Funding available to communities to plan for coastal flooding and climate change impacts

Funding available to communities to plan for coastal flooding and climate change impacts

DOVER (Feb. 25, 2020) – DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal, & Energy is soliciting letters of interest from municipal, county, or state government entities to enter into projects that will support local resilience planning and adaptation activities in Delaware.

The Resilient Community Partnership program provides technical assistance and potential funding to plan for and reduce the impacts of coastal hazards related to flooding from sea level rise, coastal storms, and climate change through development of planning strategies at the local level. Coastal resilience means strengthening the ability of a community to “bounce back” after hazardous events such as hurricanes, coastal storms, and flooding – rather than simply reacting to impacts.

Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to:

Assessments of vulnerability to flooding due to sea level rise, coastal storms, and nuisance flooding (sunny day flooding).

Assessments of local land use ordinances, zoning codes and building codes for the purpose of identifying barriers and opportunities, and recommending improvements.

Adaptation plans that outline short and long-term actions that can be taken to reduce vulnerability and increase preparedness, including updating comprehensive land-use plans. Such plans can be drafted for a specific community, town, or region or for a specific type of resource or infrastructure.

Design of on-the-ground adaptation projects.

Improving communication of risk and adaptation options to affected populations from flooding due to sea level rise, coastal storms, and nuisance flooding

Limited funding is available for activities that require advanced technical assistance and are required to support the project objectives. DNREC’s Delaware Coastal Programs section, which oversees the program, will work with awardees to determine the technical needs of the proposed project and, as appropriate, retain subject matter experts or contractors to meet project requirements and deadlines.

Letters of interest from municipal, county or state government entities are due April 13. Selected partnerships will be announced April 27.

Complete guidelines for submitting a proposal and examples of past projects – including partnerships with the City of New Castle and Town of Slaughter Beach related to building resilience to flooding – are available at http://de.gov/resilientcommunity.