Suggested Research Topics for Chesapeake Rising Symposium

Below is a list of key issues and topics that relate to the Chesapeake Rising: Innovative Law and Policy Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Coastal Communities symposium and associated upcoming special edition of the Sea Grant Law & Policy Journal.

If you are interested in challenges surrounding coastal communities and adaptation to climate change, we encourage you to explore these topics.

Coastal Equitable Adaptation

• Resilience for Indigenous Communities
  • Importance of amplification of these voices
  • Collective resiliency efforts for a better future
• Integrating the Environmental Justice polices of Chesapeake States to facilitate equitable adaptation
• Rural Resilience
  • Lack of funding provided when destruction associated with climate change (ex. Weather events) occurs
• Accommodating water homes (ex. houseboats) vs land homes

Adapting to Wetland Migration

• Post-Sackett Responses of the Chesapeake States
• Blending Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
• Blue Carbon
• Flood Risk Real Estate Proposals
• Abandoned Coastal Property

Laws and Policies that Advance Adaptive Infrastructure

• Built Environment
  • Building Codes and Construction Policies
  • Coastal Infrastructure
  • Infrastructure implications of water vs land dwellings
  • Alternatives to adaptations and the code/regulation changes
• Green infrastructure  
  • Living Shorelines Policies of the Chesapeake States
  • New MDSG analysis of laws around living shorelines
• Antiquated hard and soft infrastructure
  • How these impact the waterways causing toxicity
  • Economic implications of fixing these issues
  • Collective efforts to address these concerns
• Adapting our Energy Infrastructure
  • Offshore wind energy
    • Impacts on coastal communities economies from tourism
    • Land easements for the construction and operation of offshore wind farms
  • Community resilience
    • Diverting derived energy from offshore wind or solar to coastal communities when flooding occurs

Adaptation Through Managed Retreat

• Buyouts and Purchase Options
• Eminent Domain/Takings Liability
• Rolling Easements
• Conservation Easements

Adaptation Across Jurisdictions

• Tribal laws and their interaction with state and federal laws
• Interstate collaboration and the Chesapeake Bay Program
  • Whether they are sufficiently addressing sea level rise
• Proposed changes to rules/laws/regulations

The Chesapeake Rising symposium was held in April, 2025. Learn more about the symposium.