Climate & Resiliency

Coastal Resilience Initiative

The City has completed a study focused on Portsmouth's vulnerability to Climate Change with a detailed focus on coastal storm surges and sea level rise. The findings and recomendations of this study, which looks at a number of adaptation strategies and recommendations for future adaptation actions, were incorporated into the City's Master Plan.

Historic Properties Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment

The City has completed a Historic Resources Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan. This study incorporated results of the 2016 Downtown Historic Register District property inventory with the City’s 3-D Massing Model and the City’s property valuation database to develop an economic and cultural valuation of its historic properties. The project also focused on four target areas to evaluate the economic impact of flooding and sea-level rise in a variety of land uses and settings.

Sustainable City Initiative

Portsmouth decided as a community with the completion of the 2005 Master Plan to become more sustainable and ecologically friendly in order to safeguard it's future. With that mindset, the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee on Sustainable Practices advised the City Council to declare Portsmouth an Eco-Municipality. The City Council voted unanimously to declare Portsmouth an Eco-Municipality in 2007 and signed a resolution which fully acknowledges Portsmouth's commitment and desire to become more sustainable, and to do so uses four sustainability principles from The Natural Step by making thoughtful, insightful decisions that will benefit the community as a whole.