4 by the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact at its annual conference in Key West. The projections show an additional 3 to 5 inches of sea level rise by 2060 over previous projections.
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The new projections, which incorporate data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, may force some construction or mitigation projects to jump higher on officials’ priority lists, said Monroe County Mayor Heather Carruthers.
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The updated sea level rise projections were a testament to the regional collaboration needed to address climate change impacts, said Julia Nesheiwat, appointed by Florida’s Republican governor earlier this year as the state’s first chief resilience officer.
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Nesheiwat’s office is cataloging the efforts local governments have been taking so far to fight rising sea levels to develop best practices. State, local and regional leaders will have to include urban planning, transportation options, affordable housing and reasonable insurance premiums in their discussions about Florida’s future, she said.
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