MANAGED RETREATNew York’s Climate Buyout Plans Must Put Communities First: Experts
In 2022, New York State passed the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act. Among its many objectives, the act promises to invest more than a billion dollars toward flood protection across the state — including through voluntary private property buyouts. What should a buyout program look like? Designing an equitable buyout program is more complicated than it may seem.
In 2022, New York State passed the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act. Among its many objectives, the act promises to invest more than a billion dollars toward flood protection across the state — including through voluntary private property buyouts.
What should a buyout program look like? This was the subject of at least one discussion at the Managed Retreat conference, hosted by the Columbia Climate School this week. Managed retreat means moving communities away from areas of high risk, and buyouts are one of the major tools to make that happen.
Designing an equitable buyout program is more complicated than it may seem. There are many questions to untangle, such as: Who has access to the buyouts? Who needs them the most? Are there safe and affordable destinations available? What happens to the people who get left behind? And what happens to the land that gets bought out?
In a workshop led by Cornell’s Linda Shi on Tuesday, panelists and participants shared their experiences and recommendations with David Burgy of the New York State Office of Resilient Homes and Communities, who is currently planning the state’s buyout strategy under the Environmental Bond Act.
A recurring theme was that buyouts need to be people-first, community-led, and tailored to different neighborhoods. Participants emphasized the need to listen to community members’ feedback, build trust, and leverage existing community networks to facilitate conversations and raise awareness.
In a different session, Malgosia Madajewicz of the Columbia Climate School’s Center for Climate Systems Research provided an illuminating case study on the effectiveness of community engagement in motivating and enabling residents of coastal areas to adapt to flooding.
Madajewicz and her colleagues worked in the flood-prone peninsula of Rockaway, Queens, which was devastated by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Despite previous outreach efforts, Rockaway residents were largely not taking action to protect themselves from future flooding. At the start of her study, Madajewicz found that many residents were unaware of their flood risk, and thought that their only options were to raise their homes or relocate. Most could not afford to elevate their home, and they didn’t want to move, so they disengaged from the conversation altogether.
