Community resilience does not just mean having communities that are better prepared to bounce back from severe weather or impacts from climate change. While rebounding from natural hazards is an important element, community resilience is all-inclusive—the ability to recover whether the impact is economic, environmental, physical, or societal.
And the reality is that climate change may hit some communities in all these areas.
Coastal resource managers have more opportunities than some may realize to play significant roles in creating truly resilient communities. Much of this can be accomplished by only slightly adjusting traditional program focuses and partners.
For instance, in the cover story of this edition of Coastal Services, we look at how coastal managers in Ohio are making sustainable tourism a primary program focus to help communities become more resilient economically, environmentally, and socially.
Not only is coastal tourism big business, but it also impacts our natural resources and is impacted by the resources’ quality and health.
As one of the sources for this article puts it, “what happens to the tourism industry and tax revenues and jobs if water quality takes a turn for the worse?” Or if sea level rise impacts beaches, or if changes in precipitation due to climate change leave ski resorts without guests?
The Ohio Sea Grant College Program is actively working to mitigate these impacts by simultaneously diversifying tourism audiences, protecting the environment, and creatively educating visitors about the importance of our natural resources.
Other articles in this edition look at how Virginia used science to help get legislation passed expanding the state’s dune and beach protection, and how Florida managers are working to prevent harassment of dolphins.
Also featured is an article on the success of the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve in supporting geographic information system mapping in southern Maine—an effort that has been the beneficiary of capacity-building efforts by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coastal Services Center.
As always, we hope you find these articles interesting and informative.
-- Margaret A. Davidson
