New England Climate Adaptation Project

New England Climate Adaptation Project
Name	New England Climate Adaptation Project
Type	Nonprofit consortium
Founded	2015
Headquarters	Boston, Massachusetts
Region served	Connecticut; Maine; Massachusetts; New Hampshire; Rhode Island; Vermont
Leader title	Executive Director
Leader name	Dr. Emily Cartwright

New England Climate Adaptation Project is a regional consortium focused on preparing coastal and inland communities in Connecticut; Maine; Massachusetts; New Hampshire; Rhode Island; and Vermont for climate-driven hazards. The initiative convenes municipal planners, university researchers, state agencies, and nonprofit organizations to translate scientific assessments into local actions. Activities emphasize resilience planning, nature-based solutions, and cross-jurisdictional coordination across New England's urban centers and rural landscapes.

Overview

The Project operates as a collaborative platform linking municipal offices in Boston, Providence, Portland, Hartford, Manchester, and Burlington with academic partners such as Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, University of Connecticut, University of Maine, and University of New Hampshire. It synthesizes assessments produced by federal agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the United States Geological Survey with region-specific research from centers like the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the The Nature Conservancy. The Project engages professional societies and funders such as the American Planning Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Conservation Law Foundation, and philanthropic entities linked to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation model.

History and Development

The consortium emerged after extreme events including Hurricane Sandy and recurrent nor'easters highlighted vulnerabilities in the northeastern United States. Initial convenings involved state coastal commissions, municipal mayors, and university climate centers; notable early partners included the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council. Key milestones included a 2016 regional summit co-hosted by Brown University and a 2018 grant from a multi-state adaptation fund modeled on programs by the Kresge Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. The Project expanded its portfolio following collaborations with the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission and cross-border engagements involving Canadian Atlantic provinces research groups.

Goals and Objectives

Primary aims align with hazard reduction and long-term resilience: (1) support local hazard mitigation planning referenced in Mitigation Planning frameworks used by FEMA; (2) integrate sea-level rise guidance produced by NOAA into municipal zoning adopted in coastal towns; (3) advance nature-based solutions championed by The Nature Conservancy and National Wildlife Federation; (4) strengthen watershed management practices championed by regional watershed groups like the Ipswich River Watershed Association and the Merrimack River Watershed Council. Secondary objectives include workforce development through partnerships with Community College System of New Hampshire and capacity building aligned with curricula at Boston University and University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Methodologies and Activities

The Project employs applied research, scenario planning, and participatory mapping adapted from methods used by IPCC-informed assessments and federal resilience initiatives. Key activities include downscaling climate projections from CMIP6 datasets using tools developed at MIT and Columbia University, conducting coastal inundation modeling with hydrodynamic codes validated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and piloting green infrastructure installations informed by studies from Cornell University and Penn State. Community engagement draws on stakeholder techniques advanced in case studies from Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley, while legal reviews reference precedents considered by Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and municipal ordinances adopted in Newport.

Regional Partnerships and Stakeholders

Partners span municipal governments, state agencies, universities, non-governmental organizations, and private-sector engineering firms. Notable participants include the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and regional conservation groups such as the Appalachian Mountain Club and Sierra Club chapters. Research collaborators include Wellesley College and Dartmouth College; philanthropy and foundations engaged include local affiliates of the Ford Foundation and the Surdna Foundation. Private contractors involved in pilot projects have included firms with histories working for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood risk studies.

Funding and Governance

Funding streams combine competitive grants from federal programs administered by NOAA and FEMA, philanthropic grants modeled on awards from the MacArthur Foundation and regional foundations, and cost-share arrangements with state coastal programs. Governance is maintained by a steering committee with representatives from participating states, chaired by an appointed executive director and supported by an advisory board including academics from Harvard Kennedy School and practitioners from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Financial oversight practices reflect standards used by nonprofit consortia registered under Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth filings and audited by regional accounting firms.

Impact, Results, and Criticism

Reported outcomes include updated municipal hazard mitigation plans adopted by towns in Cape Cod, enhanced tidal marsh restoration projects informed by partners at The Nature Conservancy, and pilot seawall redesigns in Newport and Portsmouth integrating living shoreline elements studied at Woods Hole. Independent evaluations referenced by state agencies credit improved coordination among emergency managers and planners; however, critics argue the Project has underweighted equity concerns raised by community advocates linked to ACLU of Massachusetts and environmental justice groups in Boston neighborhoods. Concerns also cite limitations in funding continuity and the challenges described in policy analyses from Brookings Institution and legal scholars at Georgetown University concerning municipal implementation of regional recommendations.

Category:Climate adaptation initiatives in the United States Category:Organizations based in Massachusetts