Call for abstracts

The Florida Shore & Beach Preservation Association and Resiliency Florida welcome abstracts for the 2nd annual Florida Resilience Conference scheduled for September 27-29, 2023, at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The theme of the conference is The Future is Now!

The meeting will feature instruction on FSBPA’s traditional beach management agenda and expand into additional concurrent sessions focusing on Energy, Gray and Green Infrastructure, and Smart Planning. Plenary sessions will bring attendees together for discussion from invited speakers on resilience issues of statewide importance, such as federal and state legislative policy and funding initiatives. A preliminary conference schedule can be found here.
 

Individual abstracts must be received by June 16, 2023, to be considered by the planning committee for inclusion in the program. Abstracts should focus on policy and legal considerations, funding programs, research, and project innovations relating to climate change, sea-level rise, smart planning, beach management, energy, and infrastructure. Ideas for abstracts are listed below, but other ideas are welcome. The conference will be held as an in-person event only.   

The deadline has now passed.

• 2022 Hurricane season - post-storm emergency response, recovery and repair efforts
• Beach nourishment and inlet management projects: studies, strategies, and lessons worth sharing
• Coastal resiliency and coastal risk management projects – from frontal dunes to back bay shorelines
• Maximizing limited sand resources - regional sand management and beneficial use projects
• The art of marketing the benefits of a healthy beach and dune system – economic; recreational; environmental; storm protection; all of the above
• Coral reefs and other offshore resources – redefining their roles in resilient communities
• Booming harmful algal blooms are here again 
• Legal and recent case updates

• Federal, state, and local climate change policies and funding programs for renewable and sustainable energy production
• Projecting energy demand and increasing security for continued growth
• Innovations for power and renewable energy production projects
• Statewide, community-level, and individual retrofits – costs and benefits
• Effective marketing and buy-in of energy efficiency measures by end-users
• Electric vehicle technologies and supporting infrastructure
• Innovations in EV batteries and other storage technologies
• Using AI and other digital technologies to increase resilience

• Nature-based solutions to climate change, such as living shorelines, wetlands, and other innovative solutions
• Vulnerability analyses and flood preparedness
• Stormwater retention 
• Retrofitting and flood proofing assets
• Design with nature in mind – adapting gray and green infrastructure to changing landscapes  
• Federal, state, and local resilience policies, programs, and funding alternatives 
• Emergency response, mitigation, and buy out programs
• Cyber security in a changing natural environment 
• Cyber resilience of electronic systems
• Transportation – roads, rails, ports, and bridges
• Elevation studies
• Evacuation routes – reducing vulnerability in preparation for coastal storms and sea-level rise
• Ensuring equity in adaptation and climate solutions

• Federal and state resilience policies and grant programs
• Adaptation strategies to deal with rising sea levels, flooding, hurricanes, and other climate-related hazards
• Reimagining community infrastructure that can withstand and absorb natural disasters
• Energy-efficient buildings, integrated development and re-development, and energy audits and strategies
• Sustainable land use practices, such as reducing urban sprawl, protecting natural resources, and enhancing green infrastructure as part of new community planning
• Data and technology, such as GIS, remote sensing, and AI, to inform planning decisions, improve emergency response, and monitor resilience indicators

All expenses are the responsibility of the speaker, including travel, lodging, and conference registration fees.