Sea Level Rise Strategy

The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the recommendations of its Sea Level Rise Task Force in 2015, which called for an Enhanced Capital Plan that has evolved into the County’s Sea Level Rise Strategy. This Strategy consists of a main report and three complementary mini guides that provide additional details. Hundreds of partners and community leaders have helped us develop the adaptation actions in this Strategy.

The Sea Level Rise Strategy:

• Tells the story of our history of living with water and illustrates a vision to adapt our communities to rising sea levels
• Details key actions and capital projects that will advance our adaptation goals, help us recover, and create local jobs
• Provides information on the key challenges, along with the many opportunities to gracefully and equitably accommodate more water.

The Sea Level Rise Strategy describes five complementary adaptation approaches that can be combined depending on a community’s needs and preferences and the physical landscape:

• Build on Fill: raise the land on artificial fill.
• Build Like the Keys: elevate structures on pilings and live with more water.
• Build on High Ground Around Transit: promote new development in the least flood-prone areas along transit corridors.
• Expand Greenways and Blueways: expand waterfront parks and make room for canals in our most flood-prone neighborhoods.
• Create Green and Blue Neighborhoods: create a network of small spaces for water in our yards, streets, and parks.

The adaptation approaches consist of individual tools that, when combined, help communities adapt in a more comprehensive way. The County and municipalities can combine and tailor these approaches based on the geography and physical characteristics of each area and with community and stakeholder input. These broader approaches will be implemented at the local level using Adaptation Action Areas. This program will allow us to collaborate with residents, businesses and others to create more detailed adaptation plans for specific neighborhoods that are most affected by sea level rise.

Explore the Sea Level Rise Strategy ArcGIS Hub to view the StoryMaps and download a printable version of the document. The Sea Level Rise Strategy is being implemented through Adaptation Action Areas (AAA). AAA's allow for planning at a more detailed and neighborhood specific scale. The first AAA the County is working on in collaboration with community partners and stakeholders is the Litte River Adaptation Action Area.