City to hire for nearly 70 positions — from engineers to city planners to field inspectors — to strengthen flood protections and prepare New York City for future climate threats
The Bureau centralizes the plannin
Coastal protections complement Mayor Mamdani’s investments to address in-land flooding, including $108 million to improve sewer performance citywide and $95 million to address flooding hotspots in Brooklyn
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Lisa F. Garcia today announced a dramatic expansion of the Bureau of Coastal Resilience to better protect communities against rising sea levels and the growing threat of stronger, more severe coastal storms worsened by climate change.
The Bureau centralizes the planning, operation and maintenance of the City’s growing network of coastal flood-protection infrastructure, and for years, has relied on a team of six staff and the support of borrowed crew members from across DEP. Mayor Mamdani is investing in a Bureau of Coastal Resilience that has the expertise and manpower necessary to meet the moment and protect our coastal communities for generations to come.
The Mayor has invested $43.2 million across the City’s financial plan, including $10.6 million in the current fiscal year, to hire 69 additional staff members to the Bureau, including engineers, field crews, city planners and other flood experts. The funding also supports several major studies that will strengthen the City’s long-term coastal resilience strategy, including a roadmap for protecting all 520 miles of New York City’s coastline.
“As climate change accelerates, so too must our efforts to protect our communities from flooding and extreme weather,” said Mayor Mamdani. “This investment ensures the Bureau can keep pace with the billions of dollars in flood prevention and mitigation infrastructure being built and mobilized in the next few years. Staffed with engineers, flood-risk management experts and maintenance crews, the Bureau of Coastal Resilience will drive resiliency job opportunities while making sure our city is prepared for whatever comes our way.”
“Mayor Mamdani and this administration are committed to protecting New Yorkers from hurricanes, intense rainfall and other climate change risks and recognize that this requires sustained investment in infrastructure and the people who keep it running,” said DEP Commissioner Lisa F. Garcia. “Expanding the Bureau of Coastal Resilience strengthens our ability to safeguard our shoreline, prepare for climate impacts and protect the communities, businesses and critical facilities that power our city.”
There are currently 15 active infrastructure projects in the Bureau’s portfolio, including the City’s first major coastal flood protection system: the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project, which features raised parkland, floodwalls and 18 swinging or sliding flood gates to create a continuous line of protection. ESCR will come online next year and protect more than 110,000 New Yorkers, including approximately 28,000 public residents, on the Lower East Side from storms like Hurricane Sandy.
Hurricane Sandy killed 44 New Yorkers and caused nearly $19 billion in damage in 2012, catalyzing an ambitious portfolio of long-term coastal protection projects that will prevent flooding while improving public waterfront spaces. Today, nearly 440,000 New Yorkers, 14,500 businesses and roughly $250 billion in property value reside within the city’s 100-year floodplain.
As extreme weather events become more frequent, the Mamdani administration is building climate preparedness into the features of the city. The administration has invested $
In addition to ESCR, several other major coastal flooding protection systems will come online in the next four years, including Brooklyn Bridge-Montgomery Coastal Resilience, Seaport Coastal Resilience, and Red Hook Coastal Resiliency. The Bureau works closely with City agencies — including NYC Parks, Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Small Business Services (SBS), Department of Buildings (DOB), Department of Design and Construction (DDC), Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of City Planning (DCP) and the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) — to advance these critical coastal resilience projects across the five boroughs.
“These past couple of weeks, we have seen how strong rainstorms have wreaked havoc on our communities. As the effects of climate change heighten, we are further motivated to protect New Yorkers from flooding and rising sea levels,” said DDC Commissioner Paul A. Ochoa. “DDC is currently building innovative coastal resiliency infrastructure and flooding mitigation across the City, like flood walls, flood gates and street raisings, while also maintaining access to the waterfront and providing New Yorkers with upgraded recreational areas. DDC is proud to collaborate with DEP on these projects, and we are glad that the infrastructure we are working on will be better-supported thanks to Mayor Mamdani’s expansion of DEP’s Bureau of Coastal Resilience.”
“For a family, a flooded home means a repair bill they can’t afford and an insurance premium that spikes,” said Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung. “By funding the Bureau of Coastal Resilience, the City will have the in-house engineering, planning and capacity to build, operate and maintain our flood protection systems now and into the future.”
“As we face the effects of climate change and encounter severe storms with greater frequency, it’s more vital than ever that we bolster our coastlines to protect our most flood-prone areas. By expanding the Bureau of Coastal Resilience, the City will be better equipped to deal with future impacts and keep our communities safe,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. “Through transformative projects like East Side Coastal Resiliency and our continued partnership with DEP and sister agencies, we are protecting New Yorkers from future coastal flooding while creating stronger, greener and more accessible public spaces.”
“As New Yorkers grapple with more frequent and intense coastal storms and flooding, the City must continue investing in the infrastructure needed to keep people safe,” said NYCEM Commissioner Christina Farrell. “Expanding the Bureau of Coastal Resilience is a necessary investment that strengthens New York City’s ability to prepare for severe weather, protect vulnerable communities and build the long-term resilience needed to confront the growing challenges of climate change.”
“The expansion of the Bureau of Coastal Resilience is a critical investment in the safety of all New Yorkers and the future of our city when, if we didn’t take action, even minor coastal storms could become damaging as sea levels continue to rise,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “The Bureau has been critical in advancing major resiliency projects to protect New Yorkers and, with additional resources, can more urgently address our climate crisis. We are proud to work with the Bureau to help move forward resiliency projects involving street infrastructure and are working every day to build a more sustainable city.”
“Severe weather is no longer a distant threat, but is a reality New Yorkers are experiencing with increasing frequency,” said DOB Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “Investing in resilient coastal infrastructure will go a long way toward protecting our buildings, neighborhoods and the people who call them home. Through DOB’s enforcement of the city’s strong flood protection requirements for new construction projects, each new development we approve is helping to improve the resiliency of the city’s built environment. This expansion announced today reflects the City’s commitment to preparing for the challenges ahead while preserving the safety and strength of our built environment. Congratulations to DEP on this significant investment, we look forward to continuing to partner with you on this important work.”
“Climate resilience must be built into how New York City plans for its future,” said DCP Director Sideya Sherman. “Expanding the Bureau of Coastal Resilience will strengthen the City’s ability to protect vulnerable communities, coordinate major investments and prepare waterfront neighborhoods for growing climate change risks. City Planning is proud to support this important work as we advance a safer, more resilient city for generations to come.”
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