From The Daily Journal – Sections of the Bay Area trying to address sea level rise with sea walls or levees, like in San Mateo County could inadvertently make flooding worse for neighbors, according to a new study from the Stanford Natural Capital Project. “Sea level rise is a global reality. And in the Bay Area, sea levels are expected to rise by almost 7 feet in the next 80 years, depending on which projections you use,” said Anne Guerry, chief strategy officer and lead scientist at the Stanford Natural Capital Project and senior author. “And the typical defense is to build seawalls and levees, to hold back the water, but you can’t keep building taller and taller walls.” The study also focused on different ways to rethink adaptation to sea level rise like strategic flooding, guiding the flood waters to natural areas that can act as overflow zones. This includes marshes and ponds as well as semi-natural areas like parks and golf courses where intermittent flooding would cause less damage, she said. Then there are also hybrid solutions including engineered structures that make use of elements of nature such as a levee that includes marsh. (more)