Virginia’s Coastal Zone is extraordinarily important to the state’s economy and home to many of Virginia’s oldest communities. It is threatened by sea-level rise, which is exacerbated by land subsidence in the Chesapeake Bay area. Climate change is also increasing the variability and intensity of weather. Summit presenters forecast that the coastal zone would be subject to more routine flooding as well as more violent and damaging storms.

At the same time, they noted that sea-level rise brings with it myriad opportunities for innovation in engineering and planning as well as for constructive legislative and policymaking. The net result could be enhanced economic growth across multiple sectors and movement towards an adaptive and thus more resilient coastal community.