RESILIENCE.

“Resilience means building the ability of a community

to “bounce back” after hazardous events such as
hurricanes, coastal storms, and flooding – rather than
simply reacting to impacts.”

National Ocean Service, NOAA

 RESILIENT
OUR MARKETS
We specialize in the following resilience markets:

STRATEGY
• Coastal/Beach Restoration

• Emergency Response and Recovery

• Environmental Compliance
THE MOFFATT & NICHOL APPROACH. • Estuarine/Wetland Restoration
Resilient planning and design is about applying standards and knowledge to
• Floodplain Management
a project so that it can withstand or recover quickly from damaging forces
or adverse circumstances. As a leader in infrastructure, M&N has provided • Green Infrastructure
resilient design and related services for nearly 75 years in some of our most
challenging environments. • Hazard Mitigation Planning

Resilience is about looking forward. It is applying resilient design for an • Infrastructure Vulnerability
uncertain future. It is evaluating within this uncertainty the expected project
life, reasonable projections of yet unrealized risks, recognizing the potential • Living Shorelines
consequences of failure, and the development of measures to mitigate such
• Operation and Management Plans
consequences.
• Ports
It is developing creative, responsible, and practical solutions for communities,
the built environment, and the natural environment that allow for their • Risk Mapping
continued use under evolving conditions and ever-increasing risks, as well as
proactively promoting the adaptation of the land to other better suited uses. • Shoreline Stabilization

Our planners, engineers, environmental scientists, and economists provide a • Stormwater Management
team that continually practices resilience, but has the skills to understand that
it is forward looking. • Stream Stabilization

We provide technically based estimates, which range from sea level rise to • Transportation
coastal/inland flooding to forecasting market trends that impact future use of
• Urban and Waterfront Planning
a wide variety of facilities and areas. At the same time, we bring 75 years of
proven resilient design leading to long lasting, economical solutions in some of • Vulnerability Assessment
the most challenging environments on Earth.
• Watershed Restoration

Brand Guidelines Moffatt & Nichol Charlotte Office 5

 GRAPHIC TOOLKIT
The purpose of this Graphic Toolkit is to serve as a repository
for Moffatt & Nichol resilient strategy graphics.

These visual aids have been designed cohesively and can

be used in combination or individually. They are meant to
illustrate complex resiliency strategies in a way that is easily
understood by our clients. Additionally, these graphics can be
used as an internal teaching tool for staff.

These graphics were created and approved by the Resiliency

Team at Moffatt & Nichol and are not to be altered in any
way. For custom graphics, please reach out to Scott Lagueux.

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 COASTAL SUBSIDENCE 1A. EXISTING BEACH CONDITION

The downward displacement of the land relative

to mean low sea level, often occurring in URBAN STREETSCAPE
regions associated with riverine and estuarine +/- 50 FT
sedimentation. The following exhibits represent
varying stages of mitigation and associated
challenges: SAND DUNE
+/- 30 FT
1A. Existing Beach Condition

1B. Future Beach Condition BEACH

+/- 65 FT

OCEAN
Varies

1B. FUTURE BEACH CONDITION

URBAN STREETSCAPE
+/- 50 FT

SAND DUNE
+/- 20 FT

BEACH
+/- 65 FT

OCEAN
Varies

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 COASTAL SQUEEZE 1A. EXISTING BEACH CONDITION

Relating to intertidal habitat loss, Coastal Squeeze

arises due to the high water mark being fixed URBAN STREETSCAPE
by a defence and the low water level migrating +/- 50 FT
landwards due to levels of subsidence. The
following exhibits represent varying stages of SAND DUNE
mitigation and associated challenges: +/- 15 FT

BEACH
1A. Existing Beach Condition +/- 80 FT

1B. Future Beach Condition

OCEAN
Varies

1B. FUTURE BEACH CONDITION

URBAN STREETSCAPE
+/- 50 FT

SAND DUNE
+/- 10 FT

OCEAN
Varies

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 ADAPTIVE RESPONSES TO SLR 1A. EXISTING BEACH CONDITION

There are 3 typologies for adaptive responses to

sea level rise. Within each of these typologies are
various tools that can be utilized and combined
to create site specific solutions to protect coastal
URBAN STREETSCAPE
communities.
+/- 50 FT

1A. Existing Beach Condition

1B. Accommodation Adapting structures and BEACH

development to accommodate sea level +/- 80 FT
rise.
OCEAN
Varies

1B. ACCOMODATION

URBAN STREETSCAPE
+/- 50 FT

OCEAN
Varies

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 ADAPTIVE RESPONSES TO SLR 1C. PROTECTION

1C. Protection Using a physical barrier, such

as a sea wall, to protect structures and
development.

1D. Retreat Removing structures and URBAN STREETSCAPE

development along coastal edges that are +/- 50 FT
impacted by sea level rise.

BEACH
+/- 80 FT

OCEAN
Varies

1D. RETREAT

URBAN STREETSCAPE
+/- 50 FT

OCEAN
Varies

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 WHAT CAUSES SEA LEVEL?
The three major causes of global sea level rise
are coastal land subsidence (or sinking), thermal
expansion caused by warming of the ocean (since
water expands as it warms) and increased melting
of land-based ice, such as glaciers and ice sheets.

AGRICULTURAL RURAL SUBURBAN URBAN COASTAL OCEANIC GLACIER

Deforestation Reservoirs Ground Water Extraction Ground Water Extraction Coastal Subsidence Thermal Expansion Glacier Melt
Water Diversion Changes in Runoff Increased Water Demand Increased Water Demand Storm Surges Changes in Ocean Circulation
Wetland Drainage Tectonic Displacement

Brand Guidelines Moffatt & Nichol Charlotte Office 17

Brand Guidelines Moffatt & Nichol Charlotte Office 19
 COMMUNITY SCORECARD
Community Scorecards are an assessment tool used to
understand the disaster risk (vulnerability) of a particular
community and its ability to bounce back from such a
disaster (resiliency).

These disasters can be natural or manmade and can be

classified as acute shocks, such as earthquakes, hurricanes,
or wildfires, or as chronic stressors occuring over an
extended period of time, such as aquifer depletion.

Understanding a community’s level of vulnerablity and

resiliency is the first step in developing a local disaster
reduction strategy.

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RESILIENCY STRATEGY
In the context of cities, resiliency is the PLANNING &
ability of a community to anticipate, absorb, PREPARATION
accommodate or recover from the effects
of a hazardous event. Resiliency strategy
is the cycle of anticipating and assessing
a community’s particular risk, planning and
preparing for identified risks, and responding to
and recovering from hazardous events.
ANTICIPATION
& ASSESSMENT ILIENCY
RES

RESPONSE & 3 4
ITY
RECOVERY RABIL
E
U LN
V

-3 -4
-3 -4
VULNERABILITY

-2 -5
“Sensitivity”
2 -5 5
Propensity or predisposition to be adversely affected -2
The scale represents the range of vulnerability within a
community, with (-1) representing low vulnerability and (-6)
-1 -6 representing high vulnerability.

-1 -6

3 4
1 6
RESILIENCY

2 5 “Ability to Bounce Back”

Ability to anticipate, absorb, accommodate or recover from

the effects of a hazardous event

1 6 The scale represents the range of resiliency within a

community, with (1) representing low resiliency and (6)
INVERSE RELATIONSHIP
representing high resiliency. The relationship between vulnerability and resiliency is inverse, in that the ideal condition for a community is high resiliency
and low vulnerability.

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RESILIENCY & VULNERABILITY
Resilience means building the ability of a community to
“bounce back” after hazardous events such as hurricanes,
coastal storms, and flooding – rather than simply reacting to +1
impacts.
ASSESSING COMMUNITY RISK
Each community has it’s own set of unique risks as well
-1 as it’s own level of resiliency. The key to tailoring a resilient
plan is understanding and assessing these unique factors to
determine a path forward.

A community that is more informed and prepared will have

a greater opportunity to rebound quickly from weather and
climate-related events, including adapting to sea level rise. 1. EXAMPLE A
The ability to rebound more quickly can reduce negative
human health, environmental, and economic impacts.
+2 -2 In the example below, Community A has been evaluated and it has been determined
that this community has low resiliency (shown here as a +2) and a high level of
The ability of a community to successfully recover is linked vulnerability (indicated by the -5 rating). The conclusion is that this community is
to the strengths and capacities of individuals, families, highly vulnerable and needs to take immediate action to formulate a resiliency plan.
businesses, schools, hospitals, and other parts of the
community. Also, there are more people moving into
high-risk areas such as the coast. With these population (+1) - (+5) (-3)
+3 -3 +2 -5 =
increases, homes, businesses, and infrastructure are also at
great risk of damage from hazards. MONITOR ACTION

Because all communities are going to face hazards, resilience

CONDITIONS REQUIRED
is important. Resilience is our ability to prevent a short-term
hazard event from turning into a long-term community-
wide disaster. While most communities effectively prepare 1. EXAMPLE B
themselves to respond to emergency situations, many are (-1) - (0)
not adequately prepared to recover in the aftermath.
+4 -4 TIPPING In the example below, Community B has been evaluated and it has been determined
that this community has high resiliency (shown here as a +5) and a moderate level of
POINT vulnerability (indicated by the -3 rating). The conclusion is that this community is not
immediately as risk, alothough conditions should be monitored.

(-5) - (-2) (2)

+5 -5 ACTION
REQUIRED
+5 -3 = MONITOR
CONDITIONS

+6 -6
Assessment value of Resiliency (Low +1 to High 5)

Assessment value of Vulnerability (Low 1 to High 5)

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 THE ECONOMICS OF RESILIENCY
Many communities around the world are already susceptible
to escalating climate events including floods, storms, and
drought. These threats are predicted to continue escalating-
hitting the most vulnerable and unprepared communities
hardest.

Many of the tools in our resiliency toolkit require substantial

upfront investment and long-term planning. It is critical for
our coastal communities to implement resilient strategies
now in order to head-off potentially devastating events
that could wipe out economies and dwarf the initial cost of
investment.

Communities have the ability to become highly adaptive and

resilient through the implementation of efficient adaptive
responses. In fact, these adaptations can be at least partially
self-financing and have a profoundly beneficial impact on
economic development.

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