Sea Level Rise Adaptation Funding & Investment Framework
This data-driven research project identified near-term sea level rise adaptation needs and studied possible funding solutions.
MTC partnered with the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) on the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Funding and Investment Framework. Together, the agencies developed a funding analysis that can inform local and regional efforts to adapt to sea level rise.
Key Resources
View the key resources produced by this study:
The Sea Level Rise Adaptation Funding & Investment Framework Final Report highlights the findings of this study.
Visualize what is being planned for sea level rise adaptation and where additional planning may be needed. Includes estimates to help identify the regional cost of sea level rise adaptation through 2050.
The Way It Is Now: Funding Opportunities & Challenges
In recent years, action at the state and federal levels has created an unprecedented amount of near-term funding for sea level rise adaptation efforts. However, there is still a large funding gap that needs to be addressed so that hundreds of miles of Bay Area shoreline can be adapted and protected against sea level rise impacts. This situation has shown a need to research additional funding sources for sea level rise adaptation in the years ahead.
Building on the Work
The Sea Level Rise Adaptation Funding and Investment Framework was identified as a priority action by three already-completed efforts:
- BCDC’s Bay Adapt Joint Platform
- MTC/ABAG’s Plan Bay Area 2050 Implementation Plan
- The San Francisco Estuary Partnership’s 2022 Estuary Blueprint
Building off of previous regional planning work, MTC/ABAG collected and analyzed the best available data to get a better estimate of the total costs for regional sea level rise adaptation, and studied potential approaches to pay for those costs.
This analysis will also help the region prepare for additional funding opportunities by improving resources for advocacy for state and federal funds.
Framework Goals
The framework is organized within three main project goals:
- Catalog planned and conceptual sea level rise projects and develop a regional cost estimate
- Explore how new local and regional revenue for sea level rise adaptation can be raised most equitably
- Explore possible paths to distribute new funds for sea level rise adaptation
Regional Partnership
The project was co-led by MTC/ABAG and BCDC and was supported by a Technical Advisory Group. Local and regional engagement took place throughout the project. The framework also coordinated with other developing sea level rise efforts, including BCDC’s Shoreline Adaptation Project Mapping Program (SAPMAP), which will produce informational resources that can support other local and regional sea level rise efforts in the future.
The framework team engaged with local adaptation staff throughout the project. The goal of the outreach was to share an overview of the framework goals and anticipated outcomes, confirm local shoreline project definitions, and discuss complementary regional sea level rise efforts.
In addition to regional meetings held to kick off and conclude the engagement, staff conducted interviews with local adaptation staff across all nine Bay Area counties. The outreach began in September 2022 and concluded in January 2023.
Regional Meetings
Committee Materials
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Closing Presentation: April 2023 Staff Report to Joint MTC Planning Committee with the ABAG Administrative Committee
- Kickoff Presentation: January 2022 Staff Report to Joint MTC Planning Committee with the ABAG Administrative Committee
Contextual Resources
- Shoreline Adaptation Project Mapping Program (SAPMAP) is a resource developed in coordination with the framework
- Plan Bay Area 2050 Technical Assumptions Report (2021): The framework developed an updated sea level rise needs and revenue assessment that will build on the assessment that starts on page 57 of the Technical Assumptions report.
- Plan Bay Area 2050
- Bay Adapt
- San Francisco Estuary Partnership
Rachael Hartofelis, Sea Level Rise Adaptation Funding and Investment Framework Project Manager
Email: rhartofelis@bayareametro.gov