Enhancing Climate Resiliency Through Improving Ecosystem Services in Shoreline Municipalities – Lessons from Canada

Abstract

The accelerated impacts of climate change in waterfront areas and the proven inefficacy of the aging hardened shoreline infrastructure have driven shoreline management practices to evolve toward the enhancement of ecosystem services at the land-water interface. Gaining momentum as an adaptive approach in regenerative projects, living shorelines are comprised of natural ecosystem components used in combination or in place of traditional hard engineering methods to provide coastal protective services and erosion mitigation. The success of living shorelines in protecting shoreline property and ecosystem integrity varies based on the biogeomorphology and hydrology of the region and is also heavily reliant on social acceptance of the chosen approach and best practice for implementation. The relatively lower lifecycle cost and associated co-benefits of living shorelines have well positioned them as a promising alternative approach in theory. There are, however, gaps in regional long-term datasets and evidence-based guidelines. This research provides an overview of the underlying geopolitical readiness for integrating nature-based solutions in climate adaptation strategies within shoreline municipalities based on a comprehensive literature review complimented by expert interviews. The synthesized data can inform decisions for minimizing the destructive effects of traditional shoreline erosion prevention approaches and encourage successful implementation of solutions that offer ecological, health, social, and economic benefits.