Trade-offs and synergies in managing coastal flood risk: A case study for New York City

TL;DR

This study uses an intermediate complexity model to analyze various flood risk management strategies for New York City, revealing trade-offs, synergies, and potential improvements in outcomes.

Contribution

It introduces a flexible modeling framework that captures a broad set of strategies and uncertainties, enhancing decision-making in coastal flood risk management.

Findings

More strategy combinations expand solution options

Identifies trade-offs and synergies among strategies

Suggests strategies that improve flood risk outcomes

Abstract

Decisions on how to manage future flood risks are frequently informed by both sophisticated and computationally expensive models. This complexity often limits the representation of uncertainties and the consideration of strategies. Here, we use an intermediate complexity model framework that enables us to analyze a rich set of strategies, objectives, and uncertainties. We find that allowing for more combinations of risk mitigation strategies can expand the solution set, help explain synergies and trade-offs, and point to strategies that can improve outcomes.