A recent study published in “Nature Climate Change” evaluated the long-term effects of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) of 1982, which sought to reduce damage from extreme weather, limit costs to taxpayers, and maintain property values.
The study found that, over 40 years later, areas within the Coastal Barrier Resources System have 83% lower development densities compared to similar areas not included in the program. In contrast, areas adjacent to these designated lands have 37% higher development densities than comparable areas.
The US Congress enacted CBRA to protect relatively undeveloped waterfront areas along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, a report from Bloomberg said. The law designated at least 1.4 million acres as ineligible for federal expenditures that could encourage development, such as infrastructure grants, subsidized flood insurance, and disaster relief funds.
The study suggests that the policy effectively directed development away from high-risk areas. Additionally, neighboring communities tend to have higher property values, potentially due to the flood protection benefits provided by the nearby protected lands.
The research also noted significant savings for the federal National Flood Insurance Program, as reduced development in high-risk areas led to lower flood damages.
Hannah Druckenmiller, the study's lead author and an environmental economist at the California Institute of Technology and fellow at Resources for the Future, highlighted the policy's relevance for other at-risk regions in the United States.
“We continue to see large increases in development in floodplains, including both coastal areas and inland floodplains. And we continue to see lots of development in wildfire-prone areas. Those are two locations in the US where we could actually implement similar policies when we’re thinking about how we preempt development,” she said.
The study comes at a time when damages from natural disasters are on the rise both in the US and globally, contributing to an ongoing insurance crisis. While climate change exacerbates extreme weather events, increased exposure due to development in high-risk areas is also a significant factor. Americans are increasingly relocating to regions susceptible to hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and hail damage.
The researchers examined the impact of the CBRA by comparing designated areas with similar lands that met the program's criteria and had comparable development rates in the 30 years before the act's passage in 1982.
Druckenmiller noted that the CBRA had bipartisan support when enacted and could serve as a model for future legislation aimed at limiting development in vulnerable areas. She suggested that the law's environmental protection aspects might appeal to the left, while its reduction of government subsidies and intervention could attract support from the right.
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