Sustainable and resilient coastal communities: A comprehensive coastal hazard mitigation strategy

This report outlines strategies coastal communities in New Jersey, U.S., can take to respond to the impacts of rising seas and increased flooding. The report is a product of the Sustainable and Resilient Coastal Communities project funded by New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Office of Coastal and Land Use Planning. The goal of the project was to evaluate the state’s current rules for designating development centers along the coast and how the boundaries of such centers should be redefined based on future projections of coastal flood risk and sea-level rise.

The local strategies outlined in the report fall into five major categories:

• Enacting more resilient building codes and standards;
• Refocusing development away from high-risk areas;
• Protecting and restoring marshes and wetlands;
• Disclosing hazards;
• Re-aligning capital investment priorities.