UConn-Led Project Promotes Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities

A new University of Connecticut led initiative aims to help coastal communities across the northeastern United States better prepare for the growing risks of climate change. Funded by a two-year, $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, the project is spearheaded by the UConn-based Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA).

Coastal communities in the Northeast are facing rising sea levels, intensifying storms, and increasing flood risks that threaten lives, infrastructure, and local economies. The region is projected to experience some of the largest sea level increases in the world, yet many communities lack access to the tools and expertise needed to translate climate science into actionable policies and mitigation strategies.

To address this gap, CIRCA researchers are building a collaborative network of scientists, engineers, policy experts, and community stakeholders. The network will provide access to critical data, improved modeling tools, and technical standards that support climate-resilient planning and decision-making. Partner institutions include the University of Maine, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.

The project, titled Identifying Community Need-Based Adaptation and Resilience Priorities in the U.S. Northeast, focuses on identifying barriers that prevent communities from using modern Earth science research to adapt to extreme weather and climate impacts. The funding supports the creation of a coordinated regional network that will identify research priorities, align expertise with community needs, and develop a roadmap for future implementation-focused projects.

James O’Donnell, UConn Marine Sciences Professor, Executive Director of CIRCA, and lead principal investigator, emphasized the project’s goal of making advanced geoscience tools and research more accessible to communities. He noted that connecting academic innovation with real-world planning is essential to improving resilience and protecting both people and the environment.

The network will span from Maine to New Jersey and follow a structured ten-step engagement process involving academia, private industry, and government agencies. Specialized teams will collaborate through working groups and structured meetings to address challenges such as coastal erosion, flood forecasting and risk reduction, heat risk assessment, and regulatory barriers.

A major focus of the project is the development of practical, nature-based solutions, often referred to as living designs. These approaches use natural materials like vegetation, sand, and oyster reefs to stabilize shorelines, offering environmentally sustainable alternatives to traditional hard infrastructure such as seawalls and bulkheads. Academic partners will also contribute expertise in high-resolution flood modeling, machine learning-based alert systems, and policy frameworks.

The initiative is funded through the NSF Regional Resilience Innovation Incubators program, which supports projects that bridge Earth system science with regional climate challenges and real-world applications. According to project leaders, this approach helps translate scientific research into solutions with direct societal benefits.

Phase I of the project will establish the foundation for a larger Phase II implementation proposal. Expected outcomes include regional prioritization of climate challenges, co-designed solution strategies, workforce needs assessments, training plans, and a blueprint for long-term collaboration. Phase II awards are expected to support up to five years of implementation with budgets of approximately $10 million.

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