The Integrated Coastal Resiliency Assessment (ICRA) was carried out from 2016-2018 on the Deal Island Peninsula, and brought together individuals with a range of scientific, technical, and local knowledge and experiences to: 1) identify and prioritize needs and concerns regarding ongoing and future environmental changes, and 2) develop adaptation strategies to address prioritized issues. 

 

The ICRA built upon a traditional coastal resiliency assessment framework, but integrated collaborative science and learning approaches to incorporate local experiential and cultural knowledge into the assessment process. This was important for identify needs and developing strategies that were both scientifically-robust and locally-relevant. In effect, the ICRA led to the emergence of projects that were widely supported across a broad range of stakeholders - including local residents, regional government, and NGO partners with access to resources to help support project implementation. It was through this integrative process that DIPP was able to develop projects that ultimately will enhance resilience of the Peninsula to flooding and erosion impacts. 

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The ICRA was coordinated by University of Maryland Department of Anthropology and the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (CBNERR-MD). Funding was provided by the Maryland Coastal Zone Program (MD-DNR) & Maryland Sea Grant.