Project

Green Infrastructure Assessment for Climate Adaptation

Full Title: Green Infrastructure Prioritization and Conditions Assessment for Climate Change Adaptation in the Indian River Lagoon Watershed, Brevard County, FL

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) faces biodiversity threats and water quality challenges exacerbated by climate change, prompting the initiation of the Regional Resiliency Action Plan (RRAP) to address these issues through green infrastructure in Brevard and Volusia counties. The RRAP outlines objectives for prioritizing green infrastructure and promoting habitat connectivity, with ongoing efforts focusing on comprehensive land cover assessments, optimization modeling, and community engagement to support resilience planning and ecological restoration in Brevard County, aligning with Florida Sea Grant priorities and Stetson University’s mission for environmental resilience.

Lead Investigator: Dr. Jason Evans Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Studies jevans1@stetson.edu, Dr. Christopher De Bodisco Assistant Professor, Dept. of Economics, Stetson University cdebodis@stetson.edu, Dr. Nickolas “Dan” Macchiarella Professor Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University macchian@erau.edu, Dr. John Robbins Associate Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University robbinsj@erau.edu, Dr. Kevin Adkins Associate Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University kevin.adkins@erau.edu

Project Team: Dr. Janardan Mainali Brown Teacher-Scholar, Tara McCue Director of Planning and Community Development

Collaborator: Brevard County, Johns River Water Management District, ECFRPC, Indian River Lagoon Council, Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization, Riverside Conservancy

Award Amount: $186,875

Year Funded: 2022

Award Period: 2/1/22 – 1/31/24

Project Abstract:

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is facing severe water quality challenges and ecological degradation, exacerbated by climate change stressors. To address these issues, the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council initiated the Regional Resiliency Action Plan (RRAP), emphasizing the importance of green infrastructure in mitigating flood risks and protecting water quality. This abstract outlines the objectives and progress of the RRAP, focusing on the implementation of green infrastructure interventions in Brevard County. The proposed project aims to integrate comprehensive land cover change assessments, optimization modeling, and community engagement to support resilience planning and ecological restoration in the IRL watershed. Through collaboration with various stakeholders, including local governments, academic institutions, and environmental agencies, the project seeks to enhance community resilience, promote diversity, equity, and inclusivity, and contribute to the overall goal of fostering a more resilient community, ecosystem, and economy in Brevard County.

Products, Datasets, and Reports

Project update the project was granted a no cost extension through 1/31/25. Delays in Congressional approval of the Omnibus appropriation bill in early 2022 resulted in a contracting delay of several months. Although substantial effort on the project did not begin until after contracting between Stetson and the University of Florida was formally executed on July 7, 2022, progress has been made on all listed objectives. Close engagement with the historically underserved Black community in the Cocoa West area of Brevard County has been a focus, including successful outreach and planning workshops to identify potential green infrastructure interventions for flooding issues. Continued workshops and support programming are planned through at least summer of 2024 to support community resilience planning, needs assessments, and follow-up funding assistance. Coordination with local and state partners, including the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council and Brevard County staff, is ongoing to integrate project work with land protection strategies in the region.

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