South Florida is experiencing the very real impacts of climate change and doing something about it.  With over 650 in attendance, the 6th Annual Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit held in Miami Beach on October 1st and 2nd is clearly gaining some attention.  International planners, White House advisors, NGO’s, professors, local engineers, and elected officials filled the conference center to share projections, challenges and success stories from their cities.  As one of ICMA's Local Government Management Fellows based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, I was asked to staff the CityLinks booth along with Jessica Cho, Program Manager for ICMA International.

Historically, Southern Florida consisted of a vast wetland from Orlando all the way to the Keys.  During rainy seasons, heavy rain would flood Lake Okeechobee which would then crest its banks to feed a lazy river that was 100 miles long and 60 miles wide.  This made any sort of large scale development impractical.  In the middle of the last century, modern engineering allowed  a series of dikes and canals to be built to drain the region.  The resulting dense coastal development sits on a porous limestone bedrock only a few feet above sea level.  Recognizing the current threat of sea level rise to the region, the 4 county governments of Southeast Florida banded together to form a Compact dedicated to collaborating to build resilience into the region.  It is working.  

Keynote Speaker Dr. John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy assured the room that the federal government is taking steps like investing in Everglades restoration to reduce flooding, examining the impact of energy production, and encouraging regional collaborations across the country similar to the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact. He highlighted a study produced in July of 2014 called “Risky Business” which examined the cost of doing nothing here in the US.  It shows that the longer we wait, the more expensive reparation will become and the more economic loss we will suffer immediately following an event.  Therefore, time is of the essence.  As an endnote, Dr. Holden emphasized that the White House was well aware of the efforts ongoing in Southeast Florida, was very impressed with the success of the region’s Compact and encouraged continuing to built on the regional successes. 

Local representatives from cities across the region showed their specific challenges through models of sea level rise. They also explained some of their solutions such as one way tidal valves installed in neighborhoods, massive pumps, elevated infrastructure, and underground catchment systems.   Visitors from the Netherlands shared their perspectives and engineering successes with sea level rise.   Their philosophy is to enhance natural systems to prevent flooding such as widening river basins, building up when possible and creating slow streams.  

Jessica Cho shared an international perspective through ICMA CityLinks success stories in other countries.  By visiting the sites of other countries, ICMA has connected expertise from Southeast Florida to other countries, helping them consider new ideas while considering the areas of climate change, food security and water and sanitation. The Compact shares the message of focusing on reducing emissions, waste and environmental degradation have helped address all these areas while building solidarity across traditionally competing areas.   New infrastructure and sustainability ideas have helped to mitigate climate change and improve the quality of life.

A risk management perspective challenged summit attendees to start calculating costs associated with climate change.   We need to look at the cost of doing nothing, determine the cost and benefit of all of our options, and start to reduce our risks.   Understanding the cost of doing nothing will spur interest in making sweeping changes.  Determining the costs and benefits of proposed actions will allow local governments to prioritize spending.  And reducing our risks will require modification of building codes, redesign current projects, and consideration ofnew forms of insurance that can react quicker than government emergency funds.  

Building systems that have multiple functions and being proactive were the two recurring themes of the Summit.  The sooner communities start adapting to the new normal, the less it will cost and the more likely they will be able to incorporate creative multi use solutions instead of emergency solutions.  Storm surge barriers can be sand dunes with parking decks inside or stadium seating for the parks they protect.  Wider flood plains for rivers can be parks when they are dry.   Water catchment systems can be incorporated into plazas and neighborhood squares.  But none of this moves forward without the collective determination which Southeast Florida clearly demonstrated at this year’s conference.   If you are interested in attending next year’s Climate Leadership Summit in the Florida Keys, sign up early!