Salem Sound Coastwatch provides a local community link between federal, state, and municipal entities as coastal communities prepare for climate change.  

Climate change adaptation is defined as the process of (1) evaluating changes in climate that are occurring and predicted to occur, (2) linking those climatic changes to impacts on the things we value, (3) identifying ways to address those impacts, (4) implementing actions, and (5) updating strategies to reduce future risks. 

We help build an understanding of what can be preserved and restored, while making tough decisions as to what needs to change including managed retreat. Community engagement and dialogue are critical in shaping these efforts. 

All Salem Sound communities are designated Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) communities.  

Created in 2017 as part of Governor Baker’s Executive Order 569, the MVP grant program provides support for Massachusetts cities and towns to identify climate hazards, assess vulnerabilities, develop action plans, and implement actions to improve resilience to climate change. Barbara Warren, as a certified MVP provider, led community resilience building workshops for Manchester-by-the-Sea, Salem, and Marblehead and participated in workshops with Beverly, Danvers, and Peabody. In addition, the MA Coastal Zone Management (CZM) StormSmart Coasts program has funded many resilience projects in Salem Sound and promotes effective management of coastal landforms, such as beaches and dunes. 

More than ever adaptative management and better communications are necessary.

First, individuals and communities must understand how the climate crisis is affecting them today and how it is expected to impact them in the future. Ongoing outreach and better communications are essential to be able to move forward with adaptive measures.    

Climate adaptation actions are planned with approximate future implementation time periods (present, 2030, 2050, 2070). To understand the timing of additional actions, climate, biophysical, and socio-economic monitoring systems need to be established to determine when the trigger points are reached. In addition, options need to be preserved for future actions.