The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary’s (PDE) biennial Science & Environmental Summit went virtual this year. March 1-3 over 400 people participated to learn more about issues facing the Delaware Estuary and the tidal portion of the Delaware River and Bay.
The summit featured the inaugural “Forum on Climate Change and the Delaware River Basin,” hosted by the Delaware River Basin Commission’s (DRBC) Advisory Committee on Climate Change.
Kicked off by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, it included a keynote presentation by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist Dr. Ben Hamlington on how NASA uses satellites to measure and understand sea level change. Hamlington said, “Sea level rise is global, but its impacts are local,” starting off a day of talks on how climate change is impacting the Delaware River Basin and its communities.
Meteorologist Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz of NBC10 Philadelphia was also featured, speaking about how climate change, in particular Arctic ice melt, is impacting rain, snow and flooding in the basin, as well as the ability to make long-range winter forecasts.
DRBC’s Advisory Committee on Climate Change is comprised of individuals with relevant climate expertise, representing government, watershed, academic, business and water-user perspectives. They helped plan the day, moderate sessions and were featured in a panel discussion about climate challenges. Many responses touched on the challenge of relaying climate science in a way everyone can understand and the importance of including equity and environmental justice when planning for climate impacts.
Other topics included salinity impacts from sea level rise on wetlands and marshlands in the Delaware Bay, developing a model to study this, and on-the-ground restoration and resilience projects. Impacts to mussel and oyster populations were also discussed, both having ecological and economic impacts to the region.
The main theme woven throughout was the importance of collaboration and partnership among all sectors, which is key, as we develop solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate impacts in our communities.
DRBC offered summit scholarships to middle and high school teachers, including Alexander Emert, science teacher at Woodbridge High in Bridgeville. “Nothing engages student learning like tying it to their own experiences. The conference gave me the data and knowledge to show to our students that, although climate change is a global issue, it has local impacts,” he said.
Presentations from the forum and the entire summit will be available on PDE’s website in the coming weeks. We thank PDE for its efforts to host another great program and to all presenters for their time and for the work they do.
You can find more information about DRBC and the Advisory Committee on Climate Change at www.drbc.gov, and PDE and the Biennial Science & Environmental Summit at www.delawareestuary.org.
Kristen Bowman Kavanagh
Deputy executive director
Delaware River Basin Commission
