The U.S. Department of Commerce and Vice President Kamala Harris announced on April 21 that $562 million in funding for 149 projects across 30 coastal states and territories will be going toward making those communities and their economies resilient to climate change.

According to the Department of Commerce website, the funding is through the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda, which is intended to battle climate change and make sure that communities are resilient to extreme weather. These awards are through the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Climate-Ready Coasts Initiative, which are funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.

“The Biden-Harris administration is moving aggressively to tackle the climate crisis and help communities that are experiencing increased flooding, storm surge and more frequent extreme weather events," Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo told the Department of Commerce website. "These investments will create jobs while protecting people, communities and ecosystems from the threats of climate change, and help our nation take the steps it needs to become more resilient and build a clean-energy economy.”

The projects are focused on protecting coastal communities and infrastructure from the impacts of climate change, like sea-level rise, storm surges and erosion.

Investing in America is a Biden-Harris administration agenda that is focused on helping the American economy all around. It includes rebuilding the infrastructure across the country, creating a manufacturing and innovation boom, building a clean-energy economy that fights climate change and making communities resilient to climate change. The funding for the coastal projects is a major step toward achieving these goals and making sure communities are better equipped for a future that will inevitably include climate change.

The Climate-Ready Coasts initiative includes $477 million for high-impact natural infrastructure projects focused on extreme weather events, pollution and marine debris, while also restoring coastal habitats. Another aspect is $46 million for the NOAA National Fish and Wildlife Foundation National Coastal Resilience Fund partnership. Another $39.1 million is designated for noncompetitive funding to 34 state and territorial coastal zone management programs, along with 30 estuarine research reserves through the Coastal Zone Management Act.