Building adaptive capacity to address coastal flooding: The case of a small Texas City

Abstract

Coastal flooding is a severe and recurring problem, as evidenced by recent disasters that have caused significant damage for coastal communities. A community’s ability to mitigate the effects of coastal flooding depends on the local context and its adaptive capacity. Although past research has highlighted the important role that non-governmental organizations play in building adaptive capacity to support effective adaptation, few studies have focused specifically on rural, community-based nonprofits. To fill this gap, we employ a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the role of the Ingleside on the Bay Coastal Watch Association (IOBCWA), a resident-led, community-based nonprofit, in building adaptive capacity to coastal flooding in the City of Ingleside on the Bay (IOB; pop. 800), located in the Coastal Bend Region of Texas. By applying a grounded theory framework, we show that IOBCWA has improved the adaptive capacity of IOB through five primary activities: engaging in community organizing, boosting advocacy and outreach, implementing evidence-based data collection, building capacity among residents, and developing regional communication networks. Our findings are further examined using the Regional Fingerprint tool (Hirschfeld et al., 2020) to assess progress toward building regional adaptive capacity. We identify a need for more formalized policies, enhanced regional partnerships, and broader inclusion of socially vulnerable groups to address environmental challenges. Overall, this work highlights the important role that small, community-based nonprofits like IOBCWA play in building community adaptive capacity and suggests the need for a more comprehensive regional approach with participation from multiple stakeholders to address challenges related to coastal flooding.