The REPI program of the US DoD also provides for military installation resilience and funds the initiatives. The coastal resilience initiatives also get the investment from the REPI program to protect coastal installations. Let’s see how the REPI funds help the national coastal regions.
The REPI program protects the military missions’ readiness through removing threats, such as urban development, climate change, and many more, and enhances the training capabilities and alleviates the environmental restrictions.
The program has funded the National Coastal Resilience Fund recipients who used nature-based solutions and supported coastal installations. The REPI support will mitigate the impact of natural hazards and improve the marine ecosystem.
How did REPI support the coastal resilience initiatives?
Every year, the US Department of Defense, REPI program, invests in the National Coastal Resilience Fund and contributes to the funding of the projects passed under the NCRF. In 2024, the REPI program will contribute $9 million to 13 projects, whereas last year, it was $15 million and funded around 11 projects.
The REPI program has been investing in the National Coastal Resilience Fund since 2020, enhancing the installation resilience. The NCRF funds are announced every year for projects that are submitted in mid-June.
The announcement for the 2025 NCRF recipients will be made in late November 2025, so if you have submitted any project related to coastal resilience, you can expect the announcement soon.
What NCRF projects REPI has funded?
From the $9 million contribution, the REPI has funded the following NCRF project locations in FY 2024-25:
| NCRF project locations | REPI Funds |
| Keesler Air Force Base (Mississippi) | $215K |
| MacDill Air Force Base (Florida) | $1.2M |
| Naval Station Newport (Rhode Island) | $681K |
| Joint Base Langley-Eustis (Virginia) | $845K |
| Marine Corps Base Hawai’i | $706K |
| Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and Naval Base Coronado (California) | $572K |
| Seymour Johnson Air Force Base (North Carolina) | $734K |
| Naval Submarine Kings Bay (Georgia) | $439K |
| Vandenberg Space Force Base (California) | $600K |
| Dover Air Force Base (Delaware) | $1M |
| Eglin Air Force Base (Florida) | $450K |
| Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach (California) | $712K |
| Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Naval Station Everett, Naval Magazine Indian Island, and Naval Base Kitsap (Washington) | $570K |
All the projects mentioned above have nature-based solutions (restoring dunes, building retention berms, drainage basins, recharging aquifers, etc.) and installation resilience to enhance military readiness and preserve the coastal ecosystem.
What are the other REPI projects supporting coastal resilience?
Apart from the NCRF funds, the REPI program supports other projects started by eligible applicants for the military readiness and environmental protection, such as:
- Naval Base Ventura County REPI project:
- Protecting wetlands and restoring freshwater flows and tidal action.
- Offer incentives to the farmers for agricultural business, and encourage them to sell their products and earn income, and stop them from selling their land to developers.
- Tyndall Air Force Base (Florida):
- A project was funded by REPI to experiment with oyster breakwaters to protect from climate change, such as storms and hurricanes, and others.
- Collaboration with federal agencies:
- REPI has collaborated with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to implement military installation resilience near the coastal regions.
What are the challenges associated with coastal resilience initiatives?
Coastal resilience is important to be prepared for the future and mitigate the current risks; however, there are some challenges affecting the projects and initiatives:
- Environmental issues:
- The biggest issue is the increasing climate change effects that can cause problems for resilience projects to analyze and establish installations that can adapt or withstand the current natural hazards or extreme weather events.
- Community Conflict:
- The local community may conflict with the federal agencies or the project owners’ practices to mitigate the risks and coastal resilience because sometimes it may clash with their cultural values or their typical practices.
- Coordination:
- With multiple stakeholders in one project, coordination is highly important; it requires proper planning, monitoring, data collection, and engagement from all stakeholders.
- Funding:
- The fragmented funding from one federal agency to a program can affect the funding cycle and long-term planning.
- Development:
- The coastal areas face development pressure as they attract tourism, real estate; however, state-led laws can be different from one state to another, which can affect the development.
The Department of Defense is supporting the climate resilience practices around all defense installations for climate adaptation and to withstand the increasing climate change effects that are disrupting not only military operations but also the lives of civilians living near coastal regions.
