For more than a decade, Delaware has worked on developing effective adaptation governance. As the lowest-lying state in the country, Delaware faces flooding in addition to rising temperatures, increased storms, and other extreme weather events. The 2023 Climate Change Solutions Act was foundational to establishing the state’s current adaptation framework. As mandated by the 2023 Act, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) leads statewide adaptation efforts. The Act established a Chief Climate Change Officer (CCCO), the Director of DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal, and Energy, as well as one Climate Change Officer in each of Delaware’s nine cabinet-level agencies. In addition to these positions, Delaware’s adaptation plans emphasize broader interagency collaboration and comprehensive efforts at all levels of decisionmaking. The 2023 Act also requires that the Climate Action Plan be updated every five years. Since the first plan in 2021, Delaware’s Climate Action Plans have sought to approach climate change with both mitigation and adaptation frameworks. Beyond planning, other adaptation efforts include partnerships with federal government agencies, such as one with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the Coastal Management Assistance Grant Program, and community-level collaboratives, such as the Delaware Resilient and Sustainable Communities League (RASCL). The overview below provides a more detailed summary of Delaware’s key climate-related risks, the governance framework for overseeing adaptation work at the state level, and central laws and guidelines affecting how adaptation planning, investments, and funding are carried out in the state. 

Delaware’s Climate Vulnerability and Risk Profile

Delaware is the second smallest US state (by area) after Rhode Island. Similar to Rhode Island, the entire state of Delaware is considered to be part of the federal coastal zone.^{See footnote 1} The state is surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware Bay, both of which drain into the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Delaware is the lowest state in the country in terms of average sea level, making its flood risk relatively high.^{See footnote 2} According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool, the state’s flooding risk ranges from moderate to high. Wildfire risk is low overall.^{See footnote 3} Delaware’s climate is categorized as humid continental in the northern part of the state, and humid subtropical in the south.^{See footnote 4} Summers are generally moderately warm, winters are moderately cold, and precipitation is common all year. The average annual temperature is in the mid-50s Fahrenheit.^{See footnote 5} Nor’easters and tropical storms can cause high amounts of precipitation in the form of rain or snow. Severe thunderstorms, coastal flooding, and tornadoes are also common hazards for the state.^{See footnote 6} 

The moderate seasonal temperatures in Delaware are expected to continue changing in the coming years. Extreme heat and flooding will likely become more common.^{See footnote 7} Heat waves, increased extreme precipitation, sea-level rise, and flooding are also becoming more commonplace.^{See footnote 8} The Delaware 2025 Climate Action Plan also mentions the significance of compounding climate hazards in the state, such as concurrent heat waves and drought.^{See footnote 9} The plan outlines actions for increasing resources and research for heat- and flood-impacted communities. The state is also preparing for the likelihood of increased drought and wildfire frequency. The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s (DNREC) website has a page dedicated to sea-level rise adaptation information—impacts in the state include flooding, storms reaching further inland, and impacts to water and transportation infrastructure.^{See footnote 10} As a coastal state, Delaware’s economy depends on industries such as tourism and shipping, which are already experiencing effects of climate change. Throughout the state, sea-level rise is also contributing to loss of wetlands (for example, Cherry Walk Fen in Sussex County has experienced significant ecosystem change due to saltwater intrusion).^{See footnote 11} This trend of saltwater intrusion has caused the city of Dover to source drinking water from underwater aquifers in collaboration with local farmers.^{See footnote 12} 

Adaptation Governance in Delaware

In recent years, Delaware has organized much of the state’s adaptation governance through the Delaware Climate Solutions Act of 2023, which stresses the importance of collaboration among state agencies. While DNREC leads and implements the majority of adaptation work, the cooperation of other agencies allows for a comprehensive approach to adaptation governance. Delaware also collaborates with non-governmental organizations to strengthen resilience efforts across the state through information sharing and technical assistance. 

Delaware Emergency Management Agency

The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) leads preparation and mitigation efforts and publishes the State Hazard Mitigation Plan, last updated in 2023.^{See footnote 13} As part of FEMA Region 3, DEMA liaises between the federal government and state/local agencies; DEMA serves as the State Administrative Agency (SAA) for FEMA-funded grant dispersal, focused on grants that improve “preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation” throughout the state.^{See footnote 14} The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Regulatory Districts covering the state are the Baltimore and Philadelphia Districts. Projects benefiting Delaware’s climate adaptation from these districts include the Bethany Beach Coastal Storm Damage Reduction Project^{See footnote 15} and the Bayshore Dredging Project.^{See footnote 16} DEMA has not recently partnered with USACE on an adaptation project, though DNREC generally partners with USACE.^{See footnote 17}  

Delaware Coastal Management Program

The Delaware Coastal Management Program (DCMP), established in 1979,^{See footnote 18 See footnote 19} is housed in DNREC^{See footnote 20}  and is part of the Coastal Programs Section of the Division of Climate, Coastal, and Energy.^{See footnote 21} The program is networked across other state agencies that work on coastal issues. DCMP is responsible for managing the coastline from the Delaware River to the C&D Canal, the Delaware Bay, the Inland Bays, and to the Atlantic Ocean.^{See footnote 22}  The program maintains an interactive map where users can identify parts of the coastal zone that fall under the purview of the Delaware Coastal Zone Act.^{See footnote 23} DCMP also collaborates regularly with the Delaware Sea Grant, housed at the University of Delaware, on internships and fellowships as well as coastal management and adaptation projects.^{See footnote 24} 

Delaware Climate Change Officers and Inter-Agency Collaboration 

The Delaware Climate Solutions Act of 2023 establishes multiple positions within key state agencies to help direct and facilitate climate change planning, coordination, and implementation. To aid in implementation of regulation and updating the Climate Action Plan, the Act created the Chief Climate Change Officer and Climate Change Officer positions. The Chief Climate Change Officer (CCCO) is the Director of DNREC Division of Climate, Coastal, and Energy. The CCCO directs the Climate Change Officers, who are designated by the secretary of each key cabinet-level department, in coordinating on implementation and updating of the most recent Climate Action Plan. The CCCO and Climate Change Officers must meet twice a year to assess progress toward Climate Action Plan goals and the implementation of relevant legislation within their agencies, as well as meeting to update the Plan when mandated by statute. 

The Act also introduces the Technical Climate Advisors, an advisory position that must update various climate scenarios every five years for climate change planning purposes. This includes sea-level rise scenarios, temperature scenarios, and precipitation scenarios. The data projections put forth by the Technical Climate Advisors must be considered by the Climate Change Officers when they are updating the Climate Action Plan. 

Climate Data

The Delaware State Climatologist, hosted at the University of Delaware, provides a variety of climate services and data. The Climate Office provides climate summary maps and data for heat, cold, precipitation, and drought on a weekly to monthly basis.^{See footnote 25} The office reports temperature and heating degree days for heat monitoring, as opposed to heat mortality and illness. The state Climate Office provides monthly updates on Delaware’s drought conditions, with in-depth analysis of recent trends for precipitation, soil moisture, temperature, and other related factors.^{See footnote 26}  

The University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE) Center for Environmental Modeling and Analysis (CEMA), of which the State Climatologist Office is a part) also provides environmental monitoring and historical data, weather and climate expertise and communications, and environmental modeling.^{See footnote 27} Specifically, CEMA provides a Coastal Flood Monitoring System (which monitors flood conditions and sends out alerts),^{See footnote 28} the Delaware Weather Hazard Index (which provides real-time risk assessments for various weather hazards),^{See footnote 29} and a Coastal Dashboard (which links all coastal monitoring data and tools for the state).^{See footnote 30} CEMA also hosts the Delaware Climate Projections Portal.^{See footnote 31}  

Also within DNREC, the Delaware Sea Level Rise Advisory Committee produced reports about the impacts of sea-level rise on the state from 2010 to 2014 and held workshops on technical issues related to rising sea level.^{See footnote 32} In 2017, the Delaware Sea-Level Rise Technical Committee produced “Recommendation of Sea-Level Rise Planning Scenarios for Delaware” for DNREC Coastal Programs, a technical report providing updated sea-level rise scenarios for planning purposes following the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) in 2013.^{See footnote 33} These efforts came about as part of the Delaware Sea-Level Rise Initiative from DNREC Coastal Programs in 2008, which resulted in several work groups and technical reports to support Delaware’s planning for various sea-level rise scenarios.

Adaptation Law and Policy in Delaware

Delaware’s Climate Change Solutions Act of 2023 is a wide-reaching act that guides state agencies in reducing climate emissions and increasing community resilience through collaboration, funding, and implementation. 

Delaware Climate Change Solutions Act of 2023

In 2023, Delaware passed the Climate Change Solutions Act as the “foundation for climate action in the state.” The Act is meant to combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to increase the state’s resilience to climate change impacts through a “whole of government approach.” This strategy requires key “state agencies to consider greenhouse gas emissions and climate resilience in decision-making for regulations” and project planning. Agencies may also consider the state Climate Action Plan in “the siting, construction, and maintenance,” “the planning, design, and operation of State infrastructure,” and “the issuance of grants and funding.”^{See footnote 34}

The Climate Action Plan must also assess whether existing resilience strategies are sufficient to protect Delaware from climate change impacts (such as sea-level rise), and if they are not, the Plan must propose additional resilience strategies to address the shortfalls.^{See footnote 35}

Adaptation Planning Requirements

Delaware’s current adaptation efforts are based largely on more than a decade of climate and resilience plans. These plans, which were built on previously published climate plans, culminated in the Delaware Climate Solutions Act of 2023, which was heavily influenced by the 2021 statewide Climate Action Plan (discussed further below) and mandates an update of the Climate Action Plan be published every five years. Climate Action Plans have also taken into account data from more specialized environmental plans conducted by Delaware’s state agencies, such as the State Energy Plan, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Technical Report, and the Delaware Climate Resilience Actions Summary 2013–2020. 

Resilience in Comprehensive Planning for Municipalities 

Delaware has also implemented new local planning requirements for resilience. Beginning on November 15, 2026, municipalities in Delaware with more than 2,000 residents must prepare a comprehensive development plan that includes “policies, statements, goals and planning components for ... climate change and resiliency.”^{See footnote 36} Once the municipality adopts a comprehensive development plan, the plan has “the force of law and no development shall be permitted except as consistent with the plan.”^{See footnote 37} Municipalities must review the plan every five years for relevance and the plan must be readopted every 10 years.^{See footnote 38} A report detailing the progress of plan development and implementation must also be submitted to the Office of State Planning Coordination each year.^{See footnote 39}

Resilient Design and Siting Requirements

Floodplain Management

Delaware’s floodplain management regulations meet the federal National Flood Insurance Program’s minimum requirements and charge the Secretary of DNREC, in consultation with the Floodplain and Drainage Advisory Committee, to develop model ordinances and set minimum standards.^{See footnote 40} Senate Bill 64 (2011) mandates that the state Secretary of DNREC develop and adopt standards for floodplain management with input from the Floodplain and Drainage Advisory Committee.^{See footnote 41} Once standards are determined, local and county governments have the obligation to review and comment on the standards within six months of their adoption.^{See footnote 42} DNREC provides technical assistance to localities with this analysis, if requested. Regulations include a requirement that buildings be set back from the shoreline and other reference points by 75–100 feet (the “Building Line”).^{See footnote 43} The state maintains model ordinances for communities in specific flood zones.^{See footnote 44} Most communities in Delaware have adopted ordinances requiring a freeboard elevation of 1–1.5 feet above the base flood elevation within the floodplain.^{See footnote 45} 

Statewide Adaptation Planning and Technical Assistance

Delaware emphasizes the importance of planning for resilience at both state and local levels. To support local planning and coordination, the state provides technical assistance support, fosters collaborative networks, and supports agency and non-governmental coordination and capacity building. 

Climate Action Plan

Delaware’s statewide Climate Action Plan was first published in 2021 in an attempt to streamline the state’s response to climate change. The stated purpose of the Plan is twofold: minimize greenhouse gas emissions to slow global warming and increase community resilience to present and future climate impacts. 

The most recent iteration of the Plan, published in 2025, includes updated data, research, and community input collected since the 2021 Plan was released. The plan assesses Delaware’s risks and vulnerabilities relating to climate and climate change and establishes goals, strategies, and actions that can “reasonably be initiated or accomplished by 2030,” when the next Climate Action Plan must be published. Specifically, the plan outlines goals and strategies for protecting Delaware communities from climate impacts. For example, the plan advocates for extreme heat preparedness by improving data collection and collaboration and increasing outreach and engagement with vulnerable populations. To address sea-level rise and flooding, the plan supports preserving wetlands and preparing infrastructure for a changing climate. Broadly, the plan outlines strategies for “comprehensive resilience,” such as supporting resilient infrastructure, design, and transportation, conserving more land and resources, and providing further technical assistance to local governments.

Importantly, the Climate Action Plan stresses the importance of proper implementation of the strategies. This implementation process is spearheaded by the State Agency Climate Change Officers and the resulting collaboration between state agencies. Implementation progress is to be updated every two years.

Delaware Climate Resilience Actions Summary 

Prior to developing the Climate Action Plan, Delaware published the Delaware Climate Resilience Actions Summary, which assessed the state of resilience in the state. This report informed the first Climate Action Plan and built on the recommendations and progress put forth in the 2013 Sea Level Rise Recommendations Report, the 2014 Climate Framework for Delaware, and the 2016 Progress Report.  

Resilient and Sustainable Communities League

The Delaware Resilient and Sustainable Communities League (RASCL) is a collaborative of state agencies, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions operating under the shared goal of providing technical assistance “and support to Delaware communities in order to increase their capacity to adapt, mitigate, and respond to environmental change.” RASCL’s core topics focus on climate resilience, sustainable infrastructure and land use, and hazard mitigation.

In addition to coordinating within the state, RASCL also interfaces with federal agencies like NOAA, FEMA, and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Other responsibilities include hosting a yearly summit that brings together Delaware’s resilience practitioners, providing project guidance and funding assistance to localities and community groups, and identifying Delaware’s community-based research needs through outreach, surveys, and convenings.

Technical Assistance for Coastal Resilience

Delaware’s approach to coastal management includes support for present hazards and long-term coastal resilience.

Delaware’s Coastal Management Assistance Grant is a longstanding cooperative program with NOAA. The goal of the program is to provide Delaware communities with funding and technical assistance to better respond to coastal hazards. The grant’s scope is wide, covering “habitat protection, coastal development, water quality, public access, energy facility siting, and ocean planning.” 

The Resilient Community Partnership Program is a recent program; similar to the Coastal Management Assistance Grant, it is also funded by NOAA for the purposes of assisting Delaware communities with coastal hazards.^{See footnote 46} Unlike the grant, the program focuses on increasing Delaware’s resilience to hazards resulting from climate change, such as sea-level rise and coastal storms. It provides technical assistance with the potential for funding to encourage localities to increase their planning capabilities.The technical assistance provided includes staffing, outreach, and community training on coastal and climate hazards. 

Another way Delaware is increasing coastal resilience is through I-ADAPT (Individual Adaptation Decision and Planning Tool), which educates Delaware residents on their flood risk, depending on their location, property, and personal preference. The web-based tool recommends current and future strategies for the resident to implement to improve their resilience to coastal flooding and reduce their risk of flood. The tool is not intended to replace professional guidance, but to get individuals to start thinking about planning for resilience. 

This summary aims to highlight the most important adaptation and resilience efforts underway in Delaware, but it is not exhaustive. Other adaptation and resilience efforts may be led by other state agencies, localities, and private partners within the state. Source documents and additional resources, many of which are housed in the Adaptation Clearinghouse, are highlighted below.

This research was last updated on October 20, 2026.