Climate adaptation in Coastal Virginia: an analysis of existing policies and main stakeholders

ABSTRACT

The impacts of climate change have sparked policy responses at different governance levels. Studying the central adaptation policies and understanding the interactions and complexities of governmental and non-governmental stakeholders is essential in guiding policymakers at different levels of government to formulate policies and make investment decisions. With strategic and economic significance on the national level, Coastal Virginia has one of the highest rates of sea-level rise in the United States, instigating intensified and more frequent climate hazards such as flooding and storms. This paper strives to characterize the status of adaptation policymaking in this region through a novel keyword analysis method and a thematic analysis of interviews with the main adaptation decision-makers and stakeholders. We identify the central adaptation policies and programmes at the local, regional, state, and federal level, as well as the major relevant players. This provides a comprehensible narrative of adaptation policymaking, which could be exploited to further analyze governance gaps and adaptation challenges. The approach and methodologies of this research could be implemented in similar studies for other areas of the U.S. that are at high climate risk, possibly facilitating an informed national adaptation policy, long overdue by the federal government. The research is also relevant for other jurisdictions at risk of sea-level rise.

Key policy insights

• Coastal adaptation policymaking in Virginia has been a bottom-up and fragmented process initiated by most affected localities, exhibiting the importance of local initiatives in higher-level adaptation policies.

• The long-lasting impacts of 100 Resilient cities and Dutch Dialogues in the City of Norfolk highlight the value of fostering cross-geographic coordination and capacity-building programmes, confirming the importance of informal policy networks in learning and innovation for adaptation.

• There is a vast difference among localities in adaptation planning and implementation, creating the need for coordinating state leadership.

• Adaptation policymaking in Virginia has been influenced by political cycles with priorities drastically altered by each administration change, introducing significant uncertainty for continuation of policies.

• National policies and programmes, such as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, can significantly affect local-level policies and decision-making.

KEYWORDS:

• Adaptation policymaking
• Stakeholder analysis
• Coastal Virginia
• Keyword analysis
• Thematic analysis
• Adaptation governance

Acknowledgment

The authors sincerely thank those who participated in the interviews and generously provided their knowledge and insights. We also would like to thank the anonymous reviewers and Dr. Joanna Depledge, the Senior Editorial Advisor, for providing constructive feedback that helped significantly improve our work. Majid Shafiee-Jood acknowledges the financial support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (award number: 1735587).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Storms caused by northeast winds along the East Coast of North America that most frequently happen between September and April (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).

2 TAC included representatives of state agencies, regional PDCs, academic advisors, and environmental organizations to facilitate and coordinate the development of Coastal Resilience Master Plan.

3 Under Dillon Rule, local governments are created by the state and exist to perform the tasks of the state at the local level. So, the local government’s power is derived from the state while limited to what the state delegates to it.