Overview
*Use material from previous CAPSTONE assignments that you've helped me with for this Assignment (See Attachment*)
In Discussion Forum 4, post your response to the following discussion question. Reply to the classmates’ response.
State your thesis or hypothesis. Then, briefly describe the arguments in favor of your view and how you have considered counterarguments (alternative positions). If there are particular sources you wish to note on this, please share them. Upon posting, be sure to provide feedback to your classmates on their significant key findings and interpretation.
HERE IS THE CLASSMATE RESPONSE THAT NEEDS A REPLY:
Classmate #1- Miranda
Problem statement:
The accelerating rates of sea level rise (SLR) pose a challenge for coastal communities, particularly those in the Western Gulf of Mexico, where localized factors compound with global trends. Despite all-inclusive studies highlighting the global mechanisms of sea level changes, the specific regional influences triggering the accelerated rates in this area remain misunderstood. The projected implications of this rapid regional SLR over the coming decades lack comprehensive exploration, creating the need for in-depth research to shed light on the complex causes, consequences, and adaptation strategies required for proper response to SLR in the Western Gulf of Mexico.
The severity of SLR in the Western Gulf is caused by a combination of global sea level rise and regional factors. Global sea level rise is a result of warming atmospheric temperatures, which warm sea surface temperatures and cause glaciers to melt. This increases the average global volume of water in the oceans and causes the sea levels to rise globally. In the Western Gulf, both climate variability and anthropogenic forces contribute to local relative sea level rise at alarming rates. This region experiences what is called the Loop Current, a weather system that originates in the Yucatan channel and drives upward in a clockwise loop until it reaches the Northern Gulf, where it sheds a ring of water that forcibly flows into the east coast of Texas, raising sea levels. In addition, population growth and groundwater withdrawal in Texas have caused significant land subsidence (sinking) over the last several decades, which inherently cause sea levels to appear higher than they are, relative to land height.
These contributors have led to a slew of consequences for the region's coastal communities, and they will continue to intensify over the next few decades. Coastal erosion, flooding, saltwater intrusion of freshwater sources and wetlands, and damage to ecosystems are implications that the region already experiences because of SLR.
The grey area of my research became apparent when searching for case studies of adaptation strategies from different coastal regions around the world. In Texas, the Ike Dike is proposed as a coastal barrier infrastructure in Galveston. Its benefits are only projected to outweigh cost in the short-term, so stakeholders are not willing to fund it, yet. This seemed to be a common theme after finding one comprehensive literature review by Lebbe et al. (2021) that synthesized real world examples of different strategies, namely managed retreat, coastal barriers/protection, proper governance, territorial solidarity, and pathway analysis. Each of these strategies included examples of countries who have attempted these solutions to the problem of global and/or regional SLR, but the problem is, only a handful of them yielded successful results. Managed retreat seems to be the best option, but oftentimes it is costly. This is addressed in the paper as sort of a counterargument - the reality that while these adaptation strategies sound great, the benefit must outweigh the cost in order for stakeholders to invest in mitigating harm to the communities.
Further research needs to be conducted to test the value of the proposed adaptation strategies in congruence with the region’s rapidly rising sea level, especially in long-term scenarios. There is a significant gap in research surrounding analysis of governance structures and policy frameworks at different levels (local, regional, and national) for SLR adaptation. Understanding the institutional barriers, policy coherence, and governance challenges is essential for effective adaptation planning and implementation.
Literature review referenced:
Lebbe, T., Rey-Valette, H., Chaumillon, É., Camus, G., Almar, R., Cazenave, A., Claudet, J., Rocle, N., Meur-Férec, C., Viard, F., Mercier, D., Dupuy, C., Ménard, F., Rossel, B. A., Mullineaux, L., Sicre, M.-A., Zivian, A., Gaill, F., & Euzen, A. (2021). Designing Coastal Adaptation Strategies to Tackle Sea Level Rise. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.740602
The rest of the information in this is my general knowledge of the situation since learning about it through this research. I didn't feel it needed to be cited detail by detail for this discussion, but correct me if I am wrong.