$60 million in climate resiliency investments for coastal cities - WRAL News
$60 million in climate resiliency investments for coastal cities
A grant program has launched to distribute a federal investment of $60 million for climate resiliency in coastal communities.
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is distributing funds through the Ocean-Based Climate Resilience Accelerators program, available to organizations developing the next generation of ocean technology.
In phase one, with applications open now through September, 15 organizations will be awarded funding up to $250,000 each. Selected participants will be able to apply for additional funding next year of up to $10 million.
"We're going to be able to spur innovation and partnerships with government, academia, and private sector to deliver decision support tools and information about our oceans and coasts and how it affects our coastlines," said Carl Gouldman, the director of NOAA's U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Office.
The anticipated theme areas include:
- Ocean renewable energy
- Coastal carbon sequestration monitoring
- Hazard mitigation
- ecosystems services such as change detection & analysis
Applicants can also suggest their own themes.
"We're trying to outline broad problem areas, whereby folks might identify problem statements that are unsolved problems about decision needs we have as communities and we expect the program to develop solutions to those needs," Gouldman said.
NOAA will host a free webinar on July 19 at 2pm with a short presentation followed by time for questions.
Webinar details:
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/khm-nnvk-gau
Or dial: (US) +1 252-713-7052 PIN: 852 839 532#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/khm-nnvk-gau?pin=2194727469273
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”