2021 Maryland Coastal Adaptation Report Card

Abstract

For the last decade, the State of Maryland has invested in and made progress toward adaptation. Through increased funding, planning, regulatory changes, and restoration, Maryland has become a leader in coastal and climate adaptation. However, there is a need to clarify adaptation goals in order to measure progress and hold the state accountable.

The Maryland Coastal Adaptation Report Card, a collaboration between the Adaptation and Resiliency Work Group (ARWG) of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change (MCCC) and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Integration and Application Network (UMCES-IAN), begins to address this need. By developing a suite of adaptation indicators and thresholds based on stakeholder expertise, the Coastal Adaptation Report Card gives a snapshot of current adaptation status in Maryland’s coastal zone, and establishes a framework for measuring future progress.

The report card features 15 indicators sorted into four categories. Overall, Maryland has a score of B- in coastal adaptation. Some indicators measured already meet, or are close to meeting, current adaptation goals, while others require significant investment to achieve adaptation goals.