The Delaware Environmental Institute is a collaborator on a newly funded award from the National Science Foundation’s Regional Resilience Innovation Incubator (R2I2) solicitation. R2I2 grants support collaborative initiatives using recent climate and Earth science research to address climate-related challenges. DENIN’s project, Resilience Implementation for Salt-Intruded Geographies (RISING Mid-Atlantic), aims to improve coastal resilience in Delaware and Maryland communities affected by saltwater intrusion by developing and implementing community-engaged solutions for the economic sectors of farming and forestry.
Researchers intend to build on knowledge and relationships gained from DENIN’s Coastal Critical Zone Network (CCZN) project to design social, technological, and nature-based resilience solutions. The work done by the project has led to potential solutions such as web applications that help foresters plan for early, optimal tree removal and market developments for salt-tolerant crops.
Valued at $69,000, this award is dedicated to the first phase of R2I2 collaborations, in which potential solutions will be evaluated by stakeholders on the criteria of financial viability, ecosystem services, and saltwater intrusion resilience. Selected solutions will be refined by stakeholders and researchers before Phase 2, in which Phase 1 awardees will pitch their co-designed plans for additional awards of up to $3M.