NYC

Register today — early bird registration now available!

The inaugural Rising Seas Summit brought together more than 170 professionals from national and local government, industry, academic institutions and environmental NGOs together to highlight the interrelationships between sea level rise, climate change and extreme events. Understanding, anticipating and adapting to water related threats is critical to national security and a stable economy. Sea level rise will continue to damage coastal ecosystems and inland water systems, and the recent catastrophic impacts of Hurricane Sandy have demonstrated the risks faced by all coastal communities on the U.S. eastern seaboard. These new environmental challenges require that stakeholders share knowledge and work together to reduce and mitigate environmental and social degradation induced by climate change.

Program Highlights

  • 2 CCOTM training bootcamps on the basics of sea level rise and conducting vulnerability assessments
  • Meetings, workshops and roundtable discussions with Federal and local government officials leading adaptation planning efforts on behalf of their respective organizations
  • 4 plenary sessions featuring elected officials, Federal agency leaders, recognized thought leaders and scientific experts
  • 6 breakout panel discussions examining best practices on modeling and planning for sea level rise, providing case studies from existing efforts, quantifying the term economic implications of sea level rise, making sound investments, planning for more frequent and significant extreme events
  • CCO Roundtable networking lunch in which senior officials and experts from across sectors share their experience and wisdom with attendees

Rising Seas Summit Steering Committee

  • Pinar Balci — Director, Bureau of Environmental Planning and Analysis, New York City Department of Environmental Protection
  • Margaret Davidson — Acting Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • John Englander — Author, High Tide on Main Street: Rising Sea Level and the Coming Coastal Crisis
  • Jennifer Jurado — Director, Natural Resources Planning and Management Division, Broward County (FL)
  • Daniel Kreeger — Executive Director, Association of Climate Change Officers
  • Sara Law — Manager, Special Projects, CDP
  • Michael Mondshine — Vice President, Sustainability & Energy, WSP Group
  • Susanne Torriente — Assistant City Manager, City of Fort Lauderdale

Check out the website for more details.