Adaptation Tool Kit for Sea Level Rise and Coastal Land Use: Guidance for Governments
This adaptation tool kit describes how governments can use land use practices to respond to sea level rise. It outlines 18 tools that help address coastal risks, protect infrastructure, and guide development decisions. The resource includes a framework to evaluate policy options, trade offs, and implementation across different land use contexts.
Subject Tags
- Climate resilience
- Coastal
- Climate adaptation
Introduction
This adaptation tool kit describes how governments can use land use practices to prepare for and respond to sea level rise. As climate change drives rising seas, coastal communities face increasing risks from flooding, erosion, and infrastructure damage. The tool kit outlines 18 land use tools that can be applied to reduce these impacts across the built environment, including public and private development. It provides a structured decision making framework to help policymakers evaluate which tools to apply based on governance approaches, policy goals, and land use types. The resource examines key objectives such as protection, accommodation, retreat, and preservation, while also assessing economic, environmental, and social trade offs. It highlights the importance of proactive planning to reduce financial risk, avoid reactive responses, and support long term resilience in coastal regions.