December 2018
The Resilience Roundup highlights announcements, events, and funding opportunities along with links to the previous month's local, state, and national resilience news. 
Learn more about CIRCA at circa.uconn.edu
Announcements
CIRCA Hiring Postdoctoral Research Associate to Support CT Resilience Planning

CIRCA is seeking applicants for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to support the  Connecticut Connections Coastal Resilience Plan .   The Post Doc will work with a CIRCA science team to develop , test, and apply circulation models in coastal areas to determine levels and patterns of flood risk. Learn more about job duties by clicking on the link below. This position will report to   University of Connecticut’s Avery Point campus   located in Groton, CT.   
NEW Green Infrastructure and Living Shorelines CIRCA Website
CIRCA is excited to announce a new and improved design for the   Green Infrastructure and Living Shorelines  s ection of our website. The website was redesigned in an effort to enhance the use and accessibility of research products for practitioners. Website visitors will see a series of new links providing direct access to references, mapping tools, and grant projects.
Milford Living Shoreline Report Now Available
The goal of Milford's living shorelines grant project is to restore the natural buffering capacity of a dune to storms like Irene and Sandy, making the City more resilient to future events. Work involves partnerships between the City of Milford, the Walnut Beach Association, two project advisors from CT Sea Grant, and CIRCA. A report from the project is now available.
R esults Available for the Assessment of Two Wave Propagation Models in an Estuary Protected by Breakwaters
Breakwaters are hard structures built into a body of water to protect a coast or harbor from the force of waves and are used to limit coastal erosion. This CIRCA Research Project uses two wave models, which are used widely in coastal research an d engineering applications, to evaluate the accuracy of wave model simulations in New Haven Harbor, an estuary with three detached breakwaters near its entrance. 
Now Accepting Applications for $100,000 Travelers Excellence in Community Resilience Award
Travelers has created an annual Excellence in Community Resilience Award of $100,000 to recognize an organization that demonstrates leadership in addressing community resiliency. The Application will be open from November 12 - December 17, 2018. 
Events
Climate Adaptation Initiative: At What Point Managed Retreat?
Abstract deadline: February 1, 2019
 Call for Submissions : Abstracts addressing one or more of the following themes in relation to sea level rise are being accepted for this conference at Columbia University: "Exposure", "Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability," and "Societal Responses". Themes may be submitted for either oral or poster presentations. All abstracts will be peer reviewed.
CIRCA in the News
November 6, 2018 - Landscape Architecture Team Develops Models for Coastal Resilience for Historic Waterfront , University of Connecticut

To meet the challenges brought by a changing climate, the city of New London is working with UConn’s  Community Research and Design Collaborative  (CRDC) to re-envision part of their historic waterfront district. The city wants to mitigate the negative consequences of sea level rise and flooding while finding opportunities for economic growth and urban planning.
November 6, 2018 - Hartford Architecture Students Win Urban Sustainability Competition Through “Live, Work, Play” Park Design, ArchDaily

A team of five University of Hartford Master of Architecture students recently won the Dream Green, Hartford EcoDesign competition sponsored by CIRCA and hosted by the City of Hartford Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. The competition requested proposals to improve the city through “pop-up” projects that transform under-utilized city spaces while highlighting green infrastructure and sustainable design.
November 8, 2018 - Rural Resilience Calls for New Practices in Land Use, Beaumont Enterprise

The ability to be resilient is a practical necessity for residents in rural areas such as Goshen, CT. However, the long-practiced goal of self-sufficiency now has a broader definition that calls on residents in the region to adapt to change, regional planning experts note.
Local & State News
November 27, 2018- Connecticut's Vanishing Shoreline: One Storm Away from Disaster , The Connecticut Mirror

Despite the elevation of hundreds of shoreline homes, scattered improvements in drainage systems and other small infrastructure components, extensive tree trimming around utility lines, and many assessments, there have been only a few modest statewide changes to boost shoreline resiliency in Connecticut.
November 28, 2018- Connecticut's Vanishing Shoreline: Towns Trying to Beat the Odds , The Connecticut Post

A quirk of Connecticut government as a home-rule state means the state has only limited authority to supersede local governments. Individual cities and towns handle their own zoning and development regulation and that mostly - though not entirely - puts resiliency matters in the hands of local governments.
National News
November 11, 2018- Cambridge Innovation Center Talks Climate Change Threats to Boston’s Coastline , The Heights

To address some of the implications that changes in water level can have on the City of Boston, the Cambridge Innovation Center led a discussion on climate change and the future of Boston’s coastline as part of the Long Now Boston Conversation Series on Nov. 5th.
November 13, 2018- Homeowners Down the Shore Stand to Lose Millions from Sea Level Rise , State Impact Pennsylvania

New Jersey and Delaware beach towns top the list where the expensive houses are going up in areas where scientists know flooding will be common, rather than rare. Homeowners in those communities stand to lose millions of dollars from future sea level rise. 
Transportation and Climate Initiative Listening Session Summary Report Now Available

Between March and August 2018, Transport and Climate Initiative hosted a series of six regional listening sessions, inviting input on potential policy approaches to bring about a cleaner and more resilient transportation future across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.  A report summarizing the input received during listening sessions is now available.
IPCC Global Warming Special Report Now Available

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released  Global Warming of 1.5 °C . This special report examines the impacts of a 1.5 °C increase in global temperatures above pre-industrial levels and the collective effort needed to keep temperatures below that target to create a more sustainable society.
Fourth National Climate Assessment Report Now Available

The National Climate Assessment assesses the science of climate change and
variability and its impacts across the United States, now and throughout this century. This fourth assessment represents a high-level synthesis that consolidates key messages and supporting evidence in 16 national-level topic chapters, 10 regional chapters, and 2 chapters that focus on societal response strategies ( mitigation  and adaptation).
The Resilience Roundup highlights CIRCA's  presence in the news, provides links to recent local/state/national news articles related to resilience and adaptation, and announces upcoming events and seminars.
 
The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation's (CIRCA) mission is to increase the resilience and sustainability of vulnerable communities along Connecticut's coast and inland waterways to the growing impacts of climate change and extreme weather on the natural, built, and human environment. The institute is located at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus and includes faculty from across the University. CIRCA is a partnership between UConn and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP).