State legislators from two newly formed special commissions met in late November to discuss one of Rhode Island’s most pressing issues: beach erosion.
In recent years, increasing sand depletion across the Ocean State’s over 400 miles of coastline has put local businesses, buildings and structures at risk. In April, the State House approved a commission to investigate potential solutions to the growing beach erosion problem.
The study commission, chaired by State Rep. Samuel Azzinaro (D-Westerly), includes four members of the General Assembly alongside state environmental and economic leaders.
“Due to climate change and the frequency of severe storms, flooding and coastal damage, beach erosion is becoming less episodic and more consistent,” Azzinaro said in the November meeting.
On Nov. 19, the beach erosion commission was joined by members of the newly formed Study Commission on Climate Change Impacts and Solutions, which is tasked with assessing how the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels, affect coastal communities. The commission is chaired by State Rep. Terri Cortvriend (D-Portsmouth, Middletown).
“As legislators, we just want to make sure that the state’s prepared” for climate change, Cortvriend said at the meeting. She also highlighted the increased prevalence of large-scale storms that threaten the state’s beaches.
The joint meeting allowed both commissions to hear testimony regarding the causes and implications of beach erosion. Kim Cobb, director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society and a member of the climate change commission, cited that a key matter for the commissions to address is the increased prevalence of flooding “due to increased sea level, increased storm activity and more extreme rainfall episodes,” she said.
“It’s not just a coastal problem,” Cobb said, noting how flooding can impact communities beyond the shoreline. “It’s also an inland problem.”
Azzinaro added that beach erosion also extends to industries like beach tourism.
“Our tourism is driven by beach towns,” Azzinaro said. “If we do not address beach erosion, we will inevitably see an economic impact.”
For him, a central goal of the beach erosion commission is to find sustainable economic solutions to save the beaches that protect local businesses and foster tourism.
The climate change commission also hopes to explore the economic implications of the broader climate change issue, beginning with homeowners’ flood and storm insurance, Cortvriend said. “The closer you are to sea level, the bigger the risk, the more you’ll pay,” she added. “I think it's something we need to understand.”
Both commissions will identify near-term priorities for further research and continue their work on drafting solutions in the coming months. The beach erosion commission aims to complete an action plan by 2025.
But, for Cobb, climate change “is something that’s going to require a sustained focus, not just over six months, but over many years.” It “is not an easily solved problem,” she said.
