ICAR Briefs

Old Dominion University has been granted over $700,000 for a collaborative project aimed at tackling recurring flooding issues using green infrastructure and nature-based designs in five underserved southside Norfolk neighborhoods.

Old Dominion University economics Professor Robert M. McNab offered a stark vision of an expensive future as the Hampton Roads region faces gigantic costs associated with rising sea levels. The University’s Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy, was invited by the Coastal Virginia Adaptation and Resilience Consortium to present research that combined sea level rise forecast maps for 2040, 2060 and 2080 with economic impact forecasts.

A coalition of researchers at three Virginia institutions, including Old Dominion University, is working to empower communities to take steps to help bolster their resilience to issues associated with coastal hazards. The Resilience Adaptation Feasibility Tool (RAFT) – is a collaborative, community-driven process and full-service tool created to help coastal localities in Virginia improve resilience to flooding and other hazards created by coastal storms, while balancing economic and social concerns.

It’s no secret Norfolk is on the front lines of sea level rise. And now, ODU faculty and students will be able to study and learn about adaptation and resilience right outside their doors. The University’s Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience (ICAR) will be housed at 46th Street and Colley Avenue, directly across from what will be the Elizabeth River Project’s Pru and Louis Ryan Resilience Lab.