Fostering Adaptation and Its Implementation in the Region

The Vulnerability, Consequences, and Adaptation Planning Scenarios (VCAPS) process was developed to help decision-makers in small municipalities explore the potential outcomes and consequences of climate change in their towns, along with pathways to help plan and prepare. VCAPS integrates local knowledge about social stressors with generalized scientific information about potential impacts and promotes deliberative-analytical dialogue among researchers and community leaders. The process has been used in a growing number of U.S. communities, including 8 in the Carolinas. Learn more about the tool and work in each of these communities through the VCAPS website..

Research findings

At the request of the City of Beaufort, CISA partnered with the SC Sea Grant Consortium and the College of Charleston’s Lowcountry Hazards Center to conduct a flood vulnerability assessment. Bordered by rivers and the coast, the City is vulnerable to flooding from sea level rise and extreme precipitation events. CISA explored the effects of flooding by examining current trends, modeling future changes in flooding due to climate change, and investigating impacts to key city assets. The assessment investigated race and ethnicity of residents at risk as well as number of businesses, employees, and annual average sales. The assessment revealed that, within the next 20 years, the City may experience tidal flooding over 100 days each year.

Research findings