We all know that sea level is rising. Scientists have been measuring it directly and indirectly for more than a century. The first step in adapting to this rising sea level is to do a much better job preparing for the next storm and addressing the nuisance flooding that is impacting communities across the country. These are not hypotheticals. These are hazards our municipalities are encountering today. The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines provides tools to assist all public and private entities in identifying hazards, examining how their infrastructure will perform when exposed to those hazards, and planning for mitigation.
The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines (PSDS) at Western Carolina University takes a worldwide view of modern coastal processes and geologic hazards, examines the scientific basis for managing developed shorelines in a time of rising sea level and advocates for the development and implementation of responsible strategies, plans, policies and actions that promote the long-term sustainability of our nation’s coastal ecosystems.
PSDS is a strong advocate for responsible management policies that consider and balance economic and environmental interests. The program identifies and recommends specific actions to elected/appointed officials, private sector representatives, and others regarding public decisions and actions concerned with social, economic, and physical changes in the public interest.
One of the fundamental goals of PSDS is to serve as a primary technical and policy resource for a variety of beach management issues and to provide information, data, and advice to federal, state, and local government agencies; the media, concerned citizens; the scientific community; nonprofit organizations; and other concerned stakeholders.
