Publications
Abstract: The accelerated impacts of climate change in waterfront areas and the proven inefficacy of the resource-heavy aging infrastructure have driven shoreline management practices to evolve towards the enhancement of ecosystem services at the land-water interface. Gaining momentum as an adaptive approach in regenerative projects, living shorelines are comprised of natural ecosystem components used in combination or in place of traditional hard engineering methods to provide coastal protective services and erosion mitigation. The success of living shorelines in protecting shoreline property and ecosystem integrity varies based on the biogeomorphology and hydrology of the region. It is also heavily reliant on social acceptance of the approach and best implementation practices. The relatively lower lifecycle cost and associated co-benefits of living shorelines have well positioned them as a promising alternative approach in theory. There are, however, gaps in regional long-term datasets and evidence-based guidelines. This research provides an overview of the underlying geopolitical readiness for integrating nature-based solutions in climate adaptation strategies within shoreline municipalities based on a comprehensive literature review complimented by expert interviews. The synthesized data can inform decisions for minimizing the destructive effects of traditional shoreline erosion prevention approaches and encourage successful implementation of solutions that offer ecological, health, social, and economic benefits.
Access: Coming Soon (article is accepted by the editorial review of Coastal Management Journal, currently in peer review)
Abstract: The challenge of plastic is complex and multidimensional. When coupled with ambitious environmental policies and climate targets, it is imperative to explore advanced sustainable strategies, continuously evolving regenerative paradigms, and solutions that radically improve the previously affected social and planetary health. Efforts and effective strategies for plastic source reduction are essential in the long term. Yet, there are various high-risk applications made possible by the unique features of plastic that cannot be simply reduced. Integrating a science-based system level methodology into design practices increases the ability of global market to capitalize on opportunities that promote environmentally responsible design, research, and development practices. Biomimicry is a nature inspired design methodology that not only can advance Zero Plastic Waste strategies but also facilitates the move towards achieving the Paris goals globally. This chapter looks at the opportunities and barriers for enabling the necessary paradigm shift for system-level transformative innovation at the intersection of science, engineering, and policy to proactively respond to the increasingly destructive impacts of plastic.
Abstract: While biodiversity and ecosystem degradation are often the focus of plastic-related research, the contribution of plastic to the cumulative climate-relevant trace gases is often unrecognized. As such, the plastic crisis is much less commonly viewed as a contributor to climate change. This chapter primarily explores the lifecycle impacts of plastics on cumulative greenhouse gas emissions. It then investigates the cyclical nature of plastic pollution and extreme weather events. The chapter also illustrates, in brief, the impacts of plastic pollutants on the largest carbon sinks on earth and investigates the adverse effects on global food supplies. It then discusses landfill emission contributions and other land-related complications as they relate to plastic. Plastic pollution is a significant driver of marine biodiversity loss and so are the impacts of climate change. Microplastics (MPs) have also been identified as an emerging threat to much larger organisms, like whales that are exposed to MP ingestion as a result of their filter-feeding activity.
Abstract: A municipal climate action plan outlines programs and policies for effective greenhouse gas emission reductions and iterative adaptation strategies based on local priorities and realities. In order to assist the Municipality of Port Hope in identifying these priorities and inform the creation of an effective climate action plan, we designed and deployed a community survey based on interviews with thought leaders and authorities in the region. Through a multistage comparative survey analysis on active knowledge and perception of climate change impacts in the community, we delivered a set of specific recommendations for incorporating community expectations into municipal planning. By providing transferable details of the methods used in this case study, we aim to facilitate the translation of the outcomes into a model for enhancing legitimacy of local action plans amongst public and encourage local capacity building for addressing wide-ranging community mandates for coastal communities facing climate change threats to their natural and constructed environment.
Access: BRIC Bulletin, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 8-10. · Dec 1, 2022
Abstract: Water security in urban areas is threatened by a multitude of direct and indirect drivers. On the one hand, the demand for water is increasing on a daily basis as the urban population and lifestyle needs increase; on the other hand, events such as floods, tropical cyclones, and other natural hazards result in disruption of water provisioning systems and processes. Additionally, climate change impacts such as heat waves and sea-level rise affect the sustainability of water supplies in urban areas. Conventionally, hard engineering structures and strategies have been implemented around the world to address water needs in urban areas and solutions that are often costly and intrusive to the natural environment. Nature-based solutions (NBS) in the past years emerged as a framework for exploring the potential of soft engineering solutions—as an alternative for managing urban planning, building climate resilience, and sustaining water needs of the urban communities. In this chapter, the following points are explained: (a) review of selected nature-oriented conceptual framings and practical options that apply to urban water systems, (b) illustration of existing NBS practices such as permeable pavements, green roofs, and bioretention ponds in urban landscape architecture planning, and (c) future of urban landscapes with comparative context of traditional versus nature-based water management practices. The conclusion draws attention to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) that is aiming to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems globally. The aim is to present a synthesis that can steer integrated development planning while addressing basic water needs, climate resilience, and ecosystems protection in all settings and particularly in urban landscapes.
