The US city of Norfolk, Virginia, is implementing a major project using nature based solutions to address coastal flooding and enhance resilience. The east coast city has a population of 250,000 but stretches to over 150 kilometres of coastline and is home to a large naval base.
The low lying area is prone to flooding, but according to the US Environmental Protection Agency the existing infrastructure is ageing and losing its ability to manage large volumes of water which are increasing due to climate change.
Working with the US Army Corps of Engineers and with US$112 million in funding from HUD – the US Department of Housing and Urban Development – Norfolk is developing living shorelines, permeable pavements, and rain gardens.
Another dimension of the project is a fresh approach to stormwater management, with the city integrating nature based solutions into stormwater systems to better handle increased rainfall and rising sea levels. The project includes living shorelines, oyster reefs and reconstructed wetlands.
Kyle Spencer, who was appointed as the first resilience officer at the city, said the project was “transformational.” “We were able to demonstrate how to build resilience holistically,” said Spencer.
“It’s not just dealing with stormwater flooding, not just dealing with coastal flooding, not just dealing with socioeconomic things in the community. We were able to combine all those things into one big project where we developed a holistic flood solution.
“Various amenities were built into the community, things like fishing piers, new walking paths, new park space, new playground equipment, and in a way to bring lower income communities together.”
The city worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers and asked the Corps designate its local district as a “proving ground” for the new approach.
The Corps has a new arm called Engineering and Nature, which works to support flooding resilience in a process developed following Hurricane Sandy, which devastated east coast communities in 2012.
