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Date of Award
Winter 2025
Document Type
Masters Thesis
Department or Program Affiliation
Environmental Studies
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Environmental Studies
First Advisor
Paci-Green, Rebekah
Second Advisor
Flower, Aquila
Third Advisor
Laninga, Tamara Jean
Abstract
Washington state coastal communities face increasing vulnerability to sea level rise, necessitating immediate adaptation strategies to reduce risks and enhance resiliency. This thesis evaluates the extent of such adaptations using a resilience scorecard methodology (Berke 2015), which assesses planning policies in high-risk sea level rise areas and in context with social and physical vulnerability. Case studies were selected based on factors such as exposure levels, percentage of exposed areas, population, and population density, focusing on three communities: Ocean Shores, Olympia, and La Conner.
The results revealed that Ocean Shores is highly vulnerable due to its low elevation, older population, and fixed-income demographic. Critical residential areas are located near canals and the ocean and inconsistencies exist between its plans, requiring targeted resilience measures under the Hazard Mitigation Plan. Conversely, Olympia's economic and land use diversity results in varied vulnerability across districts with high exposure to sea level rise. Downtown faces resilience inconsistencies despite the city’s overall better alignment of planning frameworks. Finally, La Conner, a smaller town with limited resources, and with high probability of inundation, shares challenges similar to Ocean Shores but requires tailored strategies to address its high social vulnerability, protect residential zones, and enhance policy integration. These findings underscore the need for context-specific resilience strategies to mitigate vulnerabilities across diverse coastal communities.
Integration of Climate Change Adaptation into Planning:
A Study of Washington state Coastal Communities Exposed to Sea Level Rise
Type
Text
Keywords
Sea Level Rise, Coastal Vulnerability, Resilience Scorecard, Social Vulnerability, Plan Integration, Washington State Coastal Communities
Publisher
Western Washington University
OCLC Number
1506402033
Subject – LCSH
Sea level--Washington (State); Resilience (Ecology)--Washington (State);Coastal ecology--Washington (State);Climatic changes--Washington (State)
Geographic Coverage
Washington (State)
Format
application/pdf
Genre/Form
masters theses
Language
English
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Recommended Citation
Kakavand, Yashel, "Integration of Climate Change Adaptation into Planning: A Study of Washington state Coastal Communities Exposed to Sea Level Rise" (2025). WWU Graduate School Collection. 1352.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwuet/1352
