City launches bold 30-year strategy to safeguard its coastline: 'Will create a more resilient future'

A city in California has announced a bold plan to try to save its coastline. According to The Log, Santa Barbara has unveiled a 30-year plan to protect its shoreline from the threats of storm surges and rising sea levels — serious risks that stem from the heating of our planet.

The plan is supposed to help prepare the city for extreme storms, flooding, and further erosion. While still in its developmental stages, the goal is for the strategy to be implemented and underway by early 2027. 

"The Waterfront is already at risk of flooding, storm surge, and erosion during coastal storms, and these impacts will get worse with even small amounts of sea-level rise," according to the local government's website. "The 30-Year Waterfront Adaptation Plan will move the needle from planning to on-the-ground projects that will create a more resilient future for our community."

The city is facing issues similar to those pressing on many coastal communities around the world. For example, in Gwadar, Pakistan, the coastline is slowly eroding, forcing more and more salt water inland while also resulting in a dearth of drinkable, usable fresh water.

Likewise, the salinity levels of cranberry bogs in the Pacific Northwest of the United States have residents and experts scrambling to come up with solutions. 

In Scotland, the unexpectedly rapid erosion of the coastline in Montrose, at a rate of 23 feet per year, has seen the loss of a 460-year-old golf course. 

There is hope, though. As just one example, scientists have leveraged naturally dissolved minerals and low levels of electricity to create a concrete-like substance that can be used to help bolster collapsing coastlines and stabilize sinking shores. 

In Santa Barbara, it's not yet clear exactly how the plan will unfold, but it is clear officials are committed to supporting this critical element of the city's safety for the foreseeable future.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.

Cool Picks

How the Expedia of solar panels helps homeowners save money and avoid a common trap: 'Giving you confidence in the systems'

This startup is revolutionizing home backup power with an automatic, effortless system: 'We're the Goldilocks'

This startup could save you thousands with the first 'intelligent' hot water heater of its kind: 'You can get up to 500% efficiency'

This simple bag lets you earn rewards by recycling your old stuff — here's how it works and where to get one