What Drives Adaptation? Evidence from Sea Level Rise Planning in the Southeastern United States

Abstract

Sea level rise (SLR) is anticipated to be one of the most disruptive impacts of climate change for coastal communities if adaptive measures are not taken. Conceptualizing adaptation to SLR as a staged process whereby governments first choose whether to address SLR and then determine how much to address it, we use a hurdle model to examine what drives local governments to plan for SLR. Results from eighty-five coastal counties in the southeastern United States indicate that financial resources, population size, and future risk exposure increase the likelihood of addressing SLR. However, among counties addressing SLR, those with larger shares of left-leaning votes engage in more comprehensive SLR planning. Our findings align with previous research on barriers to addressing climate change and add to the growing knowledge on SLR planning.